That the City Council:
A.  Approve the U.S. Department of Transportation Grant Agreement Under the Fiscal Year 2022 Safe Streets and Roads For All (SS4A) Grant Program; and

B.  Authorize the allocation of City matching funds; and

C.  Approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program, with $5 billion in appropriated funds over 5 years, 2022-2026. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.  The SS4A program supports the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Roadway Safety Strategy and the goal of zero roadway deaths.

The program supports the development of a comprehensive safety action plan (Action Plan) that identifies the most significant roadway safety concerns in a community and the implementation of projects and strategies to address roadway safety issues. Action Plans are the foundation of the SS4A grant program. SS4A requires an eligible Action Plan be in place before applying to implement projects and strategies. The SS4A program provides funding for two types of grants:

Planning and Demonstration Grants provide Federal funds to develop, complete, or supplement a comprehensive safety action plan. The goal of an Action Plan is to develop a holistic, well-defined strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries in a locality, Tribe, or region. Planning and Demonstration Grants also fund supplemental planning and/or demonstration activities that inform the development of a new or existing Action Plan. The Department encourages including demonstration activities in an application.
 
Implementation Grants provide Federal funds to implement projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan to address a roadway safety problem. Projects and strategies can be infrastructure, behavioral, and/or operational activities. Implementation Grants may also include demonstration activities, supplemental planning, and project-level planning, design, and development. Applicants must have an eligible Action Plan to apply for Implementation Grants. The Department encourages including demonstration activities in an application.

In September 2022, the City of La Habra applied for the Planning and Demonstration Grants, and was successful in being selected as an award recipient for $400,000.

The City of La Habra's grant funds will be applied for the development of a Citywide Safe Routes To School Master Plan (Project).  The proposed Project will develop a community-centered plan to improve the safety and walkability for students, parents, and community members throughout the City.  Once completed, this Master Plan will meet all requirements of SS4A's Comprehensive Safety Action Plan.  The Project will include the assessment of ten (10) elementary schools, two (2) middle schools, two (2) public high schools, one (1) private high school, and one (1) private elementary school within the City to develop strategies to promote safety and walkability to schools. The plan development process will engage a variety of both public and private stakeholders to help identify and explore various traffic safety and community-based solutions. It will also use evidence-based projects using established City and State standards for effective accessibility, walkability, and safety measures. This plan will benefit disadvantaged communities, with 65% of students at La Habra City Elementary School District receiving free or reduced-price meals that exceed both the Orange County and State of California averages.

In partnership with the La Habra School District and the Orange County Care Agency, five walkability audits were conducted to explore the safety hazards facing La Habra students on their way to and from school. The results from these audits found that 76% of students in elementary schools throughout the City did not feel fully safe along their routes to school, and 81% of students stated that they did not have room to walk easily. According to UC Berkeley TIMS Data, in 2020, eight (8) pedestrian-involved crashes resulting in injury, and one (1) resulting in a fatality, which occurred approximately one-half (1/2) mile from Washington Middle School in the City of La Habra.

If approved by City Council, staff will begin the Project by the end of this Fiscal Year and be completed by June 30, 2025. Upon completion of the Project, the City will then apply for additional SS4A grant funds to implement safety improvements as recommenced by the Master Plan. 

Staff recommends that the City Council approve the attached agreement (Attachment 1), authorize the allocation of local matching funds, and authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement.

The Project will be funded by the Federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program Grant in the amount of $320,000. The City is required to provide a local match of 20% for the project, which is $80,000.  Staff recommends using Traffic Impact funds to cover this match.   There is sufficient funding in the Traffic Impact fund to cover this match.