Title
Request Authorization to Apply for 2020 Federal Transit Administration Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning Grant for Northwest Extension Phase II (Ordinance S-47026)
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to apply for a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) TOD Planning Grant for up to $2 million for the Northwest Extension Phase II (NWEII) Project and execute an agreement with FTA to accept an awarded grant. Further request to authorize the City Treasurer to receive, and the City Controller to disburse, grant funds in accordance with the terms of the aforementioned grants and agreements.
Report
Summary
The FTA Pilot Program for TOD Planning provides funding to local communities for integrating land use and transportation planning with transit capital investments that are seeking, or have recently received, funding through the Section 5309 Capital Investment Grant Program. The Pilot Program is intended to fund comprehensive proactive planning that supports economic development, business retention, expanded access to job training/employment, increased ridership, multimodal connectivity and accessibility, increased transit access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and mixed-use development near transit stations.
The NWEII project is a 1.6-mile light rail transit investment that will connect the existing light rail system extending west along Dunlap Avenue from 19th Avenue, then north along 25th Avenue and across I-17 on Mountain View Road, with a terminus on the west side of the freeway near Metrocenter. At the end-of-line, the Metrocenter Station will be the first elevated station in the Phoenix light rail system. The existing transit center will relocate to below the elevated station. Adjacent to the transit center will be a four-story park-and-ride garage that will be accessible to the station. The improvements also include projects that implement elements of the City’s Complete Streets Initiative, enhance multimodal connections, provide bicycle infrastructure improvements, and complete critical upgrades to existing transit facilities that support service along the alignment.
This TOD Planning Grant would provide the resources to work with the community (residents, businesses, schools, community groups, and other area stakeholders) to develop and implement plans that support existing residents and businesses and attract healthy new development to the corridor by enhancing multimodal connectivity, access, and mixed use development. The grant application deadline is Oct. 26, 2020.
Financial Impact
The FTA TOD Planning Grant Program provides a maximum federal share of $2 million, with a required local match of 20 percent ($400,000). However, staff intends to submit the grant application with a 25 percent local match ($500,000) to increase the competitiveness of the application.T2050 funds will be used for the required local match.
Location
Extending west along Dunlap Avenue from 19th Avenue to 25th Avenue, then north along 25th Avenue to Mountain View Road and across I-17 to Metrocenter Mall.
Council Districts 1, 3 and 5.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Public Transit Department.