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Type:
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Information and Discussion
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Status:
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Agenda Ready
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On agenda:
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10/19/2022
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Final action:
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Title:
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Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - Grant Funding Update
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Title
Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - Grant Funding Update
Description
This report provides the Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee an update on the status of the City's efforts to pursue Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant funding.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
The Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) contains approximately $550 billion in new spending above previous funding levels, over five years, for existing and new programs nationwide. These programs are aimed at improving infrastructure, investing in disadvantaged communities, and creating jobs. To achieve these goals, BIL-funded grants are advancing considerable improvements in areas such as roadway safety, active transportation, public transit, rail, airports, electric vehicles and related charging equipment needs, clean water, water resources, energy and environmental industries, cybersecurity and broadband, and other areas.
Signed into law by President Biden on Nov. 15, 2021, BIL is nearing the one-year mark and was intended to fund programs through allocations from Federal Fiscal Years (FFYs) 2021-22 through 2025-26. While FFY 2021-22 came to a close on Sept. 30, 2022, many of the approximately 375 individual BIL programs are still awaiting formal announcements of allocations, opportunities to apply, or are pending review of applications prior to award grant funds. City staff have been, and will continue, monitoring and pursuing announcements from the 16+ Federal agencies administering the programs, as well with the numerous state, county and other regional agencies who may be recipients of BIL funding and are also tasked with administering funding to local agencies.
Under the leadership of the Mayor and the City Council, to date, the City of Phoenix has been awarded $47.9 million in Federal BIL funds. An additional $44.4 million has been applied for and is pending award announcement. Several other opportunities currently have applications underway or are under review. Contained below is an overview of the formula funding announced to date, the discretionary grant programs the City has applied for to date, and a description of the City projects submitted, as well as a description of upcoming programs staff have identified for evaluation.
BIL Formula Grants
Airport Infrastructure Grant - Airport Improvement Program (AIP) - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - Eligible projects include improvements related to enhancing airport safety, capacity, security, and environmental concerns. In general, funds may be awarded for airfield capital improvements or rehabilitation projects, and in some specific situations, for terminals, hangars, and non-aviation development.
- Project Name - Construct New Crossfield Taxiway U - Phase I
- Project Narrative - Project scope includes design and construction of the new Taxiway U and enabling work that will relocate and/or modify existing facilities and infrastructure impacted by the project. The main enabling elements of the project include modifications to the existing City-owned Facilities and Services Complex, Air Cargo apron and building modifications, sections of existing roadway, and existing aprons. The airport infrastructure grants were allocated to US airports by formula, based on prior year activity and granted over five years. Sky Harbor's five-year allocation is anticipated to be approximately $200 million, allocated in approximately $40 million increments. An initial amount of $5.3 million was awarded to pay for early design costs on the taxiway project.
- Application Amount (to date) - $5.3 million
- Award Amount (to date) - $5.3 million (nearly $200 million in AIP formula funds anticipated over five years)
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Formula Grant Programs - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - FTA formula grant programs provide funding to states and transit agencies through statutory formulas for public transit capital, planning, maintenance, replacement, and rehabilitation projects, as well as assisting nonprofit groups in meeting the transportation needs of the elderly and persons with disabilities.
- Project Name - Various projects
- Project Narrative - Projects include regional program administration and planning, preventive maintenance activities, purchase of replacement bus and Dial-A-Ride fleets, and taxi voucher program funding.
- Award Amount - $50.1 million
BIL Discretionary Grants
Awarded To Date:
Local and Regional Project Assistance - Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - Provides a unique opportunity for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve national objectives. Previously known as the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants.
- Project Name - Rio Reimagined: 3rd Street Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge
- Project Narrative - The project will construct a bicycle and pedestrian bridge across the Rio Salado River along a 3rd Street alignment. Improved facilities will continue into Downtown along 3rd Street, connecting South Phoenix to Downtown. The southern bank trails will also be retrofitted to a concrete pathway with low-emitting solar pedestrian-scale lighting and pathway amenities between Central Avenue and 40th Street connecting the future South Central Light Rail extension to the region.
- Application Amount - $44,228,295
- Award Amount - $25 million
Low- or No-Emission Bus Grants - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - The Low- or No-Emission competitive program provides funding to states and transit agencies for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses as well as for the acquisition, construction, or leasing of required supporting facilities.
- Project Name - City of Phoenix Zero-Emission Bus Transition: Initial Investment
- Project Narrative - The Public Transit Department has developed a fleet transition plan and is coordinating with partners to begin the initial transition to Zero-Emission Buses (ZEBs) while developing workforce training program for existing workers to operate/maintain zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure. Phoenix is committed to mitigating local air quality issues, addressing climate change, and making electric vehicles accessible to the community. Phoenix received funds to offset the higher cost of ZEBs for planned fleet replacements of up to 12 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses (FCEBs) and up to six Battery Electric Buses (BEBs), support workforce development, construct fueling infrastructure, and install charging equipment in the initial phase of its Zero-Emission Transition Plan.
- Application Amount - $16,362,600
- Award Amount - $16,362,600
Not Awarded:
Airport Terminal Program (ATP) Grant - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - The purpose of the ATP is to make annual grants available to eligible airports for airport terminal development projects that address the aging infrastructure of the nation's airports. In addition, ATP grants will align with U.S. DOT's strategic framework.
- Project Name - Construct New Terminal 3 (T3) North Concourse and Connecting Bridges - Phase I
- Project Narrative - Design and construct a new T3 North concourse, T3 / T4 connecting bridges, T3 processor improvements as well as relocation of service vehicle Gate 141, mail sort facility and T3 Annex building at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
- Application Amount - $32 million
Airport Terminal Program (ATP) Grant - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - The purpose of the ATP is to make annual grants available to eligible airports for airport terminal development projects that address the aging infrastructure of the nation's airports. In addition, ATP grants will align with U.S. DOT's strategic framework.
- Project Name - T4 Infrastructure Improvements - Phase I
- Project Narrative - Scope includes various T4 infrastructure improvements including building envelope (roofs and windows), vertical transportation (elevators, escalators, moving walkways), plumbing (domestic water and wastewater), HVAC, electrical, etc. at PHX.
- Application Amount - $27,680,000
Pending Review / Announcement:
Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - To fund highway-rail or pathway-rail grade crossing improvement projects that focus on improving the safety and mobility of people and goods.
- Project Name - U.S. 60 (Grand Avenue) / 35th Avenue / Indian School Road Grade Separation
- Project Narrative - The project will grade separate the 35th Avenue / Indian School Road intersection to mitigate the complex issues around this six-legged arterial intersection through elimination of two at-grade Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad crossings (BNSF / 35th Avenue and BNSF /Indian School Road). The benefits of this project include improvements to: the mobility of people and goods; grade crossing safety; and community access to residences and businesses.
- Application Amount - $88.69 million
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - The purpose of SS4A grants is to improve roadway safety by significantly reducing or eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries through safety action plan development and implementation focused on all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, personal conveyance and micromobility users, and commercial vehicle operators. The program provides funding to develop the tools to help strengthen a community’s approach to roadway safety and save lives and is designed to meet the needs of communities.
- Project Name - City of Phoenix: Reversing the Trend - Creating Safer and Equitable Streets
- Project Narrative - Based on City Council approval of the Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan, Phoenix intends to implement of a group of engineering, education, and evaluation strategies that have a high safety benefit and prioritize historically disadvantaged areas of Phoenix. Projects include: seven intersection improvement projects; seven mid-block crossings; 2.5 miles of corridor safety projects; Vision Zero education campaign; Speed evaluation study; and Pedestrian high-crash risk analysis.
- Application Amount - $29,838,256
Bridge Investment Program (BIP) Grant - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - The goals of the BIP are to: improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of people and freight over bridges; improve the condition of bridges; and provide financial assistance that leverages and encourages non-Federal contributions from sponsors and stakeholders involved in the planning, design, and construction of eligible projects.
- Project Name - Grand Canal Bridge: Van Buren Street / 40th Street Bridge Replacement
- Project Narrative - The project will modernize the City’s transportation system by replacing the aging bridge over the Grand Canal at the intersection of Van Buren and 40th Streets in central-east Phoenix, approximately 4 miles east of the core of Downtown. The existing bridge is, on the cusp of "poor" condition, and an important component of the City’s freight network due to its proximity to the highway network, nearby industrial and manufacturing land uses and the international airport.
- Application Amount - $13,585,112
Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program Grant - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - Restore community connectivity by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity, including to mobility, access, or economic development.
- Project Name - PHX Cultural Corridor
- Project Narrative - The project is an element of the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Airport) Land Reuse Strategy (LRS), a collaborative effort between the City of Phoenix Aviation Department, neighborhoods, and other stakeholders to develop and implement market-driven strategies that can accelerate development of 743 City-owned parcels located west of the Airport. The Cultural Corridor will improve 3.52 miles of sidewalks and roadway between Downtown Phoenix and the Airport with enhanced pedestrian and bicycle facilities and signage, pavement markings, and wayfinding materials that highlight the area’s rich history.
- Application Amount - $3,499,853.87
Pilot Program for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Plan Implementation Grant - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - Provides funding for TOD activities associated with an eligible transit project for which the project sponsor will seek funding through Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants Program.
- Project Name - South Central TOD Community Plan: Implementation
- Project Narrative - This project proposal is a cross-disciplinary implementation effort for equitable, land use, transportation, and infrastructure investments towards achieving the established South Central TOD Community Plan’s “shared community vision for environmentally equitable, compact and connected communities; sustainable and resilient; incremental change and growth; towards a world-class regional destination that supports local small businesses, shares cultures, and improves health for all existing and future residents."
- Application Amount - $1 million
Highlighted Discretionary Programs Currently Accepting Applications
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grants - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - Funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized Tribal governments and local governments for hazard mitigation activities with a recognition of the growing hazards associated with climate change, and of the need for natural hazard risk mitigation activities that promote climate adaptation and resilience with respect to those hazards. These include both acute extreme weather events and chronic stressors which have been observed and are expected to increase in intensity and frequency in the future.
- Maximum Award Amount - $50 million
Flood Mitigation Assistance Grants - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - Funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized tribal governments, and local governments to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program. It does so with a recognition of the growing flood hazards associated with climate change and of the need for flood hazard risk mitigation activities that promote climate adaptation, equity, and resilience with respect to flooding. These include both acute extreme weather events and chronic stressors which have been observed and are expected to increase in intensity and frequency in the future.
- Maximum Award Amount - $50 million
Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - Provides supplemental funding grants to rural, midsized, and large communities to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart city or community technologies and systems in a variety of communities to improve transportation efficiency and safety.
- Maximum Award Amount - $2 million (planning grants), $15 million (implementation grants)
Advanced Transportation Technologies and Innovative Mobility Deployment Grants - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - Will make competitive grants to deploy, install, and operate advanced transportation technologies.
- Maximum Award Amount - $12 million
Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Research Projects Grants - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - To develop innovative, cost-effective, and technologically efficient ways to desalinate or treat water by investing in development and application of advanced water treatment technologies that expand access to otherwise unusable water resources, thereby increasing water supply flexibility under the risks of long-term climate change and shorter-term drought. Investing in such technologies leads to development of climate-resilient, cost-effective, and low-impact solutions that bolster the ability of Reclamation, its customers, and stakeholders to cope with stresses of climate change. DWPR funding plays a critical role in iterating an idea from the lab to a real-world demonstration, which yields products that serve the water treatment community and attract commercialization interest. Through DWPR, research sponsors partner with Reclamation to address a broad range of desalting and water purification needs. Reclamation is interested in research where the benefits are widespread and where private-sector entities are not able to make the full investment and assume all the risks. Reclamation is also interested in research that has a national significance where the issues are of large-scale concern and the benefits accrue to a large sector of the public. DWPR program activities further support multiple related initiatives related to the Water Subcabinet such as the National Water Reuse Action Plan and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Security Grand Challenge.
- Maximum Award Amount - $250,000 (Laboratory-Scale Projects), $800,000 (Pilot-Scale Projects)
Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grants - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - To fund projects that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail.
- Maximum Award Amount - No predetermined maximum
Small Surface Water and Groundwater Storage Projects Grants - FFY 2021-22
- Program Description - Water Storage, Groundwater Storage, and Conveyance projects with existing feasibility study or construction authorization are eligible for funding. Projects must be found feasible and with benefits proportionate to Federal investment. Small Water Storage and Groundwater Storage Projects are defined in BIL as projects that have storage capacity between 2,000 acre-feet and 30,000 acre-feet and increase surface water or groundwater storage or convey water, directly or indirectly, to or from surface water or groundwater storage.
- Maximum Award Amount - $20 million
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee received a presentation on the Federal Infrastructure Program Update on Jan. 19, 2022.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the City Manager's Office.
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