Title
Street Transportation Department Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Years 2022-23 Through 2027-28
Description
This report provides the Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee with an update on the Street Transportation Department's proposed Fiscal Years 2022-23 through 2027-28 Capital Improvement Program and an update on the Capital Improvement Program projects for Fiscal Year 2022-23.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.
Report
Summary
The Street Transportation Department (Streets) regularly provides the Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning (TIP) Subcommittee with information about the condition of the City's streets, including an overview of programs, funding sources, and challenges, as well as a report on future capital infrastructure needs.
Streets' funding sources include State of Arizona Highway User Revenue Funds (HURF), Transportation 2050 (T2050), Federal and Local Aid, Capital Construction Funds, and Impact Fees. The passage of Proposition 104 / T2050 in August 2015 provided an additional funding source for street improvement projects starting Jan. 1, 2016. City staff has worked with the Citizens Transportation Commission, TIP Subcommittee and City Council to identify, program and execute projects that meet the goals of T2050 and set priorities for projects moving forward. As these efforts continue, Streets incorporates these projects, including budgets and schedules, into the Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
Streets utilizes five major areas to guide capital funding investments:
Pavement Maintenance.
Major New and Expanded Streets.
Mobility Improvements.
Technology Enhancements.
Storm Water Improvements.
These prioritized areas are designed to assist Streets to best address public expectations, support traffic and travel demands, facilitate commercial and residential development, advance transportation safety improvements for all road users, and work on local and regional drainage needs throughout the City.
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 preliminary expenditure estimate for the Streets' CIP is approximately $282,523,993. Total CIP expenditures in FY 2022-23 and in FYs 2023-24 through 2027-28 are estimated at $1,204,258,281.
Project Overview
Some of the major transportation projects currently underway and/or programmed within the CIP include:
Pavement Maintenance
Within the FY 2022-23 through 2026-27 Streets' CIP is the expenditure of the remaining bond funds provided with the advancement of $200 million in T2050 funding approved in FY 2019-20 to accelerate the pavement maintenance program and implement Citywide pavement overlay projects.
The pavement maintenance portion of the CIP includes major maintenance activities, including pavement restoration and refurbishment, bridge rehabilitation and inspection, and other major activities focused on keeping the City's street transportation network in a state of good repair. Projects programmed for maintenance in the FYs 2022-23 through 2027-28 CIP include the pavement preservation program (crack seal, slurry/micro seal, and asphalt overlay), bridge preventive maintenance (rehabilitation, maintenance, and inspection), cool pavement program, cool corridors, alley dust proofing, street sweeper equipment purchases, landscape maintenance and upgrades, and storm damage repairs.
Major New and Expanded Streets
The following Major New and Expanded Streets projects are anticipated to begin design and construction in the years noted below with a goal to build streets out to their ultimate cross-sections (widths) with the following types of improvements where applicable or feasible: pavement rehabilitation; curb, gutter, sidewalk, and bridge improvements; bicycle infrastructure enhancements; landscaping improvements; and traffic signal, intersection, and storm drain improvements.
13th Street: Van Buren to Moreland streets - Construction planned for FY 2022-23.
48th Street: South of Baseline Road - Construction in progress FY 2022-23.
Pinnacle Peak Road: 45th to 35th avenues - Construction in progress FY 2022-23.
27th Avenue and Thomas Road - Construction planned for FY 2022-23.
43rd Avenue: McDowell Road to Virginia Avenue - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2023-24.
43rd Avenue: Virginia Avenue to the Grand Canal - Design in progress with construction planned for FY 2023-24.
35th Avenue: Camelback to Bethany Home roads - Design in progress with construction planned for FY 2023-24.
35th Avenue: I-10 to Camelback Road (BUILD Grant) - Design in progress with construction planned for FY 2023-24.
Happy Valley Road: 67th to 35th avenues - Design in progress with construction planned for FY 2023-24.
Buckeye Road: 67th to 59th avenues - Construction planned for FY 2025-26.
Lower Buckeye Road: 27th to 19th avenues - Construction planned for FY 2026-27.
Also included in the Major New and Expanded Streets portion of the CIP is the following partnership project with the Maricopa County Department of Transportation:
Southern Avenue: 51st to 37th avenues - Design in progress with construction planned for FY 2025-26.
Mobility Improvements
Recognizing the multimodal use of the City's roadways, pedestrian and bicycle mobility projects support efforts to increase the safety, mobility, and accessibility of City streets for all users. The term active transportation has evolved to encompass alternative modes of transportation that typically were referred to as bicycle and pedestrian modes to reach expanding multimodal users on the City's public roadways.
The Mobility Improvements portion of the CIP includes projects focused on moving the City towards delivery of more active transportation projects that create a connected low-stress, low-volume bicycle and pedestrian network. Some of these projects, listed below, are also leveraging other local and federal funding.
3rd and 5th avenues: McDowell to Thomas roads - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2022-23.
5th Avenue and Chambers Street - Sidewalk and Safe Routes to School connection. Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2023-24.
32nd Street: Cheryl Drive to Cholla Street - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2023-24.
North Park Central Streetlights - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2023-24.
Colter Street: 15th Avenue to 20th Street - Bike and pedestrian improvements. Design in progress and construction planned for Phase 1 (15th Avenue to 7th Street) for FY 2023-24.
Western Canal: 4th Avenue to 24th Street - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2022-23.
Grand Canal Phase III: 75th to 47th avenues - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2022-23.
Grand Canal Multi-Use Trail: Indian School Road to 16th Street - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2022-23.
Mobility Area 3 - Durango Street Mobility / Low Impact Design - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2023-24.
Maryvale Streetlights - Construction planned for FY 2022-23.
Broadway Heritage Streetlights - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2023-24.
16th Street: Dobbins Road to South Mountain Avenue - Construction planned for FY 2023-24.
56th Street: Thomas to Camelback roads - Design in progress and construction for Phase 1 (Thomas to Indian School roads) planned for FY 2023-24.
20th Street: Grand Canal to Highland Avenue - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2024-25.
Van Buren Street: 7th to 24th streets - Design in progress and construction planned for FY 2023-24.
Rio Reimagined Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge - Design planned for FY 2022-23 and construction planned for FY 2025-26.
Consolidated Railroad Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI): Railroad crossing improvements at 19th Avenue and McDowell Road, and 43rd Avenue and Camelback - Design planned for FY 2022-23 and construction planned for FY 2024-25.
In addition to projects, the following mobility programs are included in the CIP:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance Improvements: This program installs, replaces, or improves ADA ramps Citywide that are non-existent or in need of upgrades to meet ADA requirements. Ramp improvements will lead to a more accessible transportation system for persons with disabilities. Funds are programmed for ramps in all years of the FYs 2022-23 through 2027-28 CIP.
Active Transportation Plan Update: The Bicycle Master Plan was first adopted in November 2014. Staff is updating that plan as a component of the Active Transportation Plan. In partnership with the Maricopa Association of Governments, the final plan is scheduled for City Council approval in April 2023. It will help guide and define bicycle facility improvements that will utilize existing annual funding for multimodal/active transportation projects.
Technology Enhancements
Technology Enhancement projects are intended to implement technology solutions to improve traffic operations and safety, while achieving efficiencies in the operation and maintenance of the City's street network.
Some of the major technology enhancement projects currently underway and/or programmed within the proposed CIP include:
Intersection Technology: Signal system upgrades involve the latest technology tools needed to support the City's growing traffic signal technology and infrastructure, which include signal controllers and cabinets, software, cameras, message boards, wireless radios, servers, and other related devices necessary to support and improve the traffic signal network and the Traffic Management Center (TMC). With the increased emphasis on utilizing real-time data analytics from field devices, these upgrades are critical to improve the efficiency and monitoring of the 1,168 traffic signals. Use of the data provides additional support for special events, traffic management, and other traffic improvement initiatives. Program funding is included in the Streets' CIP, allowing for the upgrade of three to five intersections per year and provide installation of advanced technology at up to five additional intersections.
Illuminated Street Name Signs: This replacement program improves visibility and legibility of street name signs at longer distances and in varying driving conditions. In addition, they reduce the attention required to read street names, thus giving drivers more time to plan their maneuvers at intersections. Streets has programmed $1.2 million in annual funding to replace illuminated street name signs as they reach end of ten-year service life.
Fiber Communications / Enhanced Program: Fiber communications is integral to data communication citywide. Expanding fiber enhances operations at intersections and allows signals to be managed more efficiently by staff at the TMC. The CIP budget provides federal match funding for fiber projects funded through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Recent projects near completion include 12 miles of fiber on both Indian School and Baseline roads. Additional federal funding has been received to install fiber on 7th Street and on 91st Avenue.
Storm Water Improvements
Storm water projects for flood mitigation are focused on planning and building major facilities, including basins and pipelines, in partnership with the Flood Control District of Maricopa County (FCDMC), to implement storm water and floodplain management solutions. Typically, the City's major storm water projects are built under a cost-sharing agreement between the City of Phoenix and the FCDMC and detailed in a project-specific Intergovernmental Agreement, in which the County has required a 50 percent matching requirement. At this time, there is no dedicated local funding source to support additional projects. However, within the existing funding resources, several capital projects are currently underway and/or programmed within the FYs 2023-24 through 2027-28 CIP and listed below:
27th and Olney avenues Storm Drain: The project is in partnership with FCDMC. Following obtaining the necessary land rights and right-of-way to build the project, construction began in October 2022 with an estimated completion in spring 2024.
Palm Lane and Mandan Street Projects: These two projects were in partnership with the FCDMC and the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. These projects completed construction in 2022.
19th Avenue and Dobbins Road Storm Drain: The project is in partnership with FCDMC and the Water Services Department. This project mitigates known flooding issues in the 19th Avenue and Dobbins Road area of Laveen and lowers flood risk for the community. The project storm drain discharges into the existing detention basin at 23rd and South Mountain avenues, requires crossing the Salt River Western Canal at Dobbins Road, and requires a regional detention basin along Dobbins Road. This project is currently at 60 percent design.
Rawhide Wash Project: The project is in partnership with FCDMC and the City of Scottsdale. The project design is complete and construction was initiated in October 2022 with an anticipated October 2023 completion.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Local Drainage Mitigation Program: ARPA provided the City an opportunity to invest federal funding into 13 separate local drainage mitigation projects throughout the City. These locations were identified from storm-related flood complaints by Phoenix residents and were investigated and verified by the City. These mitigation projects include adding drainage ditches, storm drain lines, catch basins, inlets, and other flood mitigating structures. These projects are currently at 15 percent design.
3rd Avenue and Thomas Road Drainage Improvements: In partnership with FCDMC’s Small Projects Assistance Program and Dignity Health, this project will alleviate storm water that accumulates during every storm event on 3rd Avenue generally between Earl Street and Thomas Road, which impedes vehicular and foot traffic to the critical facility and has the potential to cause structural damage to buildings along 3rd Avenue.
Challenges
Several current and ongoing funding challenges include:
HURF is the primary funding source for Streets' CIP. The effectiveness and long-term sustainability of this fund has, and is expected to continue to be, diminished over time as a result of increased electric vehicle utilization, improved vehicle fuel efficiencies, use of alternate modes of transportation, and lack of any fuel tax increase since 1991. At the same time, Phoenix is responsible for growing a number of street network miles, and its existing street inventory ages, which results in increasing maintenance costs. Although HURF revenues are trending in a positive direction, the impacts of inflation are clearly evident with significantly rising labor and materials costs.
Capital Construction Fund is a telecommunications-based revenue source related to the use of City right-of-way. This fund has been declining for several years due to shifts in telecommunications technology to activities that are not taxable under current law. This fund continues to decrease and is expected to decline further in future years.
The current vacancy status in highly technical and skilled professional project delivery personnel is especially challenging to the success of CIP delivery. Streets leadership and the Human Resources Department are discussing opportunities to expand and increase creative incentives in order to attract and retain talented and skilled project delivery professionals to assist the department in the successful delivery of CIP projects.
Funding
The Streets' Floodplain Section recently submitted grant applications for two projects through the Building Resilient Infrastructure Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) programs. The Westwood Storm Drain and East Lafayette Storm Drain projects will construct large scale ten-year storm drain systems to alleviate known flooding in the respective areas.
The Laveen Flood Mitigation Projects and the Hohokam Drainage Programs are included within the proposed 2023 General Obligation (GO) Bond Program. Pending a successful GO Bond, these projects will be completed in partnership with FCDMC.
Opportunities
Streets continues to pursue all funding opportunities whenever solicitations are made through our local regional transportation organization, state agency, or federal agency when notice of funding and/or call for projects are announced that align well with the City’s transportation goals and objectives. This past year, Streets submitted several competitive grant applications and was successful in securing over $16 million in funding for planning, design, and/or construction of transportation projects that help leverage City dollars programmed in Streets' CIP.
Streets is excited about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and staff is monitoring grant funding opportunities and will pursue them as they are made available through this historical funding platform. These opportunities will increase the City’s ability to start and complete more transformative transportation projects that benefit the growing community needs, including projects that improve safety, technology, active transportation, resiliency and equity.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Alan Stephenson and the Street Transportation Department.