In September, staff submitted a Letter of Intent (LOI) for $1,994,000 in TDOT project funding through the Federal Highway Administration's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program. A copy of the LOI submitted is attached for your information. The LOI is an initial step to allow TDOT to gauge interest in the program and to vet potential projects to determine if they appear to be viable. Ultimately, the City's LOI was approved and we were invited to submit a full application. Therefore, staff is hereby requesting the Commission’s endorsement of a full application for this grant program. Due to the timing of receiving the invitation to submit a full application and the short timeframe for submittal, we are requesting retroactive endorsement, as the full applications were due on October 22. Should the Board choose not to endorse the application, staff will withdraw our submittal.
The proposed project will build on earlier successes: (1) a 2016 CMAQ grant, which optimized signal timings along each of the State Routes (6, 252, 253, 441) and functionally classified minor arterials (Maryland Way/Church Street and Granny White Pike), and (2) a 2015 STP-funded Regional Traffic Management Study in Maryland Farms. Both former projects were completed within the required timeframes and within the authorized budgets.
This new project will develop new signal timing plans to improve travel times and air quality. The project will install reliable detection by moving away from loop detection to non-intrusive video detection. Currently we have some intersections that already utilize video detection and this project will convert the remaining ones to video detection. The project will also address multimodal enhancements by bringing corridors into compliance with TDOT-adopted Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) requirements. The project will upgrade ADA curb ramps and incorporate Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) systems along the corridors. The project will allow staff to more efficiently maintain their Automated Transportation Management System (ATMS), while also providing upgraded technology to improve multi-modal traffic flow.
The City of Brentwood hopes to improve air quality and reduce emissions from idling vehicles by improving traffic operations and signal timing. Optimized signal timings, along with upgraded and more reliable signal technology infrastructure, will help reduce the number of stops and delay; therefore, reducing emissions. Additionally, improved pedestrian infrastructure could encourage discretionary users to walk more which could reduce vehicle trips and vehicle emissions by providing safe and compliant multi-modal options. Projects of similar size throughout the state have realized reductions in VOC, CO and NOx following deployment.
Under the CMAQ guidelines, portions of the proposed project, if approved, will be funded 100% with grants funds, and other portions will require a 20% local match to be funded by Brentwood. The preliminary estimate increased slightly from the original preliminary submittal from $1,994,000 to $2,196,000. Brentwood’s local portion remained the same at $118,000. A copy of the full grant application including the estimated cost, is attached for your information. If the project is approved staff will review the CIP budget and propose appropriate adjustments to existing funding, if needed, to fund the local portion. Staff anticipates notification of grant awards in February 2020.
Please direct any questions to the Engineering Director, Mike Harris. |
| If approved portions of this project will be paid 100% with grant funding, other elements of the project require a 20% local match. Based on the preliminary estimate, the city's out of pocket cost would be $118,000. Appropriate adjustments to Capital Projects Fund will be proposed, if needed, should this project be approved. |