M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
From: Rafael G. Casals, ICMA-CM, CFM, Town Manager
Date: September 18, 2019
Re: Authorization to Enter into a Local Agency Program (LAP) Agreement for Bike/Pedestrian Facilities Improvements Project.
REQUEST
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A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING A GRANT FROM THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (FDOT); APPROVING THE LOCAL AGENCY PROGRAM (LAP) AGREEMENT FDOT FOR THE BIKE/PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT; PROVIDING FOR AUTHORIZATION; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is empowered by legislative authority to contract with other local agencies to plan, develop, design, acquire right-of-way, and construct transportation facilities. FDOT reimburses these local agencies for transportation improvement services by entering into a Local Agency Program (LAP) Agreement. Authority for LAP is provided in Sections 20.23(3) (a), 334.044(7), 339.05, and 339.12 of the Florida Statutes.
In Miami-Dade County, FDOT in collaboration with the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (formerly Metropolitan Planning Organization) releases a request for proposals for funding through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). TAP projects are federally funded, community-based projects that expand travel choices and improve the transportation experience by improving the cultural, historic, and environmental aspects of Florida’s transportation infrastructure. Local governments are able to apply for funding to support projects that include, but are not limited to, construction of bicycle/pedestrian facilities, conversion of abandoned railroad corridors, inventory control/removal of outdoor advertising, vegetation management, historic preservation, and environmental mitigation activities.
On March 18, 2015, the Town of Cutler Bay (the “Town”) submitted a grant proposal for the development of the “Cutler Bay Bike/Ped Facilities Improvements” (Attachment “A”). The Town was notified on November 2, 2015 that the application had been selected and approved for funding by the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Governing Board during their October 22, 2015 Board Meeting by Resolution No. 42-15 in the amount of $360,640.00 for the construction phase (Attachment “B”).
The Town of Cutler Bay is primarily a pedestrian friendly community with a need to infill gaps in the current system. The Town would like to improve the sidewalk network throughout the Town with high traffic volume and pedestrian activity. There are pockets of areas where sidewalks do not connect to the crosswalks with ADA accessible connections and where painted crosswalks are lacking. The overall goal of this project is to ensure that the most highly used roadways have sidewalks on both sides connecting residents to parks, schools and other generators of potential pedestrian and bicycle traffic (Attachment “C”).
This project will include:
• Upgrading of pedestrian facilities
• Removing obstacles in the right-of-way
• Ensuring ADA compliance
• Filling in sidewalks that are incomplete
• Installing high visibility crosswalks
These improvements will be conducted in accordance with the Town’s 2011 Bike/Ped Master Plan and adopted 2014 Transportation Master Plan (Resolution No. 14-72).
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Town Council adopt the attached Resolution approving the Florida Department of Transportation “Transportation Alternatives Program” grant and authorizing the Town Manager to execute the Florida Department of Transportation Local Agency Program Agreement (Attachment “D”).
ATTACHMENTS
Ø Attachment “A” - MPO Grant Application (dated March 18, 2015)
Ø Attachment “B” - MPO Award Letter (dated November 2, 2015)
Ø Attachment “C” - Project Improvements Locations
Ø Attachment “D” - FDOT Local Agency Program Agreement