SUBJECT:
The Director of Houston Public Works recommends that City Council support an ordinance approving submission of five (5) grant applications to the Texas Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (“HSIP”) for the construction of roadway and intersection safety projects within the City of Houston based on identified crash and safety problems; declaring the City’s eligibility for such grant; authorizing the Director of Houston Public Works to apply for, accept, and expend Grant Funds if awarded, and to apply for, accept, and expend all subsequent awards, if any, and/or to pass the funds through to the external funding partner, as appropriate.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended City Council approve the submission of five (5) grant applications to the Texas Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (“HSIP”) for the construction of roadway and intersection safety projects within the City of Houston based on identified crash and safety problems.
SPECIFIC EXPLANATION:
Houston Public Works seeks to apply for grant funding from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) under the Highway Safety Improvement Program (“HSIP”). The grant funding will be utilized to construct roadway and intersection safety projects within the City of Houston based on identified crash and safety problems.
The Texas Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a federally mandated program managed by TxDOT. HSIP, directed by Texas’ Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), works to achieve the main objective of significantly reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads by providing a standardized approach for identifying and reviewing specific traffic safety concerns throughout the state. Texas’ SHSP identifies the emphasis areas and strategies that the HSIP will focus on to meet the state’s objectives of reducing fatal and serious injury crashes in Texas.
It is recommended that City Council authorize the Director or her designee to act as the City’s representative in the application process with the authority to apply for, accept and expend the grant funds as awarded, and apply for, accept and expend all subsequent awards, if any, to extend the budget period, and to authorize the Mayor to execute all related agreements with the approval of the City Attorney in connection with the grant not to exceed five years.
Houston Public Works will submit applications for the following projects for consideration for HSIP grant funding.
|
Total Estimated Project Costs: City of Houston Cost Share Applications
|
|
Location
|
Type
|
Council District
|
Estimated Cost
|
Grant
|
City Funding
|
External Funding
|
|
Hillcroft at Dashwood1
|
New traffic signal
|
J
|
$272,227.00
|
$245,004.00
|
$27,223.00
|
$0.00
|
|
Renwick at Dashwood1
|
New roundabout
|
J
|
$337,505.00
|
$303,755.00
|
$33,751.00
|
$0.00
|
|
Irvington at Patton2
|
New roundabout
|
H
|
$231,210.00
|
$208,089.00
|
$23,121.00
|
$0.00
|
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
$840,942.00
|
$756,848.00
|
$84,094.00
|
$0.00
|
1 – in Gulfton Complete Community
2 – in Near Northside Complete Community
For those projects identified above as utilizing City funds, the City will contribute the local match to the grant from Fund 4040 – METRO Projects Construction DDSRF, to be appropriated with future contract awards.
Total Estimated Project Costs: External Partner Cost Share Applications
|
Location
|
Type
|
Council District
|
Estimated Cost
|
Grant
|
City Funding
|
External Funding
|
|
Yale at Center
|
Rebuild traffic signal
|
C
|
$881,134.00
|
$793,021.00
|
$0.00
|
$88,113.003
|
|
Richmond at Hayes
|
New traffic signal
|
F
|
$534,750.00
|
$481,275.00
|
$0.00
|
$53,475.004
|
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
$1,415,884.00
|
$1,274,296.00
|
$0.00
|
$141,588.00
|
3 – funding from TIRZ5 – Memorial Heights
4 – funding from Westchase District
For those projects identified above as utilizing external funding, HPW will submit applications on behalf of the identified funding partners. These partners are ineligible to submit projects directly, but the City is eligible to submit on their behalf.
FISCAL NOTE: No fiscal note is required on grant items.
_________________________
Carol Ellinger Haddock, P.E.
Director
Houston Public Works