RECOMMENDATION:
Ordinance approving and authorizing submission of a Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program application to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for the Reconnecting Communities: Gulfton and Beyond Study; declaring the City’s eligibility for such grant; and authorizing the Director of the Planning and Development to act as signatory on grant application for an estimated project period of 12 months.
SPECIFIC EXPLANATION:
The Planning and Development Department recommends that City Council approve an Ordinance authorizing submission of a grant application to USDOT to study future connections between Gulfton and destinations north and south, consistent with the City of Houston's goals with Vision Zero and the High Injury Network. USDOT published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program grant on June 30, 2022 under the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act (‘Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’).
The Reconnecting Communities: Gulfton and Beyond will design connections across the high-speed roadways encircling Gulfton, building on the area’s local investments and inter-connected planned projects by other local partnerships.
The study area includes Hillcroft Avenue and adjacent streets between Brays Bayou and Richmond Avenue.
There is a proposed local match of 20% by the City of Houston. If and when the Project is selected for award, the Planning and Development Department will bring acceptance of the grant award to City Council for approval with detail of specific amounts and sources of required local funding match.
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Project
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Grant Request
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Estimated Local Match
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Total
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Reconnecting Communities Gulfton and Beyond Study
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$552,160.00
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$138,040.00
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$690,200.00
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GRANT FISCAL NOTE: No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.
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Margaret Wallace Brown, AICP, CNU-A
Director
Planning and Development Department