Agenda Date: 05/15/2018
Subject:
Title
A resolution approving an Intergovernmental Agreement for Collaborative Transportation Forum with City of Aurora, Town of Bennett, Town of Bowmar, City of Centennial, City of Cherry Hills Village, Town of Columbine Valley, Town of Deer Trail, City of Englewood, Town of Foxfield, City of Glendale, City of Greenwood Village, City of Sheridan, and Arapahoe County
Body
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Presented By: |
Keith Reester, Public Works Director |
REQUESTED COUNCIL ACTION:
Does city council support an intergovernmental agreement with other cities within Arapahoe County to facilitate the development of the Sub-regional Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for the years 2020-2023 within DRCOG?
BACKGROUND:
Every four years the State of Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is required by federal regulations through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to complete a statewide Transportation Improvement Plan. The process to complete these plans is required to be led by the regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), in the Denver region this is the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG).
The TIP creates a statewide priority project list that drives the allocation of federal transportation funds and grants that are allocated to each state. Most people see this as money for roads but there are large cutouts that occur in the allocation to the states to support non-road specific projects, for example transit, air quality, multi-modal, freight rail, and safety. The MPOs also assist in the designation of the project list for these areas but the project priorities are set in a different methodology. TIP funds can only be used for new capacity, congestion, safety, design/studies, or environmentally important projects, the funds cannot be used for maintenance.
DRCOG has initiated a new process for determining what projects should be included in the 2020-2023 TIP. The “dual model” process provides an opportunity to fund local priority projects in addition to regional priority projects. There will be a focus on Metro Vision and the Regional Transportation Plan.
The process for the next four year TIP is underway currently to coincide with the federal funding year that begins in October 2019. In the process of preparing a TIP all MPOs must develop a set of project scoring criteria that cover a range of factors to develop a final project priority list that creates the most value and highest use of dollars. The scoring process is managed through the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and proceeds for final approval to the DRCOG Board.
Historically, DRCOG has managed a process where all project submissions and scoring is completed in one large super regional pot. Beginning with the 2019 cycle DRCOG has adopted a new model that creates a regional pot of funds and then eight sub regional allocations, this model was used in the Seattle Metro area for the last two TIP cycles. The funds are allocated 20% to regional and 80% sub regional. The sub regions are laid out by county. The City of Littleton is part of three sub regions: Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties. In the process the DRCOG TIP Policy Working Group is creating a set of master scoring criteria that all sub regions must use as a baseline but can then be customized to meet local needs. For example, Arapahoe County has chosen to further subdivide the region into three areas; East, Central, West, as there are major differences in the transportation characteristics, needs, and dynamics in each area. Regional projects require a 50% local match, while sub regional projects will require between 20-30% match.
It is required that each sub region develop an IGA or MOU between all partners to assure that there is agreement on how the process will occur, be scored, and what the primary core tenets are in decision making. Each region will have a “forum” that will include an executive committee of elected officials from each jurisdiction, as well as a TAC for the details of scoring and technical review. Littleton will need to participate in three IGAs. This item is the first of the three to come forward.
The Arapahoe County Transportation Forum has hosted over a dozen meetings to date to move the process quickly and has received concurrence on the proposed IGA by the 14 jurisdictions in the sub region.
The TIP process does not guarantee funds to any city or county, it produces a priority project list that accounts for many factors in creating the most effective funding allocation list. The TIP will have over 100 projects on the final program list but perhaps 20 will making the funding cut line. The TIP also provides a mechanism to prioritize projects if additional funding were to become available during the 4-year TIP cycle, for example in the case of Congress providing a boost in transportation funds through a transportation investment package.
More information on the DRCOG TIP process can be found at: <https://drcog.org/programs/transportation-planning/transportation-improvement-program/2020-2023-transportation>
PRIOR ACTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS:
N/A
STAFF ANALYSIS:
Participation in the TIP process is elemental to receiving funds both regionally and locally to support transportation improvement efforts. Lack of participation very likely assures that Littleton will receive no state or federal appropriated transportation funds beyond the Highway User Tax Fund (HUTF).
OPTIONS/ALTERNATIVES:
Support the IGA and facilitate the development of the Sub-regional Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), allowing potential access to additional funding for transportation improvements.
Do not support the IGA and have no standing in the DRCOG Transportation Improvement Plan.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
Current costs: none.
Future costs: local match for awarded projects (20%-50%)
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approval of the IGA
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve the resolution approving an Intergovernmental Agreement for Collaborative Transportation Forum with City of Aurora, Town of Bennett, Town of Bowmar, City of Centennial, City of Cherry Hills Village, Town of Columbine Valley, Town of Deer Trail, City of Englewood, Town of Foxfield, City of Glendale, City of Greenwood Village, City of Sheridan, and Arapahoe County.