Information Items:
South Corridor Project and The President's Budget
Staff Resource: Ron Tober, 704-336-7245
The President's Budget language, while stopping short of full funding for the South Corridor light Rail Project, does include a substantial funding commitment with the recommendation of $30 million for FY05 (bringing the total federal commitment to date to $70 million, or more than 1/3 of the desired federal participation in the Project).
The proposed funding, combined with committed local and state funds, will allow us to maintain the current schedule of starting revenue operation on October 2006. The next step is FTA issuance of a Letter of No Prejudice in early March. This would be the green light to proceed with longer lead-time items, like the vehicle purchase and construction of the vehicle maintenance facility using local and state funds, in anticipation of a Full Funding Grant Agreement being received sometime in 2005.
The President's FY05 budget recommendation of $30 million for the South Corridor Light Rail Project is very close to what we requested, which is quite positive given the fiscal realities in Washington for overall domestic spending. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has given the Project a recommended rating and would like the Project to move forward.
The Project has now reached the 65% level of design and CATS staff is preparing to submit an application to the FTA for a Full Funding Grant Agreement. The FTA has told us that should we continue moving the Project forward there is nothing to preclude us from receiving a Full Funding Grant Agreement in FY2005 when we have completed the required steps in the FTA's project development process.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Asbury Avenue Extension Project
Staff Resource: Candice Heintz, 704-336-3641
Members of the community, elected officials and city staff will celebrate the completion of the Asbury Avenue Extension Project at 11:30 am on Thursday, February 5, 2004 at the intersection of Statesville Avenue and Asbury Avenue. Asbury Avenue will support Graham Street as an industrial corridor by providing a good connection to I-77 at the LaSalle Street Interchange.
The completion of this project provides a direct vehicular connection from North Graham and Tryon Streets to I-77 and I-85 by way of Atando and Asbury Avenues. Project amenities include a landscaped median, sidewalks, planting strips, and aesthetic steel fencing, combined with masonry columns.
The Asbury Avenue Extension Project was part of the 2000 Transportation Improvement Bonds to address traffic congestion and safety.
Sidewalk Program
Staff Resource: Bette Frederick, 704-336-4723
At the February 9 Council Meeting, City Council will be asked to award construction contracts for three sidewalk projects: Hassell Place, Gleneagles and North Brevard/Mallory Streets. As a reminder of how sidewalk projects are selected, the City has a sidewalk program which is funded though the CIP, currently at a rate of $5 million per year. The sidewalk program provides for new residential and thoroughfare sidewalk and for modifications to sidewalk for the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Presently, Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) has ranked more than 800 segments of sidewalk which are needed along 350 miles of local streets and thoroughfares. Upon a request for a sidewalk, CDOT performs a field inspection and evaluates the street based on fourteen criteria. The set of criteria include proximity to schools, parks and hospitals, traffic volumes, connection to existing sidewalk, availability of transit routes, autos per household, and presence of a worn path.
Approximately one half of the funding is spent on thoroughfares and the remaining on non-thoroughfares. Each year, the highest ranked streets are sent to Engineering and Property Management for design and construction. Currently, Engineering and Property Management has 44 segments of sidewalk in design or construction.
