Title
Receive briefing regarding 2017 Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program Call for Projects for development of trails, bike routes and safe routes to schools.
Body
The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) has released a call for projects for the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) 2017 Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside Program. This 80/20 reimbursement-funded program could assist Mesquite with design and construction of high priority sections of Mesquite’s trail system. Over $15 million dollars of funding is available in the region for projects ranging from $150,000.00 to $5 million. The submittals are due February 24, 2017, and a City Council resolution for funding commitment is required by April 21, 2017. The TxDOT contract has an estimated execution of November 2017 and Mesquite would need to allocate 4B Quality of Life funds in FY2018 for the local share.
The proposed project will extend the Heritage Trail from Northwest Drive to a trail segment south of IH-30. The City of Garland will construct a connection to Mesquite’s trail that will provide direct access to the Dart Transit Center on Rowlett Road and the Garland Trail System.
The project is currently in the final engineering phase and satisfies the selection preferences for connectivity between cities, support of mobility, development of the Regional Veloweb trail system and project readiness. The estimated cost to complete the trail extension is $750,000.00 and this grant will help provide 80 percent of funding. The City of Garland is coordinating with the City of Mesquite on the grant submittal and agrees to construct their segment if TA funding is secured.
Recommended/Desired Action
Staff is seeking City Council’s direction to pursue this funding opportunity and concurrence on the identified project.
Attachment(s)
Mesquite-Garland Connection Exhibit
Drafter
Bob Blankenship
Head of Department
Elizabeth Harrell