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County Administrator's Report 12. 5.
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| BCC Regular Meeting |
Technical/Public Service Consent |
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| RECOMMENDATION: |
Recommendation Concerning a Letter to the Florida Department of Transportation Requesting Street Lighting & Joint Funding of a Traffic Feasibility Study with City of Pensacola on State Road 10A (U.S. 90) West Cervantes Street/Mobile Highway - Joy Jones, P.E., Public Works Department Director
That the Board take the following Action:
A. Authorize the Chairman to sign a letter to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) requesting that street lighting be installed immediately along State Road (SR) 10A (U.S. 90) West Cervantes Street / Mobile Highway, from east of "W" Street to Lynch Street; and
B. Approve joint funding a traffic feasibility study along the West Cervantes Street/Mobile Highway corridor, from "A" Street to Dominquez Street, with the City of Pensacola to be managed by FDOT, and allocate funding from Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) IV for the study.
[Funding: LOST IV, Public Works Transportation Fund - $250,000; Public Works Staff planned to request the funds in LOST IV - 2019, so if approved, the funds would be advanced to 2018] |
| BACKGROUND: |
In December 2016, the Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization (FL-AL TPO) approved a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for SR 10A (US 90 aka West Cervantes Street / Mobile Highway) from North "A" Street to Dominguez Street. The CMP details significant traffic and crash data collected from 2010 – 2015, which showed the annual average daily traffic along the corridor averaged 17,250 vehicles in 2015 (approximately 16,400 vehicles west of Pace Boulevard and approximately 18,100 vehicles east of Pace Boulevard.)
The approved CMP can be found at the West Florida Regional Planning Council website under the FL-AL TPO Program Area - Documents Tab.
The corridor experienced 457 crashes during this time - 4 were fatalities, 147 resulted in injury, and 306 caused property damage only. The 4 fatalities occurred at the intersections or vicinity of Cervantes / "N" Street, Cervantes / "E" Street, Cervantes / "F" Street, and Mobile Highway / Krasnosky Avenue. 82 of the crashes occurred while it was dark, and 12 crashes occurred during dawn or dusk. Since the CMP collection time period, numerous other crashes have occurred, with 1 resulting in a fatality as recently as January 5, 2018.
Escambia County Public Works and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) staff have been coordinating with City of Pensacola CRA and Planning staff on ways to fund and implement near-term safety improvements (pedestrian scale lighting, pedestrian crossings, multi-modal amenities, etc.) along the corridor in efforts to address these crash issues the community is experiencing on this State road.
Staff recommends that the Board requests FDOT to install additional street lights along the corridor from approx. 165' east of "W" Street to Lynch Street (County jurisdiction) as soon as possible in order to provide some immediate safety measures while other safety improvements are identified and planned. The City plans to send a similar letter requesting additional lighting along the corridor within the City limits.
Attached is a map of 46 identified street light installation locations provided to the County by Gulf Power that FDOT could utilize for the installations...
In addition to the immediate street lighting installations, Staff recommends a joint funding partnership with the City of Pensacola (attached is an email from City Staff concurring with the partnership) for a traffic feasibility study for the corridor from A Street to Dominguez Street. If approved, FDOT would manage the study, and if the funds are deposited to FDOT by June 30, 2018, FDOT will attempt to program the study in FY19, or no later than FY20. However, prior to depositing any funds to FDOT, the County and City will need to enter into an Interlocal Agreement detailing the funding obligations of each agency. Then a Locally Funded Agreement between the County, City, and FDOT would need to be executed detailing the fund deposits to FDOT, and FDOT's obligations to initiate and conduct the study. These agreements are expected to be presented to the Board and City Council in May 2018, in hopes of depositing the funds prior to June 30, 2018.
The County portion of the corridor is approximately 36% (4,250'+/-) whereas the remaining 64% (7,600'+/-) falls within the City limits. FDOT has provided a conceptual cost estimate of $600K for the study, so the County's approximate financial contribution would be $216K+/- (36%); however Staff recommends alloting $250K. |
| BUDGETARY IMPACT: |
| Funding: LOST IV Public Works Transportation Fund - $250,000; Public Works Staff planned to request the funds in LOST IV - 2019, so if approved, the funds would be advanced to 2018 |
| LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS/SIGN-OFF: |
| N/A |
| PERSONNEL: |
| No additional personnel is required. |
| POLICY/REQUIREMENT FOR BOARD ACTION: |
| N/A |
| IMPLEMENTATION/COORDINATION: |
| Upon Board approval of both actions, County staff will transmit the letter to FDOT for consideration, and will begin the process for the joint funding partnership between the County and City for the traffic feasibility study. |
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