Santa Monica Answers Call for Transit Projects
By Olin Ericksen - Staff Writer for surfsantamonica.com

May 22 -- For the first time in six years, Santa Monica is vying for millions in rare grants awarded by the County and State to bankroll much-needed transit improvement projects, including possibly five locally and two for the Westside.

After a "Call for Projects" earlier this year by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and CalTrans, City officials said the agencies will decide by July how to award Federal, State and County monies, which could mean almost $7.2 million more in grant funding for local bus, parking, bike and traffic signal system upgrades.

Another $3.5 million in grants could also be awarded for Westside projects, such as pedestrian improvements near bus stops in three neighboring cities and Santa Monica, and a bicycle workshop located inside the beachside city.

However, the money is not yet in the pipeline, according to City officials, and over the next few days some critical decisions will be made by the MTA on two Santa Monica proposals and another Westside project whose fate has not been determined.

An appeals process will continue until Wednesday, which could mean other competing regions and cities could still win approval over Westside projects, despite a funding recommendation already rendered by the MTA.

"Two Santa Monica and one Westside COG projects are just above the funding cut-off and could be vulnerable if other agencies are successful with their appeals," Don Patterson, assistant to the City Manager, wrote in a May 18 report to City Council. "Staff plans to monitor the process and speak in favor of these projects."

Aimed at improving notoriously slow and pollution-filled commutes on the Westside, recommended projects could include a host of changes inside Santa Monica .

The most expensive -- a $4.26 million grant matched with local funds totaling $1.58 million -- would replace ten diesel spewing Big Blue buses with vehicles that run on environmentally friendly Liquefied Natural Gas by 2011.

If all ten buses are replaced, it will leave 88 diesel buses in the City’s fleet, or nearly fifty percent of the buses in the system. The City is hoping to replace the entire fleet with alternative fuel vehicles by 2014.

Other local projects would also include real-time parking signs for the beach ($250,000 grant and a $287,000 local match) and signal system upgrades on Ocean Park Boulevard, Main Street and Neilson Way ($933,000 grant and a $234,000 local match)
There may also be an emphasis on bike projects.

A bike transit station Downtown would require a grant of $1.67 million and local match of $900,000, while school-based bike training would be covered by an $84,000 grant, along with $45,000 in local funds.

In addition to the local projects, the Westside could possibly see two projects move forward.

Pedestrian improvements at intersections with Bus Stops were recommended for a $3.25 million grant and $1.75 million matching monies from Westside Cities.

Currently there are 27 intersections in four Westside cities being targeted and five stops on Lincoln Boulevard being suggested for local buses, according to the report.

However, City officials said they may need to scale back projects to gain approval of the grant funds.

The second project -- supported with a $279,000 grant and $120,000 in matching funds from Santa Monica -- would help start a bicycle workshop inside Santa Monica.

Three local and Westside projects not recommended for funding by the MTA included upgrading the bus fare box to accurately count ridership, forging a Santa Monica College transportation management plan and making improvements to a north-south transit corridor.

While "Calls for Projects" are issued only every few years, City officials said they have been instrumental in securing important grant funding in the past.

"Historically, the Call for Projects has been one of the City's best opportunities to compete for Federal, State and County funding that is passed through Metro and Caltrans," wrote Patterson.

Well known projects, such as the Second and Fourth Street improvements Downtown, the Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility (SMURRF), an Exposition Boulevard bike path, crosswalk enhancements, bike racks on buses and bus stop improvements have all been funded by previous grants, officials said.