(May 8) The county has opted to allow California’s Department of Transportation to carry out the design phase for the Cedar Avenue/Interstate 10 improvement project in Bloomington.
To save itself the chore and headache of undertaking the designing of the project, the county will assign $4 million in federal funds it is receiving in connection with the project to the state’s transportation agency, known as Caltrans.
According to Gerry Newcombe, the county’s director of public works, the county, together with the county transportation agency, the city of Rialto and the city of Fontana have funding responsibility for the project.
The county transportation agency, a joint powers authority composed of the county and all 24 incorporated cities in the county, is referred to as San Bernardino Associated Governments and is known by its acronym, SANBAG. SANBAG’s funding share on the design phase is $2.8 million. The county’s share of the design phase cost is $823,000. Rialto’s share is $234,000 and Fontana’s share is $143,000.
According to Newcombe, “The design of the Cedar Avenue at Interstate 10 Improvement Project is financed by Federal Surface Transportation Program Local funds. The county of San Bernardino will assign (technically termed “subvent”) $4,000,000 in Federal Surface Transportation Program Local funds to the California Department of Transportation to design the project. Toll credits in the amount of $458,800 will be applied towards the $4,000,000 of Federal Surface Transportation Program Local funds in place of a local match. The federal toll credits program allows the state to use toll revenues to meet non-federal state matching requirements and waives the county’s requirement to participate with a local match. Therefore, no county local funds will be needed for this phase of the project. The county will advance the funding shares of SANBAG, Rialto and Fontana. Separate funding agreements will be forthcoming with SANBAG and the cities to apply reimbursement of the advanced funds toward the county’s share of cost in future phases of the project.”
The county’s total share of the project for all phases will be approximately $13,016,000.
Previously, the county funded the costs related to the project approval and environmental documentation phase of the project. The environmental document was approved on June 28, 2013, In accordance with the proposed design cooperative agreement, Caltrans will design the project on behalf of the county. The county will assign $4,000,000 in Federal Surface Transportation Program Local funds to Caltrans to fund the design effort, as reflected, and recommended to be approved, in the cooperative agreement’s funding summary. Assigning these   Federal Surface Transportation Program Local funds will allow Caltrans to receive payment directly from the Federal Highway Administration for its design services and will save the county the associated administrative costs.