T&E COMMITTEE #1-10 April 25, 2019 MEMORANDUM April 23, 2019 TO: County Councileo FROM: Glenn Orlin, Deputy Director SUBJECT: FYI 9-24 Capital Improvements Program (CIP): amendments FY20 Operating Budget: Department of Transportation (DOT), Vacuum Leaf Collection Fund, General Fund, and Mass Transit Fund; Homeowners' Association Road Maintenance Reimbursement NDA; Rockville Parking District NDA; Vision Zero NDA, and Snow Removal and Storm Cleanup NDA Supplemental Appropriation to the FY19 Operating Budget, Montgomery County Government: Snow Removal/Wind and Rain Storm Cleanup, Department of Transportation- $11,584,423; Department of General Services - $3,641,663 Supplemental Appropriation to the FY19 Capital Budget, Montgomery County Government: Resurfacing: Residential/Rural Roads - $3,885,000 PURPOSE: Develop recommendations on CIP amendments and on the above portions of the FY20 Operating Budget1 Those expected to attend this worksession include: Al Roshdieh, Director, DOT Emil Wolanin, Deputy Director, DOT Christopher Conklin, Deputy Director for Transportation Policy, DOT Tim Cupples, Chief, Division of Transportation Engineering, DOT Richard Dorsey, Chief, Division of Highway Services, DOT Dan Hibbert, Chief, Division of Transit Services, DOT Fred Lees, Chief, Management Services, DOT Michael Paylor, Chief, Division of Transportation Engineering and Operations, DOT Brady Goldsmith, Alison Dollar-Sibal, and Deborah Lambert, Budget Analysts, Office of Management and Budget (0MB) I. FY19-24 CIP: transportation amendments (except Parking Lot Districts) 1. Resurfacing: Residential/Rural Roads (©I-4). In January the Executive recommended accelerating $1 million from FY22 to FYI 9-for which he requested a supplemental appropriation-and accelerating $400,000 in FY23 and $ I million from FY24 to FY20. The six-year total would be unchanged. The Council held a public hearing on the supplemental appropriation on February 12. The Executive is now recommending amending this recommendation to add another $2,885,000 in FY19, utilizing the balance of the FY19 General Obligation set aside. 1 Key words: #FY20budget, plus search terms transportation, snow, transit. Over the years the Council has significantly increased the resources for residential street resurfacing, patching, and rehabilitation, but the annual funding levels remain an order of magnitude smaller than what is optimal. In nearly every year recently the Council has augmented the funding for residential street resurfacing by accelerating funds into the first year of a CIP when the CIP is reconciled in May, if there is fiscal space to do so. This is one of the few local government programs that can spend capital resources quickly, once they are approved. When the Council reviewed the original request this winter, it decided to postpone action on the supplemental appropriation and CIP amendment until CIP Reconciliation in May. The same rationale holds true for this larger amended request. At the Council's CIP Reconciliation it will be known how much funding can be accelerated, which may be less, the same, or more than the Executive's current recommendation. In any event, whatever funds are accelerated would be spent later this spring, so there is no need to act on this updated request now. Council staff recommendation: Confirm the earlier decision not to approve this supplemental appropriation and CIP amendment until after CIP Reconciliation. 2. Bus Rapid Transit: System Development (©5-6). The Executive is recommending $500,000 more in Current Revenue to initiate an environmental study for the MD 355 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. In his March 15 transmittal he notes that: By Summer 2019, the Department of Transportation will have a Recommended Alternative for BRT on MD 355. The next stage to advancing the project will be to commence environmental work, either under the Federal or State environmental law, depending on the source of funding expected to implement the project. In its CIP worksession this past winter, Councilmember Riemer recommended accelerating the Veirs Mill Road BRT project by three years, from FY23 to FY20. At the urging of DOT, the Committee agreed to postpone a decision on this acceleration until this summer, when it would be able to review both it and the DOT's recommended alternative for the MD 355 BRT. At that time the Council might chose to proceed first with the recommended alternative for the Veirs Mill Road BRT (Alternative 2.5), the MD 355 BRT, or, if funding were available, both simultaneously. Until then, approving the Executive's requested $500,000 for the MD 355 BRT study is premature. Council staff recommendation: Do not include the $500,000 in the CIP now. When the two BRT routes are reviewed this summer, Council staff will prepare draft CIP amendments for each BRT route for the Council to choose from. 3. Facility Planning-Transportation (©7-8). Potential transportation projects are evaluated under this program. During Phase I of facility planning alternatives are identified and broadly analyzed for their relative benefits and impacts; the result is usually a single alternative retained for detailed study. During Phase II of facility planning the selected alternative is further defined to the point where all the significant benefits and impacts are known, and there is a reliable cost estimate. At the end of Phase II the project is likely to be brought before the Council for its consideration for design and construction funding in the CIP. Facility planning work is funded with forms of current revenue (i.e., cash, not bond proceeds) since there is no guarantee that completion of facility planning will result in a project that is built. 2 North High Street. The Executive has recommended deferring two facility planning studies (©7- 8). Although not explicitly stated, the delays are likely being recommended to create some additional current revenue "space" in FY20 to help fund the FY20 Operating Budget. One project study he recommends deferring is for the extension of North High Street in Olney by one year, shifting $150,000 from FY20 to FY2 l. This would be a very short project-literally, about 150 feet-from the west end of North High Street to Morningwood Drive. The Greater Olney Citizens Association (GOCA) requested this funding two years ago to help improve circulation to and from the Town Center, and its representatives have advised Council staff that it is not in favor of deferring the study. Council staff recommendation: Do not delay this study. Summit Avenue Extended. The Executive also recommends delaying much of Phase II of facility planning for Summit A venue Extended in Kensington. First identified as a need in the 2012 Kensington Sector Plan, this extension would divert traffic away from the Connecticut Avenue intersections with Plyers Mill Road and with Knowles Avenue, both of which are exceedingly congested during peak periods. The road is also central to the Town's plans for the redevelopment of the northwest portion of its business district. Phase I of facility planning was been completed, and last fall the T &E Committee reviewed the alternatives and recommended a particular alternative to carry forward into Phase II (©9). Phase II is underway, but the Executive recommends stopping the study in early FY20 and not picking it up again until late in FY23, a three-year delay. Both the Mayor of Kensington and Councilmember Friedson have written in opposition to the proposed delay (©10-12). Council staff recommendation: Do not delay this study either. This project is needed sooner than later. Furthermore, stopping the study in midstream would disrupt the study's continuity. Understanding the need to limit the use of cash in Facility Planning-Transportation, Council staff recommends these further changes: • Clarksburg Transit Center. Currently Phase I facility planning is programmed for $65,000 in FY21 and $130,000 in FY23. (Phase II is programmed at $130,000 in FY24 and $260,000 in FY25.) It is unrealistic for any phase of facility planning to have a gap year. Council staff recommendation: Defer the $65,000 in FY21 to FY22. This would not affect the completion year for facility planning, which would still be FY25. • Old Columbia Pike. This is facility planning for the master-planned widening of Old Columbia Pike between Stewart Lane in White Oak and Cherry Hill Road in Fairland, including the construction of a new bridge over Paint Branch. Currently the study is spread out over six years: 2½ years for Phase I (FY20 through mid-FY22) and 3½ years for Phase II (mid-FY22 through FY25). The main purpose for the project is to provide a means to carry local traffic between the built-out Viva White Oak and the White Oak Shopping Center area without having to mix with the more regional traffic on US 29. However, since this facility planning funding schedule was established, the first phase of Viva White Oak has progressed more slowly, which means that the balance of the development is also lagging. Council staff recommendation: Compress the schedule from 6 years to 5 (2 years for Phase I, 3 years for Phase II), starting Phase I in FY22 and completing Phase II in FY26. • Non-transit miscellaneous studies. The program sets aside a small amount of funds each year for miscellaneous studies. There is an amount for transit studies and non-transit studies. The 3 Approved CIP has $65,000 annually set aside for miscellaneous non-transit studies. The Executive is recommending accelerating $30,000 from the FY2 l set-aside to FY20. Council staff recommendation: Do not accelerate $30,000; retain the annual level of $65,000. The net result of these five recommendations, compared to the Executive's recommendations, are shown below (in $000) and on ©13-14. The FY20 level would be $100,000 higher than the Executive, but most of the later years would be lower Total 6-Yr Total FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 Bevond 6 Years North Hieb Street 0 0 0 +150 -150 0 0 0 0 Summit Avenue Extended 0 0 0 +145 +480 0 -145 -480 0 Clarksburn Town Center 0 0 0 0 -65 +65 0 0 0 Old Columbia Pike 0 -590 0 -165 -495 0 -65 +135 +590 Non-transit misc.