More bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs are coming to L.A. County. Thirteen bicycle and pedestrian projects have been funded by the California Active Transportation Program (ATP) and eight additional projects are planned for approval by Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) on February 2.
The Active Transportation Program is the primary source for bicycling and walking funding in California. Cities and other municipalities apply to the state to receive ATP grant funding. Generally the state grant covers most of a project's cost, with local cities often providing partial matching funds for the remainder. Larger projects may combine multiple sources of funding.
The third CA ATP cycle is underway, with $263.5 million available for projects up and down the state.
ATP is broken into three streams of funding: Statewide, Small Urban and Rural, and Regional Implementation. Statewide projects were approved by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) on December 7, 2016. Regional Implementation projects for Southern California are expected to be approved by SCAG (as a recommendation that is passed on to CTC) on February 2.
The following $33.6M of statewide ATP grants were awarded in December, listed in ranked order:
- West Santa Ana Branch Bikeway Phase 2, city of Paramount - $3.4M awarded for $4.5M project
- Atlantic Avenue Bicycle and Pedestrian Enhancement Project, city of Cudahy - $1.8M awarded for $5M project
- Pacoima Wash Bike/Ped Path, city of San Fernando - $0.9M awarded for $3.5M project
- Slauson Blue Line Station Intersection Improvements, county of L.A. - $1.5M awarded for $1.5M project
- Jefferson Boulevard Complete Street Project, city of L.A. - $6M awarded for $6.3M project
- Garfield Avenue Complete Streets Corridor, city of South Gate - $0.7M awarded for $0.8M project
- Uncontrolled Crosswalk Safe Routes To School, city of Huntington Park - $1M awarded for $1M project
- Southern California Disadvantaged Communities Planning Initiative, SCAG - $1.1M awarded for $1.3M project
- 2020 Safe Route To School Pedestrian Improvements, city of Lancaster - $5.2M awarded for $7.4M project
- Spring Street Bicycle Lane Gap Closure Project, city of Signal Hill - $2.1M awarded for 2.6M project
- Los Nietos Safe Routes to School Phase II, county of L.A. - $1.4M awarded for $1.5M project
- Compton-Carson Regional Safe Bicycling and Wayfinding Project, city of Compton - $1.6M awarded for $1.9M project
- Citywide "8-80" Connections, city of Long Beach - $6.7M awarded for $8M project
The following $28.78M of MPO ATP grants are expected to be approved by SCAG on February 2, listed in ranked order:
- DTLA Arts District Pedestrian & Cyclist Safety Project, city of L.A. - $14.8M award for $15M project
- Maine Avenue/Pacific Avenue Corridor Complete Streets Improvements, Phase II, city of Baldwin Park - $1.1M award for $1.4M project
- Mountain View School District Safe Routes To School Program, city of El Monte - $0.6M award for $0.6M project
- Atherton Bridge & Campus Connections, city of Long Beach - $3M award for $3M project
- Pacific Blvd./Vernon Ave. Complete Streets Ped and Bike Project, city of Vernon - $1.9M award for $1.9M project
- Reconnecting Union Station to the Historic Cultural Communities of DTLA, Metro - $3.1M award for $5.3M project
- PUSD Safe Routes to School Education and Encouragement Program, city of Pasadena - $0.5M award for $0.8M project
- Union Street Cycle Track, city of Pasadena $3.7M award for $6.3M project
Metro continues to play a big role in ranking L.A. County projects for SCAG. Due to changes in federal funding, Metro still using ATP dollars to back-fill bicycle and pedestrian projects that had been selected to receive Call for Projects funding. Several project, including Pasadena's Union Street Cycle Track (protected bike lane), were already promised Metro pass-through federal funds, but will receive state funds instead. For more Metro ATP details, see these recent Planning and Programming Committee staff reports.
Don't go out and buy new walking shoes or bike shorts just yet, though. ATP funding is programmed quite far in the future. Though there are infrequent exceptions for shovel-ready projects, ATP grants approved in 2016 and 2017 will not actually be available until fiscal year 2019-20 or 2020-21.
