Peter Schwarz, AICP

Director of Community and Economic Development

Ana Alvarez

Issue Statement: The Office of the Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) administers the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) and Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) programs, which will combine two major discretionary grants into one funding opportunity and application process. Together, this combined program will be known as the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program. As part of the application process, staff seeks to include a resolution approving and authorizing the City of Oakland Park, as a joint submittal with the Cities of Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale, to apply and receive federal assistance for Planning Services under this grant program. 

Recommended Action: Staff recommends the City Commission adopt a resolution approving and authorizing the proper city officials to execute all appropriate documents to apply for and receive financial assistance for the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Program for Planning Services as a joint submittal with the cities of Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale.

Background:

The RCN program is soliciting grant applications for the Reconnecting Communities Pilot discretionary grant program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and for the newly created Neighborhood Access and Equity discretionary grant program, established by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).The City submitted a joint application with the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors for the first cycle of funding for a planning services grant. A grant briefing call with USDOT representatives revealed that while the grant was deemed "highly recommended", the highest ranking, it was not selected for funding. Staff made improvements to this application based on feedback received from USDOT as well as FDOT, who is providing the required grant match through toll credits.

 Under the combined RCN Program, USDOT offers three grant types:  

• Capital Construction 
• Community Planning 
• Regional Partnerships Challenge

USDOT has combined these two programs into a single application to provide a more efficient application process for project sponsors. While they remain separate programs for the purposes of award, the programs share many common characteristics, including: 

• Prioritizing disadvantaged communities; 
  
• Aiming to improve access to daily needs such as jobs, education, healthcare, food, and recreation; 
  
• Fostering equitable development and restoration; 
  
• Reconnecting communities by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity, including to mobility, access, or economic development.  

The cycle of funding has opened and staff seeks to apply for Planning Services funding to determine how to eliminate or mitigate the barriers along Oakland Park Boulevard and Dixie Highway. 

The City submitted a joint application with the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors for the first cycle of funding for a planning services grant. A grant briefing call with USDOT representatives revealed that while the grant was deemed "highly recommended", the highest ranking, it was not selected for funding. Staff made improvements to this application based on feedback received from USDOT as well as FDOT, who is providing the required grant match through toll credits.

Staff examined the information provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) with respect to the types of projects that may be eligible for funding and the evaluation criteria under the updated program. Based on the eligibility and criteria, the City again partnered with our neighboring cities of Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale to submit a joint Planning Services application. The joint application aims to obtain funding for the development of a master plan that eliminates or mitigates the infrastructure barriers along the Oakland Park Boulevard and Dixie Highway corridors. Staff from the three partnering cities further coordinated these efforts with the MPO and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to ensure this application received their concurrence and support. FDOT has once again committed the use of toll revenue credits as the match for the grant funding (see attached memorandum), in support of the grant application. 

The Planning Services grant will build on the recommendations of the FDOT’s February 2022 Walking Audit Report. The Walking Audit Report identified areas that need further study and assessment to improve conditions for multi-modal use of these corridors. Included in the evaluation was the walking environment; existing infrastructure; bicyclist and pedestrian issues such as accessibility, connectivity, comfort, and safety at the intersection of Oakland Park Boulevard and Dixie Highway. The Planning Services grant will assess, analyze and recommend solutions to major barriers to access, mobility, and economic development which have been created between and within these municipalities due to infrastructure such as:

• Interstate 95, SR 816/Oakland Park Boulevard, State Road 811/North Dixie Highway.
•  Other local facilities such as SR 845/Powerline Road, North Andrews Avenue, NE 6^th Avenue, and NE 26^th Street, that have created significant barriers for the adjacent communities.   

Funding for the Planning Services grant will be secured through Federal Grant funding.  A match of 20% is required and will be offset by Florida Department of Transportation State Toll Revenue Credits. There are no immediate cost impacts.