Commission urges City Council to accept $2.75 million ODOT Safe Routes to School grant for Douglas Avenue

The Roseburg Public Works Commission on Feb. 24, 2025, unanimously recommended the City Council authorize the city manager to execute a $2,750,000 grant agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation for Safe Routes to School improvements on Douglas Avenue.

Staff told the commission the project would build curb, gutter, sidewalks, bike lanes, utility upgrades, about 80 new ADA-compliant curb ramps and a rapid-flashing beacon at the Eastwood Park crossing to improve safety for students walking from nearby apartment complexes. The project corridor runs roughly from Deer Creek to Patterson Street and includes additional pedestrian improvements on Rifle Range Road between Douglas Avenue and Diamond Lake Boulevard.

Staff reviewed the grant history: Oregon’s House Bill 2017 dedicated funding for a statewide Safe Routes to School program; the city applied unsuccessfully in earlier rounds (2018, 2020, 2022) and narrowly missed a cutline in 2022. For the current funding cycle the project qualified for a 0% local cash match because the city’s population base is under 20,500 and the school’s student body includes more than 40% students from low-income families, staff said.

Staff provided a project cost and funding breakdown. It said the current estimated city portion of the project is $4,606,403, but not all costs are grant-eligible; after excluding non-eligible items the city’s direct share of grant-eligible work is $1,263,819. Staff listed the following cost estimates: $2,750,000 ODOT grant award (Safe Routes to School); $2,720,531 in grant-eligible project costs; $655,000 for roadway widening and resurfacing; $811,000 to replace an aged 6-inch water main with 12-inch ductile iron; and approximately $1,600,000 for Russell Utilities’ sanitary sewer replacement in the project area. The total project estimate given by staff was about $6,206,000.

Identified funding sources include the ODOT grant, amounts programmed in the five-year capital improvement plan under urban renewal, storm and transportation (about $963,614), the water capital improvement fund, and an intergovernmental agreement with Russell Utilities for their portion. Staff said the department has received a draft grant agreement from ODOT and that the city would have five years from the agreement’s effective date to complete the work. A separate Deer Creek bridge replacement project is scheduled to begin summer 2026 and staff said the Safe Routes project would follow it; if the bridge is delayed by one year the city still expects to meet the five-year grant timetable.

The commission moved and seconded a recommendation that the City Council authorize the city manager to execute the grant agreement; the motion passed unanimously.

Staff emphasized that this is a pedestrian-focused grant and not a general road-improvement program. Commission questions addressed the inclusion of noneligible items in the total project cost, coordination with Russell Utilities and whether the city has the matching funds programmed; staff confirmed funds are programmed to cover the city’s share.

If the council accepts the recommendation and the grant agreement is executed, staff will proceed with design and coordinate utility work and construction scheduling under the five-year grant deadline.