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Council approves $3.62 million engineering agreement for US 50 'Trip to Green' project; construction funding not yet secured
Summary
The council authorized a $3,622,276.15 engineering services agreement with Wood Rogers and issued a $970,399.49 notice to proceed for environmental and design work on a Trip to Green congestion-management and resiliency project on US 50; construction funding remains to be identified and one council member voted no.
The Placerville City Council on Jan. 14 authorized an engineering-services agreement with Wood Rogers for $3,622,276.15 and issued a first notice to proceed for $970,399.49 to begin environmental and design work on the US 50 Trip to Green congestion-management and resiliency strategy project.
Staff described the project as permanent infrastructure to enable temporarily holding US 50 signals in a green phase during designated periods, with barriers and channelization devices to prevent left turns and north-south crossings during Trip to Green operations except for emergency access. The scope also includes intelligent transportation system (ITS) signage, right-of-way engineering and a planned pedestrian overcrossing at Canal Street.
“This funding source cannot be used for any planning level type of study,” staff said, noting the grant is from the Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program (LT CAP) and is targeted at infrastructure that improves community resilience and evacuation routes. The council packet identifies an initial appropriation of $1,000,000 in the adopted CIP: $800,000 in LT CAP funds plus a $200,000 local Surface Transportation Block Grant Program contribution to meet the required 20% match; El Dorado County contributed half of the local match for the first phase.
Staff said later phases — final design and right-of-way — will seek an additional $2.2 million in LT CAP funds and require a $550,000 local match, bringing the eventual project budget to about $3.75 million for design and right-of-way. Construction funding has not been identified; staff will pursue additional grant sources and may task Wood Rogers with grant support.
Council discussion noted both the local safety benefits and the project’s cost. One council member asked whether the traffic-time savings seen in earlier tests justified the costs; another council member emphasized the pedestrian overcrossing at Canal Street as a tangible local safety benefit.
Vote: Council member Carter — No; Council member Noe — Aye; Council member Yarbrough — Aye; Vice Mayor Gottberg — Aye; Mayor Clarice — Aye. The motion passed, 4-1.
