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Council prioritizes Highway 50 trail undercrossing, approves SACOG STIP application despite split vote
Summary
After debate about competing priorities and use of impact fees, the Folsom City Council voted 4-1 to direct staff to apply the 2024'025 STIP allocation toward a trail undercrossing beneath Highway 50 connecting north and south sides of the city.
The Folsom City Council voted April 24 to authorize staff to submit a State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) application prioritizing a trail undercrossing beneath Highway 50, rather than using the city's STIP allocation for design of roundabouts on Riley Street.
The resolution under consideration, No. 11,369, would authorize staff to submit applications to SACOG for the 2024'025 STIP funding round. Staff had presented two candidate projects for the city's $1,274,000 allocation: (1) design planning for the Riley Street Complete Streets project, including a series of roundabouts identified in the city's central business master plan; and (2) a trail connector under Highway 50 to link north and south sides of the city.
Ryan Chance, engineering manager, described the trail project as a constrained design that runs through the Caltrans right-of-way under a bridge and alongside railroad tracks; staff estimated the trail's cost could be up to about $2 million, and said applications could be scoped to fit the $1.274 million STIP allocation. Chance said the Riley Street roundabout project had a rough estimated cost of $15'0 million.
Council discussion focused on deliverability and funding strategy. Several council members, including the mover, argued the trail project would deliver a tangible, near-term community benefit and could be fully funded within the STIP allocation for design and construction scope refinement. Other council members pushed back, saying regional STIP rules favored "fix-it" road projects and questioning whether STIP funds should instead be used on pavement maintenance or the larger Empire Ranch Interchange project. Council members also debated whether developer impact fees should pay for the trail's local match or construction instead of using STIP funds.
City staff said the STA (SACOG) memorandum of understanding that governs distribution among participating agencies had not yet been signed by the partner agencies and will be brought to council for approval. Staff also noted the STIP draft application deadline is tight (draft due May 2) but that the final application is due June 6; staff warned that applicants could also hold funds for two years in the 2027 STIP if they chose not to apply now.
After discussion the council voted 4-1 to prioritize the trail connector in the city's STIP submittal. Councilmembers Rohrabaugh, Kozlowski, Leary and Mayor Aquino voted yes; Vice Mayor Rethal voted no. The council instructed staff to proceed with a single STIP application focused on the trail undercrossing.
Staff and council members discussed follow-up work including confirming whether impact fees could be used for the trail segment (staff said a nexus exists and impact fees could be applied but that the pooled impact-fee fund covers multiple capital items), and the need to return to council with additional information about the MOU and alternative priorities.
The council motion also asked staff to return with additional prioritization information and to provide an analysis of funding options for other high-priority projects such as pavement maintenance and the Empire Ranch Interchange.
