Board approves Kimley‑Horn contract to advance MAPS advanced transit design and pursue federal Small Starts funding

The MAPS Citizens Advisory Board on June 4 approved an engineering services contract with Kimley‑Horn & Associates to advance design work on the MAPS Advanced Transit corridor and to pursue federal capital funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s CIG Small Starts program.

Luke Schmidt, the project manager for Kimley‑Horn, told the board the contract covers 30% design and parallel work to prepare a federal funding package and environmental review for a roughly 17‑mile corridor. He said the team will work on a ratings package for FTA and complete the NEPA process (including state historic preservation and hazardous‑materials reviews) with a goal of submitting required materials to FTA in January. “We anticipate receiving a categorical exclusion as part of the environmental review process,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt said the project includes mixed‑traffic segments, business‑access‑and‑turn lanes, and a center‑running facility on South Shields; it will leverage prior alternatives analyses and the long‑range transit plan. If the FTA ratings package is accepted and the project is included in the president’s budget, reimbursements could follow in subsequent federal budgeting cycles; Schmidt noted the program’s timing could mean federal funds would appear in the FY2029 schedule if the project is not included in the nearer budget line item.

Board members asked clarifying questions about project staging and grant risk. Staff said the contract will allow the city to advance design while pursuing federal funds; if federal funding is not secured the team will proceed using an alternative local funding scenario and adjust scope or phasing accordingly.

What happens next: Kimley‑Horn will advance 30% plans and coordinate stakeholder and environmental work over the next six months, return to the board on milestones, and continue work on the FTA rating package and NEPA milestones.