In This Issue
Save the Date
I-10/Pepper Bridge Replacement Project Groundbreaking Ceremony
Friday, March 11, 2016
10:00 a.m.
 
 
North Vineyard Grade Separation Dedication
Friday, March 18, 2016
10:00 a.m. 
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About Us
The San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) is the council of governments and transportation planning agency for San Bernardino County.

SANBAG is responsible for cooperative regional planning and furthering an efficient multi-modal transportation system countywide.

SANBAG serves the 2.1 million residents of San Bernardino County.
 
Planned Metrolink Service Changes for April 2016
                                                                     
Metrolink is planning a series of schedule
changes to take  effect on April 4, 2016 and some of these changes will significantly impact service on the San Bernardino Line.
 
The schedule changes planned for April are designed to improve service during peak hours and address concerns about on-time performance.  The most significant change affecting San Bernardino County commuters will be the elimination of the Express Trains.
 
Unfortunately, the San Bernardino Line is constrained by a single track in many areas and this presents a number of scheduling challenges.  The single track does not allow trains to pass one another during certain portions of the alignment and that is resulting in extraordinary delays to other passenger trains.  Metrolink found that a far greater number of passengers are being negatively impacted by the Express Train service than those who benefit from it.  This is a condition that is unlikely to improve without additional tracks on this line.

To view the schedule changes effective April 4, 2016 and  to review the survey conducted by Metrolink in February please visit www.metrolinktrains.com/sbscheduleupdate

Measure I Revenues Expected to Exceed Prior Years   

On Wednesday, March 2nd, the SANBAG Board of Directors received a report on Measure I receipts for Measure I 2010-2040.
  
Sales tax revenue collections for Measure I 2010-2040 began on April 1, 2010. Cumulative receipts for FY 2015-16 as of December 21, 2015 were $40,309,825; an increase of 6.06% over FY 2014-15.
  
Measure I revenue for the 2015-16 Fiscal Year budget was estimated to be $149m. Based on the increase during the quarter, Measure I revenues are expected to exceed both the budgeted amount and prior years' collections.


Redlands Passenger Rail Project Moves Forward with RFP for Construction Management Services  
                                              
As design of the Redlands Passenger Rail Project (RPRP) progresses, the SANBAG Board of Directors has approved the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to procure a Construction Management Consultant (CMC). The CMC will be tasked with not only managing the construction of the project but also an early utility relocation project to accommodate the future construction.
  
Using lessons learned from the construction of the Downtown San Bernardino Passenger Rail Project (DSBPRP) and the Omnitrans sbX project, SANBAG will be implementing a strategy of beginning utility relocations prior to awarding the construction contract for RPRP. Completion of a stand-alone utility relocation project reduces the risk of change orders, delays, and increased costs.
  
After completing the oversight of the early utility relocations, the CMC will transition to reviewing final design documents and providing assistance in developing detailed construction specifications and terms for RPRP.

SANBAG Board adopts Model Consumer Protection Policies for PACE Programs   

In October 2013, SANBAG established a countywide Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program known as the SANBAG Home Energy Retrofit Opportunity (HERO) Program. The HERO Program is an innovative public-private partnership that allows property owners to make energy efficiency, water conservation, and clean energy investments in their own property without upfront costs by assessing themselves on their property tax bill for the cost of the improvements.
  
With the popularity of the program and the number of PACE program providers growing, it is important for the integrity of all PACE program providers, and the communities they serve, that providers adopt industry-wide consumer protections. Through industry-wide standards for consumer protection, best practices can be standardized and policy makers can have a way to measure the performance of the program.
  
Recently, the SANBAG Board of Directors approved the adoption of these model Consumer Protection Policies. The model consumer protections cover 15 areas including Risk, Disclosure of Documentation, Funding, Operations, Post-Funding Homeowner Support, Data Security, Privacy, Marketing and Communications, Protected Classes, Contract Requirements, Eligible Products, Maximum Financing Amount, Reporting, Closing and Funding, and Examination.


Strategy for Using TDA Article 3 Funds to be Refined
                                                                       
With the approval of the release of a Phase I call-for-projects committing up to $2.8 million in Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 funds over the next four years as a match to prospective applications for the State Active Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 3, the SANBAG Board of Directors has also directed staff to work with Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC) to refine the criteria for future TDA Article 3 call-for-projects so that smaller projects and project development activities will have the opportunity to compete more effectively for these funds.
  
The goal is for SANBAG to provide a simplified application process for TDA Article 3 Phase 1. Basic information will be requested describing the proposed project, estimated cost, project delivery schedule, and current status. A description will also be requested of the general relationship to the ATP evaluation criteria. The application will also need to identify the specific amount request for TDA Article 3 funds, source of the 20 percent local match, and how those fund would be used in the agency's ATP application to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
 
State Funding for Transportation Projects Reduced 

In 2010, in an action known as the "Fuel Tax Swap", the State of California replaced the state sales tax on gasoline with a variable rate excise tax to be set annually by the Board of Equalization (BOE). As state statute requires that the excise tax rate be set at a rate designed to match what would have been generated by the previous sales tax to maintain "revenue neutrality", the BOE is constrained and must adopt new tax rates based on those calculations. Undoubtedly there are many drivers that have realized the benefit of lower gas prices, unfortunately lower gas prices mean fewer revenues available to address our most critical transportation needs.
 
On February 23, 2016, the BOE acted to lower the excise tax rate by 2.2 cents to 27.8 cents per gallon for the coming year beginning on July 1, 2016. This rate follows a series of reductions from 39.5 cents per gallon on July 1, 2013.
 
The latest reduction has led to an action by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to reduce forecasted revenues available to the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) by $754 million, which is used to help fund many significant projects in San Bernardino County. Lower gas prices are also reducing funds available for the State Transit Assistance (STA) program by about $2 million for San Bernardino County, which funds transit capital projects.
 
At the March Board Meeting, the SANBAG Board voted to deprogram funds from four projects and reprogram funds to two other programs. This had the overall effect of reducing the overall funding request to match the CTC's reduced funding availability. For more detail on the impacts of this action, please see items 26 and 27 on the agenda posted here.


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