Loading...
Art3_Highland_FY15_BikePed_Connector-Enviro Summary - OG (003)Highland/Redlands Regional Connector – Excessive Mitigation Requirements Summary: The Highland/Redlands Regional Connector project (Project) is a regionally significant active transportation project that proposes to construct bike lanes and sidewalks, which are not shared with the roadway, that crosses over the Santa Ana River and connect the Highland and Redlands communities via Orange Street (See Attachment A). The Project includes widening the paved area by approximately 11 feet to accommodate the separate travel way for bikes and pedestrians. The lack of a separate bike/pedestrian path along Orange Street between the two cities discourages those who are choosing to walk/bike, and it creates a serious predicament for residents whose only form of travel is via non-motorized means. Background: The Project was awarded $3.6 million from the California Transportation Commission’s Active Transportation Program (ATP), and $860,000 from San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s (SBCTA) Transportation Development Act Article 3 program. The $4.5 million Project came to a halt when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) concluded that $6.4 million in mitigation for potential kangaroo rat and Woollystar impacts were required. Unable to come up with additional funding that amounted to more than the cost of the Project itself within the ATP timeline, the Project was forced to forfeit the ATP funding and go back to the drawing board. In an attempt to ensure the Project is completed, SBCTA worked with Highland and Redlands to split the Project into three separate components. This would allow the cities to move forward with sections of the Project that do not have mitigation requirements while SBCTA staff focuses on finding a solution for the key section with mitigation requirements. CDFW Issue: In June 2020, CDFW findings noted that the Project would cause a negative impact on the Santa Ana River Woollystar and San Bernardino Kangaroo Rat which are both listed under the California Endangered Species Act, and the Project would cause a temporary loss of 12.06 acres of suitable habitat and 6.38 acres of permanent loss. Construction of the bike path requires that an area immediately adjacent to Orange Street, which is used by 14,000 cars a day, be graded and then paved which would disturb the natural habitat. Once the project is completed, 47% of the disturbed land would be returned to its natural habitat. CDFW determined that Project sponsors “shall either purchase 31.3 acres of Covered Species credits from a CDFW-approved mitigation… OR shall provide for both the permanent protection and management of 31.3 acres of Habitat Management lands…” In other words, the Project needs to protect 4.9 times more land than what will be permanently changed to add the bike path. The near 5:1 requirement is an unusually high mitigation ratio. The CDFW cost estimates for this and other required mitigations total $6.4 million. A breakdown of the estimated cost are listed below. Keep in mind; these are only estimated costs for the conservation portion, and actual costs could be higher: Land acquisition: $135,000 per acre for 31.3 acres = $4,225,500 Start-up costs for mitigation land: $434,100 Interim management period cost: $648,803 Long-term management cost: $23,236 per acre for 31.3 acres = $727,286.80 Restoration of on-site temporary effects: $62,309.10 per acre for 5.78 acres = $360,146.60 The ability to deliver this vital bike/pedestrian project, which is completely aligned with the State’s Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure, as well as the desire to support disadvantaged communities, is unfortunately jeopardized by the excessive mitigation requirements. Attachment A - Map / Attachment B – Existing Photos / / / / / / / /