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Highland_Redlands - MSRC TDM_CTC Final SBCTA San Bernardino County Transportation Authority 1170 W. 3rd Street, 2nd Fl, San Bernardino, CA 92410 Phone: (909) 884-8276 Fax: (909) 885-4407 Web: www.gosbcta.com SBCTA PROPOSAL Highland-Redlands Regional Connector Gap Project to Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee for Clean Transportation Funding Traffic Demand Management CTC Partnership Program August 2025 Executive Summary: The Highland-Redlands Regional Connector Gap Project (Project) is a regionally significant, multi-jurisdictional effort led by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) in collaboration with the Cities of Highland and Redlands. The Project addresses a critical gap in safe pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure between the two cities by constructing an all-ages-and-abilities corridor along Orange Street, with an emphasis on bridging the Santa Ana River via a new Class I bikeway. The Project was originally awarded approximately $3.6 million from the California Transportation Commission’s Cycle 2 Active Transportation Program (ATP) and a total of approximately $860,000 from San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s (SBCTA) Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 program. Unfortunately, the roughly $4.5 million Project came to a halt during the design phase when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) mandated mitigation costs of about $6.4 million due to potential San Bernardino kangaroo rat and wooly star impacts. Unable to come up with additional funding that exceeded the project's cost within the ATP timeline constraints, and with no recourse for challenging the ruling, the cities were forced to forfeit the ATP funding and return to the drawing board. In response, SBCTA and its partners divided the Project into multiple phases to ensure progress while SBCTA worked to reduce the environmental mitigation costs for the central “Gap” section from nearly $6 million to approximately $1.5 million. The revised approach now includes three concurrent phases: Highland North, Redlands South, and the Gap that connects both sections over the Santa Ana River. This funding request specifically supports completing the unfunded Gap, which is essential for fully integrating the corridor and enhancing regional connectivity. This proposal seeks MSRC for Clean Transportation Funding: Traffic Demand Management (TDM) County Transportation Commission (CTC) Partnership Program to complete the construction of the Gap. This project is directly aligned with statewide goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and improve active transportation safety and accessibility. Once complete, the corridor will provide meaningful connections to Citrus Valley High School, Omnitrans Route 15, and a broader network of trails and bike lanes, significantly improving mobility and safety for non- motorized users across the region. Work Plan : The Highland-Redlands Regional Connector Gap Project (Project) seeks to construct the central and most critical segment of a regionally significant non-motorized transportation corridor. Led by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) in partnership with the Cities of Highland and Redlands, this segment includes Class I and Class IV bikeways and related infrastructure improvements along Orange Street, including the essential crossing over the Santa Ana River. This project is the final phase of the original 4.7-mile corridor that had to be divided due to environmental constraints. While the Highland North and Redlands South segments are moving forward with Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) funds, the gap segment is the cornerstone to completing the full connection between the cities. The current request seeks MSRC Clean Transportation Funding ™ to complete the 1.7-mile gap and associated Class II segment between the city boundary and Boulder Avenue. These improvements will eliminate long-standing safety hazards and unite the two cities via a dedicated, accessible, and connected route for people walking and bicycling. The Gap segment specifically consists of the following improvements: Route Class Limits Length (mi) Orange St I & IV Domestic Ave to Pole Line Trail 1.70 Orange St (new) II City Boundary to Boulder Ave 0.40 Total (Gap segment only) 2.1 mi The proposed improvements include: • Construction of Class I and IV bike facilities along Orange Street between Domestic Avenue and Pole Line Trail. • Class II bike facility on Orange Street from the city boundary to Boulder Avenue. • Pedestrian crossings, ADA-compliant sidewalks and ramps, and signal modifications as needed to support multimodal safety and accessibility. • Integration with Omnitrans Route 15, nearby trails, and Citrus Valley High School. The Project is consistent with local and state efforts to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas emissions, including SB 743, the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI), and Redlands’ Green City resolution. With the design already completed, this MSRC proposal will enable the completion of the Project’s construction phase of the bicycle and pedestrian path, including bridges, crossings, signage, and striping. This segment represents not just a construction project, but a meaningful step forward in delivering mobility for vulnerable users, especially youth, seniors, and individuals with disabilities who currently face long detours and unsafe conditions when walking or biking between Highland and Redlands. MSRC funds are essential to bridge the final funding gap, allowing the region to complete a 25+ year high- priority active transportation corridor. Project delivery will follow SBCTA’s established implementation framework, which includes: • Partnership with local agencies • Milestone tracking and performance reporting • Integration with the Regional Transportation Plan and local Capital Improvement Programs (CIPs) A detailed Implementation Schedule will follow, showing key activities during the first 18– 24 months to satisfy MSRC’s planning and coordination expectations. Proposed Budget: The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is requesting $3,000,000 in MSRC Clean Transportation Funding ™ to support the implementation of the Highland- Redlands Regional Connector Gap Project. The total estimated project cost for the Gap alone is $7,412,604. MSRC funds will help deliver critical pedestrian and bicycle safety infrastructure, consistent with the project’s TDM objectives of reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT), enhancing multimodal connectivity, and promoting active transportation. The balance will be funded by the Local Measure I program. Implementation Schedule: SBCTA anticipates that the total construction contract will be approximately 13 months in duration, with preconstruction services starting in December 2025. SBCTA anticipates advertising for the construction contract in February 2026, awarding the construction contract in May 2026 with Construction Limited Notice to Proceed (NTP) of 60-calendar day procurement period of long lead items, followed by Construction NTP in July 2026, following the project completion in June 2027 (12 Months), in addition of 2 months of project closeout.