The request of staff for City Council is to review and consider for approval Task Order No. 22-112 from Florida Design Consultants, Inc. in the amount not to exceed $31,500 for the completion and submission to the City a benefit cost analysis for the 2021 Grand Blvd. (MUP) Project.

As City Council may recall, the proposed Grand Blvd. MUP project is included in the Parks and Recreation’s August 2020 Trails Feasibility Study. Once completed, the MUP will connect with the City’s existing path at Marine Pkwy and Grand Blvd. and proceed north along Grand Blvd. where it will head east on Delaware Ave. to Madison St. and turn north along Madison St. where it will connect to the City’s existing MUP at Madison St. and Main St. Design elements include the reduction of four lanes to two lanes along Grand Blvd. between Gulf Dr. and Delaware Ave.  Landscape and irrigation areas will include trees, shrubs, and ground cover.  Seating areas and paths widths will be able to accommodate both bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Improved decorative street lighting and stormwater drainage improvements will be installed.

As City Council is aware, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the availability of $1.5 billion in RAISE grant funding made possible by the enactment of the Infrastructure Law.  To be eligible for grant funding, proposed community projects need to have a significant local or regional impact.  The City’s Grand Blvd. MUP meets this requirement.  Once completed, the path will connect to Pasco County’s existing MUP on Massachusetts Ave. that heads eastward toward Starkey Park.  Applications must be submitted prior to April 14, 2023, to be eligible for grant approval.  Discussion between City staff and Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization staff began this year to acquire funding for the proposed project.  One of the main elements required to complete the grant application is for the lead agency to complete a benefit to cost analysis to determine the benefits of the project minus the costs associated with the design and construction of the project.  This includes intangible benefits such as pedestrian usage, quality of life, safety of pedestrians, environmental benefits such as emission reduction, and financial impacts to the community.