For City Council Meeting September 22, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Tanya Williams, City Manager
FROM: Yazdan Emrani, P.E., Director of Public Works
Title
Request City Council to: (1) Authorize Staff to Submit an Application for the Cycle 13 Highway Safety Improvement Program in the Amount of $10,000,000; and (2) Authorize the City Manager or Their Designee to Execute all Related Documents.
Body
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommend that the City Council:
1) Authorize staff to submit an application for the Cycle 13 Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) in the amount of $10,000,000; and
2) Authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute all related documents.
BACKGROUND:
Staff has identified several projects from the 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (FY26-30) related to California’s Local Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The HSIP is a federal-aid program for the purpose of achieving a significant reduction in fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. HSIP’s goal is to fund infrastructure projects with proven crash reduction factors to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries. HSIP priorities are related to high-risk roads, arterial roadways, and venerable users like pedestrians and bicyclists. These projects will include nationally recognized crash reduction factors identified based on crash experience, crash potential, crash rate, and other data supported means within the City of Rialto.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
On July 1, 2026, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced its next Cycle 13 of the HSIP. The deadline for submitting application is November 2, 2026. In the past the City has successfully applied for and received federal funding to implement many traffic signals and related improvements through HSIP.
Staff is requesting City Council authorization to apply for HSIP Cycle 13 funding to implement traffic improvements considering the following potential intersections:
1. Construct a new traffic signal at Cactus Avenue & San Bernardino Avenue.
2. Design and construction of a new traffic signal at Lilac Avenue & San Bernardino Avenue.
3. Design and construction of a new traffic signal at Casa Grande Avenue & Mango Avenue.
4. Upgrade Sycamore Avenue & Merrill Avenue to a fully protected Left-Turn Phasing for north and south bound traffic.
5. Design and construction of a new traffic signal at Rialto Avenue & Maple Avenue
6. Upgrade the intersection of Cedar Avenue & Rialto Avenue to incorporate a dedicated right turn lane onto Cedar Avenue from westbound Rialto Avenue.
7. Design and construction of a new traffic signal at Lilac Avenue & Merrill Avenue.
8. Design and construction of a new traffic signal at Baseline Road & Fitzgerald Avenue.
Intersection improvements range from smaller‐scope improvements such as renewing intersection striping to the installation of additional traffic signal equipment or a full‐scale overhaul of traffic control measures at the intersection. The Improvements are estimated to cost a total of approximately $10,000,000.
Most projects are funded at the 90% federal and 10% local agency local match split which equates to $1,000,000.
To submit a Project for potential HSIP Cycle 13 funding, eligible benefit/cost ratio calculations for each Project need to be completed prior to its submittal. These calculations are necessary to allow the Project to achieve a higher score, and thus a better chance to qualify for funding. These benefit calculation formulas are intricate with special attention given to past accident histories, fatalities assessments, overall facility geometrics and effectiveness of proposed countermeasures.
City Staff is requesting that the City Council authorize the submittal of Caltrans Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 13 Grant Application(s) to fund eligible roadway safety improvement projects.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
The proposed request is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
Approval of this action complies with Guiding Principle 3 in the General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
Approval of this action also complies with the following General Plan Goals and Policy:
Goal 3-11: Provide community facilities that adequately support established programs, can accommodate future needs, and are accessible to all members of the community.
Goal 3-11.1: Allocate resources for the maintenance and operations of City facilities; explore alternative funding options for maintenance and operational costs of new facilities.
Goal 4-8: Establish and maintain a comprehensive system of pedestrian trails and bicycle routes that provide viable connections throughout the City.
Goal 4-9: Promote Walking.
Policy 4-9.3: Provide pedestrian-friendly and safety improvements, such as crosswalks and pedestrian signals, in all pedestrian activity areas.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed the staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Operating Budget Impact
The proposed action will not affect the City’s Operating Budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
The maximum federal HSIP funding amount per agency is $10,000,000 for selected Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) category project. The minimum federal HSIP funding amount for any single HSIP project is $100,000. Generally, the maximum federal reimbursement ratio for an HSIP project is 90%. However, the reimbursement ratio may be 100%, 90%, or 50%, depending on the project’s safety countermeasure(s) as defined in Section 4.2 of the Local Roadway Safety Manual.
The actual project reimbursement ratio will be established during project implementation when the Authorization to Proceed is approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for federally funded HSIP projects, or when the funding allocation is approved by the Caltrans District Local Assistance Engineer (DLAE) for state-funded projects.
If the City is successful, staff recommends the use of Measure I or Gas Tax for the required local match, with an estimated not-to-exceed amount of $1,000,000. Staff will return to Council for authorization to accept the grant and approval of appropriations.
Licensing
This action does not require a business license.
ATTACHMENTS
This staff report has no attachments.