SANDAG approves RTIP

The San Diego Association of Governments has approved the updated Regional Transportation Improvement Plan for San Diego County.

The 18-0 SANDAG board vote, Sept. 28, with no El Cajon city representative present, approved the RTIP which will cover fiscal years 2019 through 2023 and will include approximately $14.7 billion of projects funded by federal, state, local and private sources.

SANDAG updates its Regional Transportation Improvement Program every two years, although the RTIP is amended on a quarterly basis. The previous update which had covered fiscal years 2017 through 2021 had been approved by the SANDAG board in September 2016. The RTIP covers major highway, arterial, transit, rail and non-motorized projects in San Diego County.

“This reflects all transportation-related projects,” SANDAG associate project control analyst Sue Alpert said.

SANDAG approved a release of the draft 2018 RTIP for distribution and a 30-day public comment during SANDAG’s July 27 board meeting; many of the changes between the draft and final versions involve revised spending between fiscal years.

The half-cent TransNet sales tax for transportation was originally approved by the county’s voters in November 1987, and in November 2004, the voters approved a 40-year extension through 2048.

The TransNet revenue is divided between highways, transit and local streets and roads. Although the widening of state Route 76 from two lanes to four between Melrose Drive in Oceanside and Interstate 15 has been completed, follow-up environmental mitigation and other work utilizing TransNet funding has kept the Highway 76 widening projects in the new RTIP.

TransNet revenue will fund the $887,000 estimated 2018-2019 expenditures for the segment between Melrose Drive and South Mission Road, which in its widened form was opened to traffic in November 2012, and the $152.9 million total cost also includes $152.0 million of funds spent in prior years.

The widened Highway 76 between South Mission Road and I-15 was opened to traffic in May 2017, and now has a cost of $202.5 million including $194.5 million spent in previous fiscal years. The planned $7.7 million of 2018-2019 expenditures consists of $4.415 million from TransNet revenue and $3.25 million of federally funded Regional Surface Transportation Program money. TransNet funding will also be used for the estimated $63,000 of 2019-2020 expenses, $144,000 of 2020-2021 costs, $48,000 of 2021-2022 spending and $101,000 of 2022-2023 expenditures.

The county of San Diego receives approximately $15 million of TransNet revenue each year for local streets and roads. The RTIP includes the TransNet Local Street Improvement Program, and the county updates its Local Street Improvement Program annually.

The local streets and roads projects funded with TransNet money include widening the approaches to the intersection of Reche Road and Stage Coach Lane to allow for additional turn lanes and also accommodate bicycle and pedestrian improvements. The $2.01 million of TransNet funding programmed for the work includes $1.8 million of prior-year expenditures and $200,000 of 2018-2019 spending.

The intersection improvements at East Vista Way and Gopher Canyon Road added turn lanes, reconstructed the traffic signal, constructed pedestrian ramps and provided drainage improvements. The total $1.9 million cost includes $1.76 million of funds spent in previous fiscal years along with $160,000 of TransNet revenue for fiscal year 2018-2019.

The Camino Del Rey drainage improvement project will upgrade the existing drainage system on Camino Del Rey from 500 feet west of Golf Club Drive to 2,700 feet west of Golf Club Drive so that the road along with the surrounding area can accommodate a 100-year flood.

The current $4.44 million of total planned funding covers $2.37 million for engineering, $1.07 million for right of way, and $1 million for construction with TransNet used as the sole funding source. That total only covers planned expenditures through fiscal year 2022-2023, although construction expenditures are expected beyond that fiscal year. The county spent $1.9 million before fiscal year 2018-2019 and has earmarked $1.0 million for 2018-2019, $504,000 during 2019-2020, $10,000 in 2020-2021, $10,000 during 2021-2022 and $1.0 million in 2022-2023.

The county is now including road maintenance in its Local Street Improvement Program appropriations. The $29.1 million of TransNet funding for road sealing, asphalt concrete overlays, sidewalk repairs and other pavement resurfacing or rehabilitation includes of $4.1 million spent in prior years and $2.4 million slated for 2018-2019. TransNet expenditures of $5.7 million each year are anticipated between 2019-2020 and 2022-2023.

The county’s $13,000 annual cost share for the regional traffic signal management program is also included in the RTIP.

The Transportation Corridor Agencies is building the state Route 241 toll road, and the southern 5.5-mile portion of that from the Orange County line to Interstate 5 is included in SANDAG’s RTIP. Transportation Corridor Agencies plans to construct two general purpose toll lanes from the county line to I-5, and the toll road is expected to be open to traffic in late 2025. The $178.4 million in the new RTIP covers $137.3 million spent in prior years, $24,880 earmarked for 2018-2019, $9.2 million anticipated for 2019-2020 and $7.0 million estimated to be spent in 2020-2021. None of the funding in the RTIP through 2022-2023 is for the construction phase.