News release from the city of Bryan:
The City of Bryan was one of 15 cities statewide to receive funding under the competitive program that awarded $25 Million to project sponsors with populations less than 200,000. The City of Bryan submitted five projects for consideration that were prioritized by the City Council. The City’s top two projects were funded as announced in the TXDOT minute order issued Sept. 24, 2015. Bryan is scheduled to receive $3,743,301 in federal funds for local matching funds of $1,604,272. The City of Bryan is required to fund the design of both projects under the program.
The federally funded Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) provides opportunities to expand transportation choices and enhance the transportation experience through categories of activities related to the surface transportation system. The TAP focuses on nontraditional transportation projects and only applied toward the construction cost of those facilities. The type of projects eligible for construction funding were on and off road trails, sidewalks, traffic calming, lighting, safe routes to school, safety related infrastructure and transportation projects to achieve ADA compliance.
The first project funded is the South College Avenue Phase 1 shared use path, sidewalks and bike route. Up to $2,152,919 in federal funds (approximately 70 percent of the estimated construction cost) have been allocated to the project with the City of Bryan providing local matching funds totaling at least $922,680 (30 percent) for the project. The scope of the project includes installation of a 12 foot shared use path along the east side of S. College Avenue from the City limits at Hensel Park to Brookside Drive. Bicycle route will be installed along Cavitt Avenue from Brookside to Villa Maria and 6 foot sidewalks will be installed along both sides of S. College Avenue from Brookside Drive to Villa Maria. The City of Bryan’s Capital Improvement Program in FY 16 includes funding for the design of the pavement reconstruction of S. College Avenue from Villa Maria to Sulphur Springs (the limits of city maintenance – TXDOT maintains the remainder to University Drive).
The second project funded is the installation of street lights along the stretch of FM158 (Boonville Road) from Earl Rudder Freeway (SH6) to Harvey Road (SH30). This project will provide much needed lighting to miles of existing sidewalk and shared use paths that were constructed by TXDOT years ago. Up to $1,590,382 (70 percent of estimated construction cost) in federal funds have been allocated to the project with the City providing a local construction match of at least $681,592 (30 percent).
Both project nominations included multiple letters of support from citizens, Homeowner Associations, BISD, Brazos Transit District and other local/regional organizations, for which the City of Bryan is grateful for their support. Brazos Transit District not only supported the projects with a letter but also agreed to provide $350,000 from pre-approved Letters of No Prejudice to help fund the city’s local match.
Construction on both projects could begin before the end of 2016.