The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 1) provides the first significant, stable, and on-going increase in state transportation funding in more than two decades.  The California Legislature provided additional funding to the California Transportation Commission and created several new programs for the Commission to oversee.  These programs included the Local Partnership Program, which provides both formula and competitive grant funds to agencies and jurisdictions with voter-approved sales tax measures dedicated to transportation.

On May 16, 2018, the California Transportation Commission awarded $19 million to fund the Marina – Salinas Multimodal Corridor: Imjin Parkway Project. The Transportation Agency submitted the grant application for the project in partnership with the City of Marina. 

TAMC’s ability to compete for these funds was made possible by the passage of Measure X, the 3/8 of a percent transportation sales tax approved by Monterey County voters in 2016. By having this local source of transportation funding, the Transportation Agency successfully leveraged $17 million in Measure X funding and $3 million in the City of Marina impact fees for the additional $19 million from the SB 1 Local Partnership Program. The $19 million represents 44% of the total project costs.

The Marina-Salinas Multimodal Corridor project will improve overall mobility for Monterey County residents and visitors by making significant improvements on Imjin Parkway. The project on this major  route for traveling between the Monterey Peninsula and the City of Salinas will widen Imjin Parkway to 4 lanes for its entire length, with a new bicycle path and sidewalks, and roundabouts at key intersections. The result will ease congestion and serve all users on the corridor.

In order to receive these grant funds, the Transportation Agency is required to enter into a Baseline Agreement with the California Transportation Commission.  The agreement sets forth the agreed upon expected benefits, project scope, schedule, and cost.  The agreement also identifies the agency responsible for meeting the reporting requirements and implementing the project.  In this case, the Transportation Agency is the project applicant receiving the grant funds, and the City of Marina will be the project sponsor responsible for implementation.

Once the baseline agreement has been approved by all parties, the Transportation Agency will be able to request an allocation of grant funds from the California Transportation Commission.  The Marina-Salinas Multimodal Corridor: Imjin Road Widening project is expected to start construction in Spring 2019.