DVRPC 2014 Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program Application
Thank you for your interest in DVRPC’s 2014 Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program. This application must be fully completed for each bridge replacement or rehabilitation project that is seeking funds from the Municipal Bridge Line Item (MPMS #102105) and will employ PennDOT’s retro-reimbursement process.
How will DVRPC’s Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program Work?
In an effort to reduce the number of structurally deficient bridges in Pennsylvania, a total of $6,000,000 state bridge funds from the Municipal Bridge Line Item (MPMS #102105) will be awarded to selected municipal bridge projects for federal fiscal years (FFY) 2016, 2017, and 2018. DVRPC will closely coordinate with PennDOT District 6-0 and the four counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery) throughout the project evaluation, selection, and recommendation process for this program. Only projects selected and recommended for funding through this competitive process and listed on the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) will be eligible to employ this retro-reimbursement procedure. Project Sponsors must submit their completed applications to DVRPC from August 12, 2014 to October 1, 2014 at 5:00 P.M. for consideration. All projects will be evaluated using the TIP Project Benefit Criteria (which can be found at: http://www.dvrpc.org/TIP/draft/DVRPC-TIP-Project-Benefit-Criteria-2015.pdf).
For municipal bridge projects that have been selected, PennDOT will pay 80 percent of the design and construction documented costs, including engineering, right-of-way, utility costs, construction inspection, and construction engineering; the local municipality will be responsible for 20 percent of the project costs. However, reimbursement will not be issued to the municipality until:
§ the project is 100 percent completed;
§ funds from the Municipal Bridge Line Item (MPMS #102105) are available;
§ all invoices have been submitted to the appropriate agency; and
§ Appendix B (Additional Project Information) has been submitted to DVRPC within 3 months after the award announcement date. Appendix B will be available after the award has been announced.
Who is Eligible to Apply?
This program is only for local municipalities within the DVRPC region’s four Pennsylvania counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery.
What is Eligible?
Only municipal bridges that will be rehabilitated or replaced within DVRPC’s four Pennsylvania counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery) are eligible. In addition, these bridges must demonstrate the following factors to be considered for funding through this program:
§ Structurally Deficient status (deck, superstructure, or substructure rating of 4 or less from most recent bridge inspection);
§ Work completed must eliminate the bridge’s structurally deficient status;
§ Minimum bridge deck span of 20 feet (20’) or greater;
§ Listed on the PA Bridge Bill or PA Capital Budget;
§ Letter of Support from the county Planning Director
What is the Retro-Reimbursement Process?
PennDOT’s retro-reimbursement process differs from the traditional design to construction process.
Local bridge projects that follow “traditional” delivery employ federal procedures. This requires coordination of consultant procurement. These projects must also follow the full PennDOT project development and review process. Local bridge projects that follow a “retro-reimbursement” process follow the state liquid-fuel procedure which streamlines reviews and delegates PennDOT reviews to the local sponsor. In the retro-reimbursement procedure, PennDOT will still perform a structural adequacy review of the structure. A municipality that follows the retro-reimbursement process will use local funds to rehabilitate or replace the bridge and then request reimbursement from PennDOT.
How should Municipalities Apply?
The application for DVRPC 2014 Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program will be available to the public on Tuesday, August 12, 2014 and can be downloaded from http://www.dvrpc.org/MBRP. Please return the completed application electronically to DVRPC at (preferred) or by mail at the following address:
ATTN: Kwan Hui
Transportation Planner, Office of Capital Programs
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
190 N. Independence Mall West, 8th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106
DVRPC must receive all completed applications by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, October 1, 2014.
1. Basic InformationProject Title / Bridge Name and Bridge Key
Municipality / County
Applicant Name, Title, Organization, and Office / Applicant Primary Telephone and Email
Project Manager Name, Title, Organization, and Office / Project Manager Telephone and Email
2. Pre-Screening/Eligibility Questions
1. Is this a local bridge owned by the municipality? ☐Yes ☐No
2. Will the bridge be rehabilitated? ☐Yes ☐No
3. Will the bridge be replaced? ☐Yes ☐No
4. Is the bridge structurally deficient (have a deck, superstructure, or substructure rating of 4 or
less from the most recent bridge inspection)? ☐Yes ☐No
5. When was the most recent bridge inspection completed? Click here to enter a date.
6. Will the work completed for this bridge eliminate the structurally deficient status? ☐Yes ☐No
7. Does the bridge have a deck spanning 20 feet (20’) or greater? ☐Yes ☐No
8. Is the bridge listed on the PA Bridge Bill or on the PA Capital Budget? ☐Yes ☐No
9. Does this application include a Letter of Support from the county Planning Director in this application? ☐Yes ☐No
3. Project Cost EstimatesPlease provide a cost estimate of each phase that will need reimbursement. Assume funds are available in July 1, 2015.
Phase / Cost Estimate / Estimated Completion DatePreliminary Engineering / $ 0.00 / Click here to enter a date.
Final Design / $ 0.00 / Click here to enter a date.
Right-of-Way / $ 0.00 / Click here to enter a date.
Utilities / $ 0.00 / Click here to enter a date.
Construction / $ 0.00 / Click here to enter a date.
TOTAL* Cost Estimate / $ 0.00 / Click here to enter a date.
“TOTAL* Cost Estimate” should show the sum of all phases and the estimated completion date of the bridge project.
How was the cost estimate developed? Check all that apply.
☐ Current cost estimate is based on sponsor’s experience.
☐ Current cost estimate is based on consultant estimate.
☐ Other (please identify)
4. FacilityDVRPC will consider how much use the facility/asset receives in a multimodal manner, to determine the scale of the project impact on the transportation system. The greater the facility’s use, the more important it is in terms of risk to negative regional impacts, and the broader the benefits can be spread by implementing the project. Only existing users are counted, and the TIP project evaluation will not attempt to estimate future users as a result of the project. More information on the TIP Project Benefit Criteria can be found online at http://www.dvrpc.org/TIP/draft/DVRPC-TIP-Project-Benefit-Criteria-2015.pdf.
Note: Please try to answer all applicable questions as much as possible. Some of the information in this section may be answered and/or confirmed by DVRPC via GIS analysis. At this time, PennDOT’s Bridge Management System provides data for local bridges that are only 20 feet or greater in length, which can be downloaded from PennDOT’s website at: http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/web.nsf/Secondary?OpenFrameset&Frame=main&src=InfoBridge?openform
Click on the “List of bridges on Locally Owned Roads” link at the bottom of the webpage to download the latest excel file in order to answer the questions below.
Facility Condition
Current Facility Ratings
A bridge is structurally deficient when its deck, superstructure, or substructure is rated 4 or below.
§ What is the current bridge deck rating? Please cite the rating’s source (which can include PennDOT’s Roadway Management System).
§ What is the current bridge superstructure rating? Please cite the rating’s source.
§ What is the current bridge substructure rating? Please cite the rating’s source.
§ What is the current bridge sufficiency rating? Please cite the rating’s source.
Facility Weight Restrictions/Posted/Closed
§ Is the bridge currently weight restricted or had existing weight restrictions lowered?
☐No
☐Yes, what is the current posted weight restriction?
§ Is the bridge currently posted/closed to the public? ☐Yes ☐No
Facility Use
What is the daily traffic volume for this bridge per the following item? Please identify the Average Daily Traffic (ADT), and if available:
§ Trucks
§ Cyclists and pedestrians
§ Daily transit riders affected by project
Other Facility Characteristics
§ How many lanes does the bridge currently have?
§ What is the total current length of the bridge (in feet)?
Project Impacts
§ Will the project bring this bridge from poor condition, according to its asset management system rating, into a state of good repair? Note that a bridge in poor condition has a bridge deck, substructure, and/or superstructure rating of 4 or below. ☐Yes ☐No
§ Will the project extend the useful life of a facility that is not in poor condition according to its asset management system rating, or resolve a fracture critical issue on a bridge? A bridge that is not in poor condition will have a bridge deck, substructure, and/or superstructure rating greater than 4. ☐Yes ☐No
§ Will the project remove at least one functional obsolescence issue on a bridge? ☐Yes ☐No
5. SafetySafety relates to the Connections 2040 Plan goal of creating a safer transportation system. DVRPC recognizes that a bridge rehabilitation or replacement project enhances safety. However, does/can the project further improve safety by making areas adjacent to the project site safer? If applicable to this project, DVRPC will also consider countermeasures from the PA Roadway Departure Improvement Program (RDIP) and PA Intersection Safety Improvement Program (PA ISIP), which are listed in TIP Project Benefit Criteria at http://www.dvrpc.org/TIP/draft/DVRPC-TIP-Project-Benefit-Criteria-2015.pdf. Please try to answer all applicable questions as much as possible. Some of the information in this section may be answered and/or confirmed by DVRPC via GIS analysis.
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DVRPC 2014 Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program Application
Crash History
§ Does the area at or adjacent to the project site have a safety issue (crash history)?
☐No
☐Yes, there are supporting documents attached proving the area at or adjacent to project site have a safety issue.
☐Yes, the most common contributing factor to crashes/safety issues are:
☐Yes, please explain how the project will improve safety to the documented safety problem(s).
FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasures:
§ Will the project incorporate one or more FHWA proven safety countermeasures (as shown at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/)? Check all that apply.
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DVRPC 2014 Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program Application
☐Roundabouts
☐ Access management
☐ Signal backplates with retroreflective borders
☐ Longitudinal rumble strips and stripes on two-lane roads
☐ Enhanced delineation and friction for horizontal curves
☐ Safety edge
☐ Medians and pedestrian crossing islands in urban and suburban areas
☐ Pedestrian hybrid beacons
☐ Road diet
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DVRPC 2014 Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program Application
6. Economic CompetitivenessThis project’s contribution towards the region’s economic competitiveness rewards projects that build the regional economy, by investing in transportation improvements related to economic development or transit-oriented development (TOD); reducing agency operating or maintenance costs; or reducing transportation system user costs is considered in the program’s evaluation. Projects rated for economic development or TOD must indicate the specific development it is supporting. More information on the TIP Project Benefit Criteria can be found online at http://www.dvrpc.org/TIP/draft/DVRPC-TIP-Project-Benefit-Criteria-2015.pdf.
§ Will the project support a known economic development (ED) project or a transit-oriented development (TOD)?
☐ No
☐ Yes, please state the name of the ED project or TOD.
§ Will the project save or reduce agency operating/maintenance costs? If yes, how?
☐ No
☐ Yes, please explain how.
§ Will the project save or reduce user/public/private vehicle operating/maintenance costs? If yes, how?
☐ No
☐ Yes, please explain how.
Reducing congestion is a goal in the Connections 2040 plan. This has a significant impact on the region’s economy, as competitiveness within a global economy means the region needs to be able to efficiently move people and goods. For this reason, DVRPC considers location in CMP corridors and the facility’s existing level of congestion or overcrowding via DVRPC’s GIS analysis.
§ Will the project implement the following appropriate everywhere strategy listed below? Check all that apply.
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DVRPC 2014 Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program Application
☐ Context sensitive design
☐ Improvements for walking and bicycling
☐ Bottleneck removal of a limited scale
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DVRPC 2014 Municipal Bridge Retro-Reimbursement Program Application
§ Will the project result in the elimination of truck or auto detours?
☐ No
☐ Yes, how much daily detour VMT will be eliminated by this project?
§ If this bridge does not get selected, and detouring traffic is anticipated, what will be the additional daily VMT?
8. Multimodal Bike/PedestrianDoes the project support the Connections 2040 Plan goal of fostering a multimodal transportation system? New facilities based on length and connections to existing multimodal facilities; or existing use of facilities will be rated. In some cases, a road may add a bike lane, where there is already significant bicycle use. This project will be able to score based on both the new bike lane and the existing use. The rating for existing facilities will be based on daily bicyclists and pedestrian use. This data will come from DVRPC counts, and can be supplemented with municipal counts if DVRPC counts are not available. New bike and pedestrian facilities will be rated based on project length and connections to other existing bike and pedestrian facilities, transit stations, or bus routes. Projects that make a critical last mile transit connection or link facilities over a difficult connection, such as a bridge, will also score. More information on the TIP Project Benefit Criteria can be found online at http://www.dvrpc.org/TIP/draft/DVRPC-TIP-Project-Benefit-Criteria-2015.pdf.
Note: Please try to answer all applicable questions as much as possible. Some of the information in this section may be answered and/or confirmed by DVRPC via GIS analysis.
Pedestrian Sidewalks/Paths/Trail
§ Are there currently sidewalks along this bridge? ☐ Yes ☐ No
§ Is there a new sidewalk, trail, or path proposed as part of the project?
☐ No
☐ Yes,
§ If yes, what is the total length of the new sidewalk, trail, or path in this project (in miles)?
§ If yes, how many bus routes, train station, or existing bike/pedestrian facilities will the new sidewalk, trail, or path connect to?