Proposition K 5-Year Prioritization Program
TREE PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE
Date ApprovedSeptember 22, 2009
Prepared forSan FranciscoCounty Transportation Authority
ByDepartment of Public Works
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Table of Contents
1Introduction
1.1Prop K and the 5-Year Prioritization Programs
1.2Process for Developing Prioritization Programs
1.3Tree Planting and Maintenance - Overview
2Public Outreach
3Project Delivery - Accomplishments, Challenges, and Trends
4Prioritization Criteria & Methodology
4.1Tree Planting
4.1Tree Maintenance
5Program of Projects
5.1Tree Planting
5.2Tree Maintenance
6Performance Measures
7Contacts
8Acknowledgements
9Appendices
List of Tables and Figures
Table 3.1. Street Tree Funding ($) – All Sources and Number Planted, FY 2004/05 – 08/09
Table 3.2. Trees Planted and Maintained with Prop K Funds, FY 2004/05 – 08/09......
Table 3.3. Allocations vs. Allocation Capacity......
Table 3.4. Project Delivery Status......
Table 3.5. Project Delivery Status Summary......
Table 5.1 Anticipated Funding ($), FY 2009/10 – 13/14......
Table 5.2 DRAFT Program of Projects - Programming, FY 2009/10 – 2013/14......
Table 5.3 DRAFT Program of Projects – Cash Flow, FY 2009/10 – 2013/14......
Table 5.4 Projected Tree Planting and Maintenance with Prop K Funds, FY 2009/10 – 13/14
Table 5.5 Expanded Scope of Tree Maintenance per FY 2010-19 Citywide Capital Plan, FY 2009/10 – 13/14
Appendices
Appendix 1 – 5-Year Program of Projects ($), FY 2004/05 – 08/09
Appendix 2.1 – DPW-Maintained Streets – Map
Appendix 2.2 – DPW-Maintained Streets – List
Appendix 3 – Vacant Planting Sites for DPW-Maintained Trees - List
Appendix 4 – Proposed FY 2009/10 DPW Tree Maintenance Corridors – MAP
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TREE PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE
1Introduction
1.1Prop K and the 5-Year Prioritization Programs
In November 2003, San Francisco voters approved Prop K, extending the ½ cent sales tax to fund transportation improvements and approving a new 30-year Expenditure Plan, which superseded the prior Prop B Expenditure Plan. The Prop K Expenditure Plan determines eligibility for sales tax funds through a list of specific projects (e.g. Central Subway) and programs (e.g. pedestrian circulation/safety and signals and signs). It also sets caps for the maximum amount of Prop K funds that will be available for specific projects and programs over the 30-year Expenditure Plan period, totaling an estimated $2.82 billion (2003 $’s). In order to fully fund the projects and programs, the Expenditure Plan assumes that the Prop K dollars will leverage (or match) another $9.6 billion (2003 $’s) in other federal, state, regional, and local funds for a total program cost of over $12.4 billion (2003 $’s). Some of those leveraged funds will be available to San Francisco through funding allocation formulas. San Francisco project sponsors also will have to aggressively compete for non-formula (i.e., discretionary) funds in order to fully fund the Expenditure Plan projects and programs.
The Expenditure Plan includes a number of requirements, including the development of 5-Year Prioritization Programs (5YPPs) as a condition for receiving allocations in each programmatic (i.e., not project-specific) category in the Expenditure Plan. This requirement applies to 21 programs such as tree planting and maintenance, street resurfacing, new signals and signs, traffic calming, and transit enhancements.
The 5YPPs are intended to provide a stronger link between project selection and expected project performance, to support on-time, on-budget project delivery, and optimize use of federal, state and regional matching funds. Other major benefits of the 5YPPs include:
- Establish a clear set of criteria for prioritizing or ranking projects,
- Allow and ensure public input early and throughout the planning process,
- Improve agency coordination at the earlier stages of the planning process, and
- Establish performance measures.
The desired outcome of the 5YPPs is the establishment of a strong pipeline of grant-ready transportation projects that can be advanced as soon as funds (including Prop K, federal, state, and other funds) are available. This 5-year planning is critically important to help achieve the leveraging needed to fully fund the Expenditure Plan projects and programs, to support faster delivery of projects so the public can enjoy the benefits sooner, and to maximize the City’s ability to make tangible contributions to strategies to combat global warming.
As its centerpiece, each 5YPP contains a 5-year program of projects, ideally including project descriptions, schedule milestones, cost estimates, and full funding plans showing Prop K allocations by fiscal year and other matching funds. The Program of Projects is contained in Section 5 of this document.
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1.2Process for Developing Prioritization Programs
In May and June 2005, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (Authority) Board adopted the first round of 5YPPs, which covers the five-year period from Fiscal Year 2004/05 through Fiscal Year 2008/09. The 2009 5YPPs, covering Fiscal Years 2009/10 through 2013/14, are being prepared in concert with an update to the 2005 Prop K Strategic Plan. The Prop K Strategic Plan is the financial tool that guides the timing of allocation of Prop K revenues. The Strategic Plan also sets policy and provides guidance for the administration of the program, ensuring prudent stewardship of the funds. Finding a balance between the availability of funds and project delivery is an iterative process that requires examining policy, analyzing agency capabilities to deliver projects consistent with the schedules and costs they have proposed, and maximizing fund leveraging opportunities.
The Expenditure Plan establishes limits on funding and describes the types of projects that are eligible for each of the 20 programmatic categories, but it does not provide a detailed list of specific projects for funding within each category nor does it determine which projects will receive funds in any given fiscal year. Thus, while the Prop K Strategic Plan provides the long-term road map for managing Prop K revenue over the 30-year life of the Expenditure Plan, the 5YPPs ensure that the Authority Board, project sponsors, and the public have a clear understanding of how projects are prioritized for funding within each particular programmatic category.
The Expenditure Plan requires that the Authority Board designate a lead agency for developing the 5YPP for each programmatic category. In cases where a particular programmatic category has multiple potential project sponsors, the lead agency role is one of facilitator and coordinator, not a veto role. The responsibility of the lead agency is to develop the proposed 5YPP in coordination with all other agencies that will likely have a role or a say in the planning and implementation of those projects, including, but not limited to, other eligible Prop K sponsors for that programmatic category. Project sponsors are responsible for documenting how public input was incorporated into the prioritized project list (See Section 2 – Public Outreach). Authority staff reviews the draft 5YPPs for reasonableness and to optimize coordination opportunities across 5YPP categories. The draft 5YPPS are then presented to the Authority’s Citizens Advisory Committee and Plans and Programs Committee to seek input from committee members and the public. The final draft 5YPPs are then taken back to those same committees and ultimately to the Authority Board for approval prior to allocation of sales tax funds from those programmatic categories.
EXPENDITURE PLAN DESCRIPTION OF TREE PLANTING AND MAINTENANCE CATEGORY
This 5YPP is for the Tree Planting and Maintenancecategory in the Prop K Expenditure Plan. The Expenditure Plan describes this program as follows:
Planting of new street trees, and maintenance of new and existing trees in public rights-of-way throughout the city. Sponsoring Agency: DPW. The first $32.8M is Priority 1. The next $4.2M is Priority 2 and the remainder is Priority 3. Total Funding: $95.0M; Prop K: $41.0M.
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1.3Tree Planting and Maintenance - Overview
The City’s urban forest enhances our quality of life by improving air quality, reducing flooding and the need to expand storm drainage systems, enhancing property values, and in general contributing to San Francisco’s image and sense of place. As the steward of San Francisco’s street trees, Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for ensuring that these community benefits are realized through appropriate tree planting and maintenance in the public right-of-way. Through careful management, DPW has reduced costly conflicts between trees and other infrastructure, protected public safety, and improved the character of our neighborhoods with healthy and attractive trees.
The 2003 City of San Francisco, California Street Tree Resource Analysis, conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, determined that there are about 100,000 potential street tree planting sites in San Francisco. In addition, there are an average of 375 DPW-maintained trees that need to be replaced annually due to typical mortality rates for new and established trees and the increasing inventory of tree sites maintained by DPW through recent greening initiatives. To ensure the long-term survival of new trees, the emphasis of the planting program has shifted from simply planting to providing sufficient care for successful tree establishment.
DPW’s program for planting new trees in empty tree basins includes planting street trees in the public right-of-way to be maintained by DPW or the fronting property owner. Tree planting is currently implemented through contracted services and in-house crews. Prop K funds are primarily used to replace damaged trees and establish young trees. Prop K funds also cover a portion of the cost to administer the tree planting program, including inspection and database updates and reporting. All planting permit applications are processed and stored by DPW. Applications for removal permits are also required for some plantings. In Fiscal Year 2008/09, Prop K funds will plant about 298 new DPW-maintained trees and establish new trees with watering and basin work.
DPW’s program for maintaining new and existing trees includes maintaining existing trees in street and public right-of-way areas, such as sidewalks, median islands, and unimproved public property. In general, DPW maintains trees that are planted along major thoroughfares and arterials, and in some redevelopment areas. Maintenance includes tree pruning and removal when necessary. DPW also inspects street trees for necessary work, schedules work, and keeps tree work records and the street tree inventory updated. FY 2008/09 Prop K funds will support maintenance of 979 existing trees in street and public right-of-way areas.
To increase local employment opportunities for the City’s tree program as well as other programs requiring general labor skills, DPW offers an in-house training program called General Laborer Apprenticeship Program (7501). This program provides an opportunity for residents in “at risk” areas of the City to pursue general laborer positions in the City and in the private sector. Employed full time for two years with DPW benefits with the bureaus of Street Environmental Services and Urban Forestry, apprentices get trained in various marketable skills, including horticulture. Upon completion of the program, apprentices may compete for General Laborer or Gardener positions within DPW, other City departments or in the private sector.
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2Public Outreach
One of the purposes of this 5YPP is to offer an early opportunity for the public to provide meaningful input regarding the projects that will be funded by Prop K programmatic categories in the next 5 years.
The Authority hosted 4 public open houses, with both Authority and project sponsor staff in attendance, in July and August 2009 to seek input on the 5YPPs. A list of staff contacts for the Tree Planting and Maintenance category was provided to the public to facilitate public participation and has been posted on the Authority’s website ( There were also opportunities for public input via the Authority’s website and at multiple Authority Citizens Advisory Committee and Plans and Programs Committee meetings.
DPW staff has participated in public open houses, as well as the Authority’s Committee meetings. The 5YPP drafts have been posted on both the Authority’s and DPW’s websites ( The public can view locations of DPW-maintained streettrees on the web ( by clicking on “Street Trees” link under the “Clean & Green Programs” heading (also shown in Appendix 2).
For more information on how the public can get involved, see Section 7 - Contacts.
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3Project Delivery - Accomplishments, Challenges, and Trends
Over the last five years, DPW received funding for street tree planting and maintenance from various sources outlined in the table below.
Table 3.1. Street Tree Funding ($) – All Sources and Number Planted, FY 2004/05 – 08/09
FY 04/05 / FY 05/06 / FY 06/07 / FY 07/08 / FY 08/09 / 5-Yr TotalTree Planting
General Fund (Local) / 1,657,512 / 2,500,000 / 1,214,306 / 5,371,818
Prop K (Local) / 592,520 / 423,200 / 442,009 / 456,817 / 478,968 / 2,393,514
Subtotal - planting / 592,520 / 423,200 / 2,099,521 / 2,956,817 / 1,693,274 / 7,765,332
Total Planted / 1,278 / 1,954 / 1,802 / 1,544 / 1,842 / 7,142
Tree Maintenance
General Fund (Local) / 421,190 / 400,000 / 821,190
Prop K (Local) / 638,880 / 433,800 / 451,991 / 472,338 / 498,448 / 2,495,457
Gas Tax (State) / 1,700,000 / 1,778,903 / 1,852,643 / 1,916,055 / 1,734,675 / 8,982,276
Subtotal – maintenance / 2,338,880 / 2,212,703 / 2,304,634 / 2,809,583 / 2,633,123 / 12,298,923
Total Maintained 1 / N/A / N/A / N/A / N/A / N/A / N/A
1 It is hard to obtain the accurate number of trees maintained with funding sources other than Prop K because the current database does not distinguish actual tree maintenance visits from other types of visits to trees. DPW will start tracking them separately for reporting on future quarterly reports, annual reports, and 5YPPs. The number of trees maintained with Prop K has been tracked to meet the reporting requirement and shown in Table 3.2.
As part of the Mayor’s Livable City Initiative, the City has appropriated general funds from the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to support street tree planting over the last few years. These funds coupled with other sources allowed DPW to plant 1,278 trees in FY 2004/05; 1,954 trees in FY 2005/06; 1,802 trees in FY 2006/07; 1,544 trees in FY 2007/08, and 1,842 trees in FY 2008/09. The planting costs varied by year as trees were planted and established by contractors for some years and by in-house crews for other years.
These plantings have thus increased the maintenance burden in future years. The FY 2010 – 19 Citywide Capital Plan recommends almost $21 million in general funds and anticipates $8.8 million in state gas tax, as well as $6.3 million in Prop K funds, for tree maintenance in future years. The Plan also recommends $5M for tree replacement and establishment, but it does not program any funds for planting new trees.
The following table summarizes street trees planted and maintained with Prop K funds over the last five years.
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Table 3.2. Trees Planted and Maintained with Prop K Funds, FY 2004/05 – 08/09
FY 04/05 / FY 05/06 / FY 06/07 / FY 07/08 / FY 08/09 / 5-Yr TotalTrees Planted / 759 2 / 257 / 268 / 279 / ~ 297 / 1,860
Trees Maintained / 1,583 / 1,030 / 1,022 / 1,018 / ~ 979 / 5,632
Average Cost Per Tree – Planting 1 / $781 / $1,647 / $1,649 / $1,637 / $1,613 / $1,465
Average Cost Per Tree – Maintenance 1 / $404 / $421 / $442 / $464 / $509 / $448
1 Average Cost Per Tree – Planting / Maintenance is calculated by dividing Prop K Funding for Tree Planting / Maintenance from Table 3.1 by Total Trees Planted / Maintained from Table 3.2, respectively.
2 In FY 2004/05, DPW funded Friends of the Urban Forest to plant 450 15-gallon privately-maintained street trees, from the Prop K Tree Planting and Maintenance budget. After FY 2004/05 DPW began planting 24-inch box trees.
The initial cost per tree planted has increased since FY 2005/06 when DPW decided to increase the proportion of the larger and more costly 24-inch box trees compared to 15-gallon container trees. The increased cost per tree planted is outweighed by the benefits of larger trees, such as improved survival rate and a more immediate aesthetic and environmental impact, making them more effective in the long run. Not all planting sites are large enough to accommodate a 24-inch box, so about 30% of trees planted are in 15-gallon size containers.
The first round of 5YPPs covered the five-year period from Fiscal Years 2004/05 through 2008/09. At the beginning of calendar year 2009, a total of about $4.89 million in Prop K funds has been allocated to projects under the Tree Planting and Maintenance category.
Appendix 1 contains the 5-year Program of Projects for Fiscal Years 2004/05 through 2008/09, as amended, for the tree planting and maintenance category. This table shows by fiscal year, all of the approved allocations (designated by shaded cells) by fiscal year, and any unallocated or unused funds (designated by un-shaded cells) and the projects or programs for which they were intended. Appendix 2.1 contains a map of DPW-maintained street tree locations, followed by a table listing the locations (Appendix 2.2).
As summarized in the Allocation vs. Allocation Capacity Table (Table 3.3) below, DPW has requested and the Authority Board has approved allocation of all the Prop K funds programmed to DPW from the tree planting and maintenance category from Prop K inception (April 2004) through Fiscal Year 2008/09.
Tables 3.4 entitled ProjectDelivery Status – Percent Complete, summarized in Table 3.5, shows that DPW has been able to plant and maintain trees in a timely fashion, consistent with the Authority Board approved schedule.
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PROP K 5-YEAR PRIORITIZATION PROGRAM
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Table 3.3. Allocations vs. Allocation Capacity
Data accurate through February 24, 2009 Board meeting. 1
FY 04/05 2 / FY 05/06 / FY 06/07 / FY 07/08 / FY 08/09 / Total 3Total Programmed in Strategic Plan / $1,231,400 / $857,000 / $894,000 / $933,000 / $974,000 / $4,889,400
Total Programmed in 5YPP / $1,231,400 / $857,000 / $894,000 / $929,155 / $977,416 / $4,888,971
Total Allocated / $1,231,400 / $857,000 / $894,000 / $929,155 / $977,416 / $4,888,971
Total Unallocated / $0 / $0 / $0 / $0 / $0 / $0
% Allocated Based on Strategic Plan Programming / 100% / 100% / 100% / 100% / 100% / 100%
% Allocated Based on 5YPP Programming / 100% / 100% / 100% / 100% / 100% / 100%
1 The above table compares the total dollar amount of Prop K allocations approved by the Authority Board by fiscal year to the total funds available for allocation (i.e., the amount programmed for projects in the 2005 Strategic Plan and the relevant 5-Year Prioritization Program (5YPP) ). In some categories, 5YPP programming amounts are lower than the Strategic Plan amounts because project sponsors did not identify enough projects in the 5YPP to use up all of the available programming. Sponsors may request amendments to the 5YPPs at any time, subject to Authority Board approval, to program unused programming capacity to eligible projects that are ready to move forward.