Conservation Corps and
Transportation Enhancements/Alternatives
the California Experience
The Corps Network Forum
February 2013
California has Corps-friendly state statute in place
California corps thank former State Legislator and now
Congressman Alan Lowenthal
who authored
Senate Bill 286
which passed in 2008
and
US Senator Barbara Boxer
for Corps-friendly Language in
MAP 21
SB 286
Requires state department of transportation (CalTrans) to:
•
consult with community conservation corps, the California Conservation
Corps, the state highway commission, regional transportation planning
agencies, county transportation commissions or authorities, and congestion
management agencies
•
develop and utilize criteria that give priority in the selection of projects to the
sponsors of eligible projects that partner with, or commit to employ the
services of, a community conservation corps or the California Conservation
Corps to construct or undertake the project.
SB 286
•
Authorizes the state transportation department, regional transportation
planning agencies, county transportation commissions or authorities, or
congestion management agencies to enter into cooperative
agreements, grant agreements, or procurement contracts with
community conservation corps pursuant to the simplified contract
requirements authorized by Section 18.36(j) of Title 49 of the Code of
Federal Regulations in order to enable community conservation corps to
utilize transportation enhancement alternatives project funds.
•
Requires the state transportation commission, when developing
guidelines for the state transportation improvement program and the
state highway operations and protection program to include guidance to
encourage the allocation of funds for transportation enhancement
alternatives projects to qualified community conservation corps and the
California Conservation Corps as partners with applicants that commit
to employ the services of corps members in the construction of those
projects.
SB 286
Applies to:
– Bicycle improvements
– Pedestrian improvements
– Transportation Enhancement
Activities: sidewalk repair, sign
installation, irrigation,
landscaping, tree planting,
median maintenance, 3-year
plant establishment . . .
Find full text here:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov
KEY STATISTICS
Funding & Project Applications
• Total Funding to California: about $72-$75
million per year
• Number of transportation enhancement/
alternative project applications reviewed by CCC
since 2008: 500
• Number of projects started/completed by CCC
since 2008: 16
KEY STATISTICS
Project Applications 2008-2013
YEAR
YES, CCC CAN/WILL DO
NO, CCC CAN’T DO or DEFERS
to LOCAL CORPS
2008/09
20
33
2009/10
61
57
2010/11
68
107
2011/12
24
58
2012/13 so far
31
41
TOTAL
204
296*
* about 50 deferred to local corps and remainder beyond CCC capacity
PROJECTS
are big and small
PROJECT APPLICATIONS
Examples of Projects Declined by CCC
TRANSPORTATION
AGENCY
NAME of PROJECT
TYPE of WORK
City of Sunnyvale
Downtown Enhancements
Design & construct 6 large gateway
monuments
City of San
Francisco
Laurel Street
Enhancements
Install lighting that accentuates
historic pedestrian bridge
Sacramento City
College
Pedestrian Bridge
Construct a long bicycle/pedestrian
bridge over former railyard.
CalTrans
Statewide Pedestrian &
Bicycle Plan
Statewide Planning Grant including
strategies to achieve pedestrian
and bicycle safety goals
CalTrans
Highway Bridge
Highway Bridge Construction
PROJECTS
Completed and Ongoing
CCC
FIELD UNIT
TRANSPORTATION
AGENCY
STATUS
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION
FUNDING
FUNDING
FUNDING
TOTAL
LABOR
EQUIPMENT
& SUPPLIES
Sacramento
Cal Trans
Ongoing
April 2010
Hwy I-5 from Hwy 50 to Yolo
County line : Revegetation. Plant
7000 trees and shrubs. Water
trees /shrubs for 3 years.
$750,000
$320,000
$430,000
Inland
Empire
Cal Trans
Ongoing
June 2010
Site preparation, installing
landscaping, including trees,
mulch, seed, irrigation
materials, inert ground cover,
compost, rodent control
devices, perform plant
establishments on both sides
of freeway.
$5.050
million
$2.759
million
$2.291
million
Stockton
Caltrans
Ongoing
Feb 2011
Plant, tube, mulch, water
estimated 1,200 Oak trees, soil
amendments added, wood
chips around each tree. Plant
establishment: watering for 3
years.
$845,000
$713,466
$131,534
PROJECTS
Completed and Ongoing
CCC
FIELD UNIT
Monterey
Bay Center
TRANSPORTATION
AGENCY
STATUS
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION
FUNDING
FUNDING
FUNDING
TOTAL
LABOR
EQUIPMENT
& SUPPLIES
City of
Campbell
Done
June 2012
Planting plants in newly designed
median. Install 1 and 5 gallon
plants, mulching entire area.
$10,584
$8,071
$2,513
City of Half
Moon Bay
Done
Dec 2010
Crews will work Hwy 1 and Hwy 92
planting 1 and 5 gallon trees and
shrubs in the city medians.
$14,040
$14,040
0
City of San
Bruno
Ongoing
April 2012
Crews will be planting trees and
plants in the medians on El
Camino. Spreading mulch in
medians.
$109,000
$104,000
$5,000
County of
Santa Cruz
Ongoing
Oct 2012
Planting various plants off Buena
Vista Road, spreading seed and
mulch as well as straw. Remove
non-native invasive plants.
$22,524
$22,524
0
PROJECTS
Completed and Ongoing
CCC
FIELD UNIT
TRANSPORTATION
AGENCY
STATUS
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION
FUNDING
FUNDING
FUNDING
TOTAL
LABOR
EQUIPMENT
& SUPPLIES
Pomona &
Los Angeles
Caltrans
Ongoing
Dec 2011
Remove Arundo, plant native
plants and mulch across burn areas
along Carbon Canyon. Three years
of water to include plant
establishment.
$450,000
$347,000
$103,000
Los Padres
Caltrans
Done
June 2012
Install wildlife fencing (8ft high)
and jump-outs along both sides of
Hwy 101.
$594,076
$288,776
$305,300
Camarillo
City of
Ventura
Done
June 2012
Install different size cobble size
rock to make a cobble rock field
and a sand walk way around the
field.
$2,533
$2,533
0
City of Santa
Paula
Done
June 2012
Crew will spread organic mulch
through planting area.
$14,340
$14,340
0
LESSONS LEARNED
• Substantial possibilities for corps in transportation
• Get yourself an SB 286
• Educate state, regional, and local transportation agencies (get a list of
agencies from your state transportation office)
– Lay out how to contract with corps - ease of contracting a strong selling point
– Describe accurately what corps can do related to different types of
transportation alternative projects
• Contractor’s License will likely be needed
• Seek to contract directly with the transportation agency and not as a sub
to a contractor
• Commit only to projects or parts of projects within your corps’ capacity;
don’t over-commit
• Agencies unfamiliar with your corps will want performance-based and not
hourly-based contracts - bid wisely
• Some projects require purchasing and handling a lot of materials and
supplies
APPLICATION
PROCESS