County adjusts funding for Dye Road, Ramona Street, and San Vicente Road

By JOE NAIMAN

The county’s annual update to TransNet funding for local streets and roads includes Dye Road extension, San Vicente Road widening and alignment, and Ramona Street extension.

County Board of Supervisors adopted the amendments Jan. 25. Although total TransNet funding was unchanged, the supervisors adjusted amounts for fiscal years 2010-11 and 2011-12. TransNet funding designated for the Dye Road extension is $1.9 million for Ramona Street extension is $3.8 million and for the San Vicente Road project is $26.5 million.

San Diego County voters approved the TransNet half-cent sales tax in November 1987, and voters approved a 40-year extension of the original program in November 2004.

The regional San Diego Association of Governments administers the TransNet program. While local jurisdictions have discretion over their proportional share of the one-third of the revenue for local streets and roads, the jurisdictions must submit a program of projects to the regional agency.

The County of San Diego receives approximately $12 million annually for local streets and roads. Periodic amendments cover changing requirements as well as increased construction and right-of-way costs. The money expected to be spent through Fiscal Year 2014-15 is in future year dollars.

Dye Road will be extended between Ramona Street and San Vicente Road. The 2010-11 funding was adjusted from $478,000 to $198,003 while the 2011-12 earmark was amended from $179,000 to $458,967. The most recent amendments did not change the $106,000 for 2012-13, $572,000 during 2013-14, and $560,000 in 2014-15.

Phase I of the San Vicente Road project will widen the road and realign short horizontal curves from the street’s intersection with Warnock Drive to 1,000 feet east of Wildcat Canyon Road. Phase II covers 5,000 feet on the south side of San Vicente Road, just east of Wildcat Canyon Road. Both phases will include intermittent turn lanes and bicycle lanes on each side.

The San Vicente Road budget includes a larger than normal contingency due to the rocky terrain. The Jan. 25 amendments change the 2010-11 programmed amount from $1.4 million to $721,362 and the 2011-12 figure from $618,000 to $1.3 million. The project budget calls for $4 million in 2012-13, $12.5 million in 2013-14, and $7.9 million in 2014-15.

The Ramona Street extension will pave a connection between Warnock Drive and Boundary Avenue and will have two travel lanes, turn lanes, bicycle lanes, and pathways. The 2010-11 programmed amount decreased from $240,000 to $122,955 to correspond with a 2011-12 increase from $3 million to $3.2 million. The $530,000 budgeted for 2012-13 was not adjusted.