Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
APRIL 19, 2017
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: WEST SANTA ANA BRANCH TRANSIT CORRIDOR
ACTION: INITIATE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. APPROVE Project Definition for Environmental Scoping including four Northern Alignment Options; and
B. RECEIVE AND FILE the West Santa Ana Branch (WSAB) Transit Corridor Northern Alignment Options Screening Report.
Issue
ISSUE
In February 2013, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) approved the WSAB Alternative Analysis (AA) Study for the 34-mile corridor from the Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) to the City of Santa Ana in Orange County. The Los Angeles County portion of the corridor extends 20 miles from the LAUS to the City of Artesia. The AA Study recommended Light Rail Transit (LRT) alignment as the preferred transit mode. The AA Study also recommended two northern alignment alternatives for further consideration: 1) West Bank 3 along the west bank of the Los Angeles (LA) River, and 2) East Bank along east bank of the LA River.
Based upon the West Bank 3 alternative, four new northern alignment options were identified as part of the Technical Refinement Study (TRS) that was completed and received by the Metro Board in September 2015. Prior to initiation of the Environmental Scoping, a screening evaluation was conducted to further refine the recommendations from the TRS and recommended four highest performing northern alignment options be carried into Environmental Scoping. Subsequently, the Northern Alignment Options Screening Report has been finalized. Attachment A contains the Executive Summary. The full report can be accessed at www.metro.net/wsab.
In addition to the four northern alignment options, the TRS also focused on the following key challenges identified by the SCAG AA Study: 1) Southern Terminus, 2) New Green Line Station; 3) Huntington Park Alignment & St...
Click here for full text