Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
JULY 19, 2023
Subject
SUBJECT: LONG BEACH-EAST LA CORRIDOR MOBILITY INVESTMENT PLAN
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to execute Modification No. 31 to Contract No. PS4340-1939, for the I-710 South Corridor Project EIR/EIS, with URS Corporation (an AECOM Entity) to fund the Long Beach-East LA (LB-ELA) Corridor Task Force (Task Force) effort in the not-to-exceed (NTE) amount of $3,857,895, increasing the total contract value from $64,924,460 to $68,782,355 and extend the term of the agreement through March 31, 2024.
Issue
ISSUE
Funding in the amount of $3,857,895 is needed for additional scope and an increase in the level of effort necessary to complete the Task Force process and create the Long Beach-East LA Corridor Investment Plan (Investment Plan) and Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan (CMCP). The Vision, Goals, and Guiding Principles-which are fundamental to the development of the Investment Plan-required additional deliberation among the Task Force and the various committees that inform it, resulting in an increased level of effort from the Project Team.
Background
BACKGROUND
Metro commissioned the Task Force in partnership with Caltrans in response to the Board actions in May 2021 (Attachment A) that suspended all work related to the original I-710 South Corridor Project EIR/EIS, including advancing “Early Action Projects” and the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) 5C that included a form of an I-710 South Corridor Clean Truck Program as a programmatic element as prescribed within the overall environmental document.
Since the Task Force commenced in September 2021, Metro has convened and worked with impacted communities and stakeholders in a collaborative, equity-focused manner to develop a multimodal, community-supportive, and regionally significant Investment Plan. The Investment Plan seeks to enhance local and regional mobility of people and goods, improve air quality, and foster economic vitality, social equity, environmental sustainability, and access to opportunity for the most impacted residents within the I-710 South Corridor. The Board acted in May 2022 (File #2022-0100, Attachment B) to replace LPA 5C with LPA 1, the “No Build” alternative, thus allowing the new Investment Plan developed by the Task Force and to be considered by the Board in February 2024 to be the new direction forward for the LB-ELA Corridor.
Metro intends to center equity in current and future decision-making, budget allocation, and community engagement activities to develop the Investment Plan. The Task Force process incorporates new engagement elements, such as the Community Leadership Committee (CLC), and implementation of Metro’s equity tools, including a 710 (LB-ELA) Corridor Equity Focus Communities (EFC) analysis and a working group to implement the Equity Planning and Evaluation Tool (EPET), to support equitable outcomes. Staff has also implemented a Community Based Organization (CBO) Partnering Strategy with CBOs that are based in and work with the communities within the LB-ELA Corridor - the goal of which is to engage these communities to gather input and identify multi-modal strategies, projects, and programs that are needs and priorities for these impacted communities.
The Task Force meets monthly and will hold its 23rd meeting on August 14, 2023. All Task Force meeting notices, documents, and recordings (in English, Spanish, Khmer, and Tagalog) can be found on the project website (https://www.metro.net/projects/lb-ela-corridor-plan/). In June 2023, the Board Received and Filed a detailed update on Task Force progress made to date, which includes completion of the third phase - Developing Multimodal Strategies and identifying Projects and Programs - for which the Task Force voted in May 2023 to approve the Evaluation Framework by which these projects and programs will be refined and prioritized for the Draft Investment Plan.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Provided below is a summary of the work plan by element for the requested contract modification to (#1) support the Task Force and complete the Investment Plan, (#2) develop a CMCP, and (#3) create an online Dashboard Visualization Tool.
Work Element #1 -Task Force Organization/Development & Completion of the Investment Plan
This element includes developing and executing an engagement plan, which outlines the purpose and sequence of the Task Force process. The Project Team is also developing a comprehensive community engagement plan and a timeline that overlaps with the technical analysis that supports the Investment Plan process. In addition to the Task Force, there are subgroups comprised of a wide variety of representation, such as public representatives, private sector, community members who live near the I-710 freeway, and amongst other members of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) that provide feedback and recommendations to the Task Force members. The following sub-groups are currently active:
• Community Leadership Committee
• Coordinating Committee
• Zero Emission Truck Working Group
• Equity Working Group
The Task Force and its subgroups meets monthly, requiring a great deal of coordination and preparation from Metro staff and its consultant team. The public engagement process entails numerous logistics; some of the items include: reaching out to individual stakeholders, creating meeting notification materials (e-blasts, website, blog and social media content), putting together an extensive database of stakeholders, preparing meeting materials, providing experienced facilitators for such meetings, using a variety of online and in-person media support to reach out to a broad base of community stakeholders, providing interpreters at meetings, and translating meeting material in other languages.
The Task Force developed the overall Vision Statement, Guiding Principles and Goals for the I-710 South Corridor and is currently working on developing a draft Investment Plan, including implementation and legislative strategies to report to the Metro Board in November 2023. Once the Investment Plan is developed, these projects and programs can be advanced independently with separate environmental documents as part of the overall implementation plan. The development of the Investment Plan requires significant technical resources, including the development of a database of proposed performance measures that will provide the technical basis for illustrating existing and future conditions within the I-710 Corridor.
The Project Team is currently working on planning-level analysis for the draft Investment Plan. Having recently completed the evaluation criteria, the next focus is developing travel demand forecasting of the mobility benefits associated with the Investment Plan, a quantitative analysis of air quality and public health impacts, the cost and schedule associated with the Investment Plan, analysis of the potential funding sources, and an evaluation of the cumulative findings that will form the Investment Plan and recommendations. The technical feasibility of projects and programs in the Investment Plan will also be evaluated. Parallel to the development of the Investment Plan, Metro’s suite of equity tools and resources will serve as input in key junctures in the Task Force process including vision and goals, multimodal strategies, project and program refinements, and recommendations for the Investment Plan.
Work Element #2 - CMCP
The purpose of the CMCP is to allow projects identified as priorities by the Investment Plan to compete for $500 million in state Senate Bill 1 funding awarded biennially through the Solutions for Congested Corridors Program (SCCP) administered by the California Transportation Commission (CTC). The CTC developed the CMCP guidelines to provide guidance to eligible program applicants regarding the statutory requirements for CMCPs. Metro will comply with the CMCP guidelines requirements to produce a qualifying plan based upon the Investment Plan process. Any SCCP funds awarded would leverage the local funding that will be committed to the Investment Plan. The CMCP will be developed concurrent with the Investment Plan and brought to the Board for consideration by March 2024.
Work Element #3- Dashboard Visualization Tool
The primary objective for this task is to develop a web-based, public-facing application to provide visually evaluative information about the multimodal transportation projects and programs that will compose the Investment Plan. The application will be designed with a user-centric approach, focusing on providing easy navigation and clear visual information for the Investment Plan. It is anticipated that the web-based application will be interactive in displaying project information (i.e., project location, description, evaluation metrics, etc.) using elements such as maps, pop-ups, and charts. The goal of this tool is to facilitate collaboration and engagement with all stakeholders of the LB-ELA Corridor and improve transparency and understanding regarding the proposed transportation improvements.
Budget Breakdown for Contract Modification by Task
Below is a breakdown of the projected costs, by task, for the work elements described above in more detail:
|
Contract Modification Task Breakdown |
Budget |
|
Project Management |
$203,832 |
|
Task Force Organization, Support and Community Engagement |
$2,151,101 |
|
Completion of the Investment Plan |
$844,990 |
|
CMCP (New Task) |
$350,000 |
|
Dashboard Visualization Tool (New Task) |
$307,972 |
|
Total |
$3,857,895 |
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Performance of the proposed contract modification will have no negative impact on the safety of Metro’s patrons or employees. The ultimate Investment Plan developed by the Task Force will include Safety as a goal that will help guide the creation of a safer, more community-supportive approach to moving people through the LB-ELA Corridor and its communities.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The amount of $3,857,895 is included in the FY24 Adopted budget under the I-710 South Early Action Project 460316, Account 50316 (Services Professional/Technical), Task 14.01.
Since this is a multi-year project, the Project Manager, the Cost Center Manager, the Senior Executive Officer for Countywide Planning and Development-Multimodal Integrated Planning, and the Chief Planning Officer will continue to be responsible for budgeting any remaining costs in future fiscal years.
Impact to Budget
The source of funds for this project will be Measure R Highway Capital (20%) Funds from the I-710 South and/or Early Action Projects. This fund source is not eligible for Bus and Rail Operations or Capital Expenditures.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Approving the execution of the contract modification will support the potential benefits of the proposed Investment Plan.
Metro is working to center equity in current and future decision-making, budget allocation, and community engagement activities to develop the LB-ELA Corridor Investment Plan. Approval of the URS Corporation (an AECOM Entity)contract modification will allow staff to complete the Investment Plan as previously directed by the Metro Board in June 2021 and will allow for a continued robust community-driven planning study that will be a blueprint for the types of projects and programs that will be implemented in the LB-ELA Corridor. Through this contract modification, the Project Team will increase engagement efforts through the completion of the Investment Plan, including office hours, lunch and learns, and hybrid meetings. Key roles for DBE team members have been included for this additional work, at approximately 5.3% DBE and 40.6% SBE, for a total of 45.9% of the modification value, which will ensure that the overall SBE/DBE commitment (9.56%) is met.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Collaboration among the LB-ELA Corridor communities, Caltrans District 7, the Gateway Cities COG, and stakeholders through LB-ELA Corridor Task Force meetings and its attendant committees and public outreach forums will lead to the development of the multimodal, multiyear Investment Plan. The process and the outcome of the Task Force will help implement three key Metro Vision 2028 Strategic Plan Goals:
Goal 1: Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling.
Goal3: Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity.
Goal 4: Transform LA County through regional collaboration and national leadership.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may elect not to approve the Contract Modification. This option is not recommended. Completing the Task Force process is a necessary step in the development and implementation of the improvements described in Measure R and Measure M for the LB-ELA Corridor.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will work with the Task Force to develop the LB-ELA Corridor Draft Investment Plan and will present this draft to the Board during the November/December 2023 board cycle and execute the Contract Modification with URS Corporation (an AECOM entity).
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - May 2021 Board Motions
Attachment B - May 2022 Board Motion
Attachment C - Procurement Summary
Attachment D - Contract Modification/Change Order Log
Attachment E - DEOD Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Lucy Delgadillo, Senior Manager, (213) 922-7099
Michael Cano, Executive Officer, (213) 418-3010
Avital Barnea, Senior Executive Officer, (213) 547-4317
Debra Avila, Deputy Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 418-3051
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: James de la Loza, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-2920
