Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 15, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: EASTSIDE TRANSIT CORRIDOR PHASE 2 PROJECT
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to execute Modification No. 26 to Contract No. PS4320-2003 with CDM Smith/AECOM Technical Services, Inc., a Joint Venture (JV), to continue environmental studies and outreach support services for the Initial Operating Segment (IOS) for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project, in the amount of $1,499,399 increasing the total contract value from $32,333,784 to $33,833,183, and extending the period of performance from December 31, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
Issue
ISSUE
The Board had previously directed staff to reinitiate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for the IOS for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project to pursue federal funding. Staff is seeking Board approval for a modification to the current environmental study and outreach support contract for two primary reasons: 1) to ensure the completion of the NEPA document by Spring 2026, and 2) to continue stakeholder and community engagement for the NEPA process for the IOS.
Background
BACKGROUND
At its May 2024 meeting, the Board approved the full 9-mile Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project (Project), with a 4.7-mile Initial Operating Segment (IOS) to Greenwood Station and a Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) in the City of Montebello, and certified the Final EIR under the CEQA of this Project. The Board’s certification of the Project’s final EIR and project approval in May 2024 represents Metro’s commitment to the complete buildout of the Project. The Project is a Measure R and Measure M project that is included in the 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 2020-2045 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS). The Measure M Ordinance identifies $3 billion (in 2015 dollars) in Measure M and other local, state, and federal funding for the Project. The Project will be constructed in two Phases, including Phase 2A (the IOS to the Montebello Greenwood Station) and Phase 2B (future E-Line Extension to Whittier).
Additionally, at its September 2024 meeting, the Board approved a 30% Preliminary Engineering (PE) design contract modification to continue engineering design for the IOS, focusing on complex design elements (such as tunnel, cut and cover stations, cross passages, transition structures, at-grade crossings, and a maintenance storage facility (MSF). The project entails designing and constructing grade-separated crossings over or under freight railroads in Commerce and Montebello, with Metro coordinating efforts and agreements with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR). The Metro project team has met regularly with corridor cities and utility companies on engineering design reviews and refinements, utility conflicts and adjustments, first-last mile planning, and permits for pre-construction surveys. In October 2024, the Board approved the First-Last Mile Plan for all 7 stations of this Project. In January 2025, the Board approved a Cooperative Agreement with Montebello for this Project. By Spring 2025, Metro had signed agreements with Commerce, Pico Rivera, and Whittier, and is working to finalize agreements with Los Angeles County and Santa Fe Springs by Fall 2025.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The Board’s approval of Contract Modification No. 26 is required for the existing contract to secure additional professional environmental and outreach support services for completion of the NEPA document for the IOS.
NEPA timeline
In Summer and Fall 2024, the Contractor assisted Metro with coordination with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the Project’s entry into the NEPA process.
In early 2025, the FTA began reviewing Metro’s request for an environmental Class of Action (COA) determination for the Project and recommended advancing to the NEPA process with an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Project’s IOS. An EA is a concise document assessing the significance of the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts of a federal action on a project. If an EA finds the action has no significant effect or impacts can be mitigated to a level below significance on the environment, it concludes with a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
In May 2025, the FTA determined that the Project requires an EA, which will need to be completed within one year from the decision to prepare the EA to its publication of a FONSI. Metro’s project team is actively working with the FTA to prepare the Draft EA document and technical studies. The Draft EA document is expected to be released for public comments in early 2026, followed by a 30-day comment period and public hearings. Metro will then work with the FTA to review comments and prepare responses, aiming to publish the Final EA document with a FONSI by Spring 2026.
Pre-Construction Survey Coordination
Metro has advanced pre-construction surveys to confirm exact locations of existing utilities, soil, and groundwater conditions to assist in the environmental studies and engineering design and to minimize construction risks. With technical assistance of the Contractor, CDM Smith/AECOM JV, Metro obtained FTA’s approval for two Categorical Exclusions (CEs) under NEPA, one for utility potholing in September 2024 and another for the soil sampling in July 2025. Metro’s project team has completed over 170 utility potholes in East LA, Montebello, and Commerce by Spring 2025. For soil sampling, the project team previously completed 52 borings in Pico Rivera, Whittier, and Santa Fe Springs in Spring 2024 and has started borings (total 106 borings combined) in East Los Angeles, Commerce, and Montebello in Summer 2025 and will continue through Fall 2025. With the help of the Contractor’s outreach subconsultant, approximately 6,000 flyers were distributed via door-to-door for the borings, and the notification areas included a 500 ft buffer around impacted locations. Digital notifications included: eblasts to project database users; inclusion in the Community Relations Regional newsletter; emails to local elected officials, corridor city staff, Gateway Cities Council of Government (GCCOG), municipal buses, emergency responders, and schools. It is important to note that preparing two CEs and conducting extensive outreach for the pre-construction surveys required more effort than originally anticipated in the previous contract modifications.
Post-Final EIR Outreach Summary
Between May 2024 and August 2025, Metro’s Project team, in collaboration with Metro Community Relations and the Contractor’s outreach subconsultant Arellano Associates, continued engagement both with Project key stakeholders and the community members, which included:
• 20 update meetings with elected officials as requested
• 70 meetings with corridor cities (including monthly design review meetings with IOS cities and LA County departments, briefings with the Washington Boulevard Light Rail Transit Coalition, etc.)
• 2 meetings with Gateway Cities Council of Government, including bi-monthly briefings with City Managers Technical Advisory Committee in April and August 2025.
• 45 meetings with utility companies (e.g., SoCal Edison, SoCal Gas, AT&T) and railroad companies (BNSF and UPRR).
• 25 meetings with Right-of-Way (ROW) property owners.
• 20 meetings with the FTA, including several joint meetings with other local, state, and federal stakeholders (such as United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), and non-profits representing cultural and historical resources such as LA Conservancy).
• 1 meeting with the 13 local Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) roundtable in December 2024 to brief them about the Project’s purpose and need and to discuss CBO engagement efforts throughout the NEPA process.
• 7 CBO pop-up events with the public in January 2025 (with a reach of approximately 884 participants) to notify the public of Metro’s process to reinitiate the NEPA process.
• 4 community meetings (including three in-person meetings and one virtual meeting) in January and February of 2025 (with 216 total attendees).
Further, Metro’s Project and outreach team engaged with key property owners identified in the Final EIR, primarily for the proposed IOS station staging areas and the maintenance storage facility (MSF) in Montebello. The purpose of these meetings was to provide Project updates and gather feedback from key property owners, aiming to optimize the Project’s footprint and right-of-way requirements for the proposed stations and MSF, while also minimizing construction risks and environmental impacts on the surrounding communities. Feedback and comments from key stakeholders and community meetings have been documented and integrated into the 30% PE design refinements for the IOS where feasible. These insights have also been included in the draft environmental technical studies that will be part of the draft NEPA document.
The post-FEIR outreach efforts mentioned above required more effort than originally anticipated in the previous contract modifications.
In addition, extensive outreach efforts will continue along the corridor to engage project stakeholders through various outreach methods during the NEPA phase and upcoming activities. The project team will continue collaborating with the local Community Based partners to discuss project milestones and enhance outreach methods.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Recommended Board Action to approve Contract Modification No. 26 will not affect the safety of Metro customers and/or employees. This Project is currently in the NEPA planning phase, and no construction or operational safety impacts are anticipated resulting from this Board Action.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The funds required in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 for Contract Modification No. 26 are included in the approved budget of approximately $4.54M under Cost Center 4310 (Mobility Corridors) Project number 460232 (Eastside Extension Phase 2). Since this Project is a multi-year environmental planning process, the Cost Center Manager and Chief Planning Officer will be responsible for budgeting in future years.
Impact to Budget
The source of funds for the recommended Board Action comes from Measure R 35% Transit Capital fund, Measure M 35% Transit Construction fund, as well as state grant funds that have been awarded to the Project. These funds are not eligible for bus or rail operating expenses.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Board’s approval for the Contract Modification No. 26 is consistent with the goals and objectives outlined in the Metro Equity Platform Framework that identified that the Project traverses through Equity Focus Communities (EFCs) along the eastern portion of Los Angeles County. The full project alignment traverses six Equity-Focused Communities (EFC), which are in the Cities of Montebello, Commerce, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, Whittier, and unincorporated communities of East Los Angeles and West-Whittier Los Nietos. There are 2,281 transit-dependent households along the project alignment and 1,828 transit-dependent households along the IOS. This Project will benefit these EFCs and other communities along the eastern portion of Los Angeles County by providing access to a reliable light rail system and filling a current gap in high-quality transit services. When the eventual build-out of the project occurs, communities along the corridor will have access to the Metro regional network providing residents with critical transit service to access greater employment, health, and educational opportunities that include, but are not limited to, Whittier College, East Los Angeles College, Citadel Outlets, Historic Whittier Boulevard retail, and Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital.
CDM Smith/AECOM Technical Services, Inc., a Joint Venture, made a 17.50% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) commitment on this contract. However, the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) that makes changes to the DBE Program, including suspension of goals and enforcement, effective October 3, 2025. Metro is currently reviewing the IFR to identify necessary program and procedural changes to ensure full compliance.
As such, while the DBE commitment is not a factor in the staff recommendation, there are 10 Metro certified small businesses participating in this contract. This is noteworthy since small businesses are vital for the economy as they drive job creation, foster innovation, and strengthen local communities.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
VMT was analyzed for this item through the VMT analysis completed for the Eastside Phase 2 Project Final EIR. The analysis identified a reduction in VMT due to the implementation of the project compared to conditions without the project, which demonstrates a benefit from the project and a less than significant impact from an environmental standpoint. Specifically, the VMT analysis in the Final EIR identified a reduction in daily regional VMT of approximately 8,000 miles compared to the Horizon Year (2042) No Build Alternative conditions.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The Project supports the following strategic plan goals identified in Vision 2028:
• Goal 1: Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling.
• Goal 3: Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity and.
• Goal 5: Provide responsive, accountable, and trustworthy governance within the Metro organization.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may choose not to approve the recommendation; however, doing so may hinder Metro’s delivery of this Measure M project according to the timeline outlined in the Expenditure Plan.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval, staff will execute Modification No. 26 to Contract No. PS4320-2003 with CDM Smith/AECOM Technical Services, Inc., a Joint Venture, to continue environmental studies and outreach support services for the IOS for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project and extend the period of performance from December 31, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Staff will return to the Board to report on the outcome of the NEPA process in the Spring or Summer of 2026.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Procurement Summary
Attachment B - Contract Modification/Change Order Log
Attachment C - DEOD Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Maressa Sah, Manager, Transportation Planning (213) 922-2462
Jill Liu, Senior Director, Countywide Planning & Development (213) 922-7220
Dolores Roybal Saltarelli, Deputy Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-3024
David Mieger, Senior Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-3040
Nicole Ferrara, Deputy Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4322
Carolina Coppolo, Deputy Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 922-4471
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Ray Sosa, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4274
