Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
APRIL 20, 2022
Subject
SUBJECT: 2023 FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
ADOPT the resolution for the 2023 Los Angeles County Transportation Improvement Program as shown in Attachment A.
Issue
ISSUE
As the designated County Transportation Commission for Los Angeles County, Metro is required to submit a resolution to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) certifying that Los Angeles County has the resources to fund and is committed to implement the projects to be included in the 2023 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) covering Federal Fiscal Years (FFY) 2022/23 - 2027/28. Inclusion of projects in the FTIP is required for the allocation of federal funds, and of state and regional funds (as applicable), as well as for specific federal actions (including federal environmental clearance).
Background
BACKGROUND
SCAG, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the six-county region that includes Los Angeles County, is required under federal and state law to develop the FTIP - a six-year document that lists projects to be funded with federal, state, and regional funds. The FTIP is required to advance the planning and construction of projects included in SCAG’s Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS). This outcome is achieved through the systematic programming of funds for the projects included in the RTP/SCS in accordance with federal, state and regional requirements, including the timely implementation of projects that help reduce air pollution.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Projects from each of SCAG’s six counties are included in their respective Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and then submitted to SCAG for inclusion in the FTIP. To comply with both state and federal requirements, the FTIP is updated every two years in California and covers six FFYs. SCAG’s 2021 FTIP, which programs funds covering FFY 2020/21 - 2025/26 was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on April 16, 2021.
As the MPO, SCAG serves as the regional forum for cooperative decision making by local governments and one of its primary responsibilities is the fulfillment of the RTP/SCS and FTIP. The RTP/SCS is a long-range visioning plan that affirms SCAG’s commitment to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion through the adoption of its Racial Equity Early Action Plan.
SCAG is scheduled to adopt the 2023 FTIP in September 2022. A joint air quality conformity determination from the FHWA and the FTA is required for the approval of SCAG’s 2023 FTIP, which is anticipated in December 2022. The 2023 Los Angeles County TIP includes about 900 projects valued at approximately $23 billion for about 100 agencies. The deadline for Metro to submit the LA County TIP and Board Resolution to SCAG is April 30, 2022.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Adoption of the resolution will have no direct impact on the safety of Metro customers or employees. The Los Angeles County TIP will allow Metro and other project sponsors to program and receive funding and the timely realization of the projects’ anticipated safety benefits.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of the resolution will allow Metro to program and secure federal, state, and regional funds for projects in Los Angeles County.
Impact to Budget
Adoption of the resolution has no impact on the FY 2022 Budget.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The 2023 FTIP enables the programming of federal, state, and regional funds that support the planning and implementation of various transportation projects covering the Los Angeles region, including 88 agencies and the County of Los Angeles. Each agency independently coordinates and undertakes community engagement processes specific to the types of transportation improvements as it seeks to develop equitable and responsive planning. Agencies lead and prioritize all elements of proposed transportation improvements including environment review, procurement, community outreach, design, and construction.
In addition, in its adoption of the 2023 FTIP, SCAG ensures that agencies are guided by the framework of its Racial Equity Early Action Plan, which sustains SCAG’s regional leadership in service of equity and social justice over the years to come. Specifically, RTP/SCS 2024 proposed definitions for Equity Analysis Population and Areas currently align with Metro’s Equity Focus Communities definition, including geographic concentration of people of color, low-income households, and zero-vehicle households. As a result, projects in the FTIP, through its six-year cycle, are committed to meeting this framework when engaging in the planning, design, or construction processes.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Approval of this item advances the achievement of all five goals of the Vision 2028 Strategic Plan.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could elect not to adopt the resolution shown in Attachment A. Staff do not recommend this alternative. By not adopting the resolution, the Los Angeles County TIP will not be included in SCAG’s 2023 FTIP. Therefore, Metro and other agencies in Los Angeles County will not be able to program and receive federal, state, and regional funding allocations for their projects. This lack of action may jeopardize the timely implementation of projects in Los Angeles County that have funds programmed through FFY 2027/28. It may also result in the loss of funding allocations due to federal and state lapsing and/or project inactivity policies, as well as in the ineligibility for future funding allocations.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
With Board approval of our recommendation, staff will submit the resolution to SCAG by the April 30, 2022, deadline.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Resolution for the 2023 Los Angeles County TIP
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Nancy Marroquin, Sr. Manager, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3086
Michael Richmai, Sr. Manager, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-2558
Ashad Hamideh, Interim Deputy Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-5539
Michael Cano, Interim Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3010
Laurie Lombardi, Senior Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3251
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: James de la Loza, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-2920
