Meeting_Body
CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE
JANUARY 15, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: CALTRANS QUARTERLY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS UPDATE
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE ORAL REPORT
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE the quarterly oral report on the status of the Caltrans construction projects.
Issue
ISSUE
Caltrans is a Metro funding partner and the lead agency on a few highway projects that are under construction in Los Angeles County. These projects include, but are not limited to, safety, mobility and operational improvements on freeways and state highways that are Measure M-funded.
At the request of Directors Horvath and Hahn, this report includes an update on the status of the Pacific Coast Highway Safety Enhancement Project and the I-105 at Studebaker Safety Enhancement Project, respectively.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Projects administered by Caltrans have federal aid and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) commitment goals based on the contract bid amount for federal aid projects.
The I-405 Crenshaw Auxiliary Lane Project’s DBE goal of 14% has been achieved. The I-405 Crenshaw Auxiliary Lane Project has been open to traffic for some time, only plant establishment construction activities remain.
The SR-71 South Segment Project did not have federal participation, so a DBE goal was not required, however, the Contractor achieved 0.45% in DBE participation. The SR-71 South Segment Project is under construction and expected to be completed and open to traffic by October 2025.
The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Safety Enhancement Project and the I-105 at Studebaker Safety Enhancement Project were emergency contracts administered by Caltrans to address unsafe conditions. The proposed safety and operational improvements for PCH Safety Enhancement Project are intended to reduce speeds and collision rates along the corridor, enhance safety through increased surveillance, and provide better and safer access for those who choose to walk, roll, cycle or drive.
The I-105 at Studebaker Safety Enhancement Project in Norwalk is located within equity focused communities and the SR71 South Segment Project is in Pomona which is reported to be a disadvantaged community. Both cities have communities that stand to benefit from the proposed improvements that address operational deficiencies and unsafe conditions.
As the lead agency, Caltrans is responsible for all the project development phases including procurement, environmental process, outreach, final design, and construction. Caltrans, in coordination with the local jurisdictions, determined community engagement processes specific to the type of transportation improvement. This coordination is aligned with the Caltrans Race & Equity Action Plan to address systemic racial inequities that exist within the transportation sector.
Throughout the construction phase for the projects noted, outreach efforts consisted of sending press releases to cities, communities, elected officials, and multiple media outlets (talk radio, cable news) and social media platforms (X/Twitter, Instagram) that cover Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Specific notices regarding construction work and/or detours were made available in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, etc.,) based on the affected communities. In addition, Caltrans uses fixed and portable changeable message signs to report lane, ramp and/or local road closures; and QuikMap, a digital application, to provide real-time traffic information (including road closures) for motorists traversing to and through project areas impacted by construction activities. Caltrans also provides updates that are posted on the Caltrans and Metro websites about active construction sites. Every effort is made to avoid, minimize, and/or mitigate construction impacts to communities by providing advance notices to the public when there are freeway and/or ramp lane closures for construction work and/or planned detours. Any unintended equity impacts that may arise will be responded to on a case-by-case basis by the appropriate project partners.
Prepared_By
Prepared by: John Yang, Deputy District Director, Caltrans District 7, (213) 761-3255
Michelle E. Smith, Executive Officer, Complete Streets & Highways,
(213) 547-4368
Avital Barnea, Senior Executive Officer, Multimodal Integrated Planning,
(213) 547-4317
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Ray Sosa, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4274
