Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
JULY 18, 2018
Subject
SUBJECT: LOS ANGELES UNION STATION FORECOURT
AND ESPLANADE IMPROVEMENTS
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
APPROVE an Addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) Forecourt and Esplanade Improvements (Attachment A).
Issue
ISSUE
The Metro Board of Directors certified the LAUS Forecourt and Esplanade Improvements (Project) Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) on March 1, 2018. Since then, staff has initiated design, stakeholder engagement and interagency coordination with the City of Los Angeles. The project team has identified project-related clarifications and/or additions that are documented and evaluated in an Addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Report. As a result of the analysis undertaken in Addendum No. 1 to the EIR, the proposed refinements will not result in new or substantially more adverse impacts than those previously documented.
Background
BACKGROUND
The Project will reconfigure the public right-of-way in front of Union Station and the LAUS forecourt to expand pedestrian and bike facilities on Alameda and Los Angeles Street and create a civic plaza in front of the station (Attachment B, Project Map). Staff has secured approximately $20M in grant and matching funds (Attachment C, Funding Table) to design and implement all of the Project improvements with the exception of construction funds for the forecourt.
The Project elements include:
• Alameda Esplanade: Roadway configuration on Alameda Street between Arcadia Street and Cesar E. Chavez Avenue to narrow the roadway and widen pedestrian and bicyclist facilities.
• Los Angeles Crossing: Consolidated raised intersectional crossing at Alameda and Los Angeles Street, closure of a portion of Los Angeles Street north of the raised median (while maintaining two-way travel on Los Angeles Street in the portion south of the median) and closure of the northern LAUS driveway and a two-way bike path within the extended El Pueblo Plaza.
• LAUS Forecourt: Repurposing the existing surface parking lot as a new civic plaza with sustainable features.
• Arcadia Street: Repurposing the northern travel lane as a dedicated El Pueblo Plaza tour bus parking zone.
DISCUSSION
The Addendum to the Final EIR provides clarifications and analysis on: the need to advance geotechnical and utility investigations to an earlier stage in order to inform the design phase; an increased depth of excavation from 15 feet to 20 feet; and clarification on transit improvements, such as a potential consolidation of bus stops that are within 500 feet from each other on Alameda Street. This information is important to ensure that the design is comprehensively informed by existing conditions and constraints.
The analysis undertaken in Addendum No. 1 finds that these proposed refinements will not result in new or substantially more adverse impacts than those previously documented.
Stakeholder Engagement
Eblasts were sent out on July 3, 2018 notifying stakeholders of the preparation of the Addendum and of the Board meeting dates. Additionally, staff notified El Pueblo de Los Angeles management, Metropolitan Water District, First 5LA, and Mozaic at Union Station Apartments of this action and will coordinate in advance of initiating the investigations.
Staff will coordinate geotechnical investigations and utility assessments with the City of Los Angeles, Metro Service Planning, and other transit agencies. Metro Community Relations will develop and implement a public outreach plan to notify stakeholders and the public in advance of performing geotechnical and utility assessments. Briefings will be held with adjacent stakeholders and the Westside/Central Service Council to explain timing, process and anticipated construction, service and traffic impacts.
Additionally, stakeholders will continue to be engaged as the project progresses through workshops, focus group meetings, and pop-up events.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The Addendum includes clarifications to the Final EIR that will allow for the project design to advance better informed by existing conditions. The Project will create safer connections for Metro transit patrons, including transit connections as well as connections to the surrounding neighborhood destinations and job centers.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The cost of preparing the Addendum was covered in the FY18 budget.
Impact to Budget
The actions contained herein provide clarifications of work that was already anticipated in the Certified Final EIR. Project design and construction is funded with General Fund and ATP grant funds. General Fund revenues are eligible for bus/rail operating and capital expenses.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may consider not allowing the Addendum to the Final EIR. This is not recommended.
The revisions, additions, and clarifications included in this Addendum will ensure that the Project’s design is informed by existing conditions and constraints, provides staff with greater flexibility to advance design and respond to feedback from stakeholders, including the City of Los Angeles.
In particular, advancing design without this critical information could result in design that may need to be revised, via a change order, after the construction contractor is on board. Change orders are costly and cause delays. The Addendum will allow for the appropriate level of clarification that will allow for the studies to move forward in the near-term.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval, staff will continue to engage stakeholders on design and will coordinate with the City of Los Angeles and stakeholders on the appropriate processes to advance geotechnical and utility assessments in the public right of way.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Addendum (hyperlink <http://media.metro.net/about_us/union_station/addendum_LAUS_FEIR_07_2018.pdf>)
Attachment B - Project Map
Attachment C - Project Funding
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Elizabeth Carvajal, Senior Director, Transit Oriented Communities, (213) 922-3084
Jenna Hornstock, Executive Officer, Transit Oriented Communities, (213) 922-7437
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Therese W. McMillan, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-7077
