Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
MAY 14, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: MEASURE M MULTI-YEAR SUBREGIONAL PROGRAM UPDATE - WESTSIDE CITIES SUBREGION
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. APPROVING programming of $2,709,031 within the capacity of Measure M Multi-Year Subregional Program (MSP) - Subregional Equity Program (Expenditure Line 68), as shown in Attachment A; and
B. AUTHORIZING the CEO or their designee to negotiate and execute all necessary agreements and/or amendments for approved projects.
Issue
ISSUE
Measure M MSP funding is included in the Measure M Expenditure Plan, which is an attachment to the Measure M Ordinance. All MSP funds are limited to capital projects. This update approves new eligible projects for Subregional Equity Program (SEP) funding allocations for the Westside Cities Subregion. Funds are programmed through Fiscal Year (FY) 2027-28. The Board’s approval is required to update the project list (Attachment A), which serves as the basis for Metro entering into agreements and/or amendments with the respective implementing agencies.
Background
BACKGROUND
Based on the amount provided in the Measure M Expenditure Plan, a total amount of $60.74 million was forecasted to be available for programming for the Westside Cities Subregion from FY 2017-18 to FY 2027-28. In prior actions, the Board approved programming of $46.9 million in support of 17 projects for the Subregion’s MSP Five-Year Plan, programming funds in the Active Transportation 1st/Last Mile Connections Program (Expenditure Line 51), shown in Attachment B. To date, $2.1 million has been expended and one project has been completed and currently in closeout audit process. The $13.84 million remaining funding includes the $6.69 million that’s available under the SEP (Expenditure Line 68) for programming from FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28. This is the first request from the Subregion to program the SEP funds.
In line with the Board adopted Measure M Master Guidelines (the Guidelines), agencies requesting MSP funds must provide documentation demonstrating community support, project needs, and multimodal transportation benefits that enhance safety, support traffic mobility, economic vitality, and enable a safer and well-maintained transportation system. Cities and councils of governments lead and prioritize all proposed transportation improvements, including procurement, the environmental process, outreach, final design, and construction. Each agency, independently and in coordination with their subregion, undertakes its jurisdictionally determined community engagement process specific to the type of transportation improvement they seek to develop. These locally determined and prioritized projects represent the needs of cities and the Subregion.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Metro staff collaborated with the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG) and implementing agencies to review requests submitted by the Subregion for the SEP. During staff review, Metro required a detailed project scope of work to confirm project eligibility, and establish the program nexus during project reviews, including but not limited to project location information and limits, length, elements, phases, total estimated expenses and funding requested, and schedules. Final approval of funds for the projects shall be contingent upon the implementing agency demonstrating the eligibility of each project, as required in the Measure M Master Guidelines. Staff expect the collection of the project details in advance of Metro Board action to enable the timely execution of project Funding Agreements for approved projects. Additionally, all projects are subject to a close-out audit after completion, per the Guidelines.
Subregional Equity Program (Expenditure Line 68)
WSCCOG
• Program an additional $33,445 in FYs 25 to 28 for MM4801.01 - Planning Activities to support the Subregion’s Measure M MSP Development Process.
• Program $1,714,932 in FYs 26 and 27 for the 2028 Westside Subregional Bus Infrastructure Network Project, a priority project in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The project will design and construct quick-build bus infrastructure, using low-cost materials to allow for quick implementation and to inform future treatments on segments of Sepulveda Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd, and La Cienega/Jefferson Blvd. This project will likely decrease Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) by reallocating road space from private automobiles to public buses. The funds will be used for the project’s plans, specifications and estimates (PS&E) and construction phases.
The WSCCOG has requested that $500,000 is advanced after execution of the Funding Agreement. The WSCCOG has requested the advance to maintain smooth cash flow and prevent any delays in payments to the consultant that may disrupt the project’s progress and schedule for this priority project of the Subregion. This is the first Measure M MSP project that the WSCCCOG will be the project implementation.
Culver City
• Program $960,654 in FYs 26 and 27 for the 2028 Westside Subregional Bus Infrastructure Network Project, a priority project in time for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The city is to design quick-build bus infrastructure using low-cost materials to allow for quick implementation and to inform future treatments on segments of Sepulveda Blvd, and La Cienega/Jefferson Blvd. This project will likely decrease VMT by reallocating road space from private automobiles to public buses. The funds will be used for the project’s PS&E phase, and anticipate requesting additional MSP funding for the construction phase when ready.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Programming of Measure M MSP funds to the Westside Cities Subregion projects will not have any adverse safety impacts on Metro’s employees or patrons.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
In FY 2024-25, $5.02 million is budgeted in Cost Center 0441 (subsidies budget - Planning) for the Measure M MSP - Transit Program (Project #474102). Upon approval of this action, staff will reallocate necessary funds to appropriate projects within Cost Center 0441. Since these are multi-year projects, Cost Center 0441 will be responsible for budgeting the cost in future years.
Impact to Budget
The sources of funds for these projects are Measure M Transit Construction 35%. This fund source is not eligible for Metro bus and rail operations expenses.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The Westside Cities Subregion comprises five cities and the adjacent unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. Seven percent of census tracts are defined as Equity Focus Communities (EFCs) in the Subregion, and these are located in the City of LA and West Hollywood.
The Westside Cities Subregion proposed bus infrastructure projects will enhance multimodal transportation options. They will help ensure adequate bus service and increase connectivity for the Westside communities, to support a car-free, transit-first 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games for visitors and core customers alike. Additionally, these infrastructure upgrades will result in time savings and improved experience for core customers that rely on Metro to access jobs, open space, and other essential services. The infrastructure improvements would provide a faster and more reliable transit connection between major job hubs such as UCLA, Culver City, Santa Monica, and LAX. Crucially, the La Cienega Blvd/Jefferson Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd/UCLA infrastructure improvements would provide faster North-South transit connections, including between the Metro D Line and E Line, where no rapid transit currently exists, thus filling major gaps in high-quality transit service on the Westside. These connections will enable core customers to save time commuting and access more employment opportunities.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled _Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
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.
As part of these ongoing efforts, this item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through planning activities that will improve and further encourage transit ridership, ridesharing, and active transportation. The details of how specific projects may impact Metro’s VMT reduction targets are shared in the “Discussion” section of this report. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
*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 recommendation supports the following goals of the Metro Vision 2028 Strategic Plan:
Goal 1: Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling by alleviating the current operational deficiencies and improving mobility along the projects.
Goal 4: Transform LA County through regional collaboration by partnering with the Council of Governments and the local jurisdictions to identify the needed improvements and take the lead in developing and implementing their projects.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board can elect not to approve the programming of funds for the Measure M MSP projects for the Subregion. This is not recommended as the Subregion developed the proposed projects in accordance with the Measure M Ordinance, Guidelines, and Administrative Procedures which may delay the development and delivery of the projects.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Metro staff will continue to work with the Subregion to identify and deliver projects. Funding Agreements will be executed, and Program/Project updates will be provided to the Board annually.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Subregional Equity Program Project List
Attachment B - Active Transportation 1st/Last Mile Connection Program Project List
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Fanny Pan, Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3433
Laurie Lombardi, Senior Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3251
Nicole Ferrara, Deputy Chief Planning Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 547-4322
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Ray Sosa, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4274
