Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JULY 17, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: RAIL OPERATIONS CONTROL EXPANSION
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. ESTABLISH a Life-of-Project (LOP) Budget of $17,000,000 for the Rail Operations Control (ROC) Facility Expansion Project;
B. AWARD a firm fixed price, sole source Contract No. C130977000 to Williams Scotsman, Inc. dba WillScot, in the amount of $13,200,048, for the design and construction of a multi-modular building, to relocate Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department (LASD) personnel to Metro Division 4 that are currently housed at the ROC and accommodate the ROC facility expansion, subject to the resolution of properly submitted protest(s), if any;
C. FIND that there is only a single source of procurement for the item set forth in Recommendation B above and that the sole purpose is to construct a multi-modular facility to serve as a Metro transit law enforcement facility supporting LASD and Transit Community Public Safety Department (TCPSD) operations; and
D. EXECUTE individual contract modifications within and up to the Board authorized Contract Modification Authority (CMA) limit.
(REQUIRES TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF THE FULL BOARD)
Issue
ISSUE
The ROC facility will reach maximum capacity when the Purple Line Extension (PLE) Section 3 begins revenue service in 2027. To support the East San Fernando Valley (ESFV) Transit Corridor Light Rail Expansion, the ROC facility must be reconfigured to expand its floor space. Additionally, in preparation for the upcoming ESFV rail expansion project, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) personnel must be relocated from the ROC facility. In consultation with LASD, staff has identified a modular building that will be constructed at Metro Division 4 to temporarily house LASD.
Background
BACKGROUND
The ROC facility is located next to the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station and was built alongside the opening of the Metro A Line (formerly the Blue Line) in 1990. The facility consists of a two-story building with approximately 30,000 square feet of space and around 300 surface parking spaces. The facility functions as the central hub for supervising, controlling, and managing the daily operations of all Metro Rail lines. Over the past 30 years, the facility has expanded to accommodate several new rail expansion lines. Each new rail line or extension requires adjustments, reconfigurations, expansions, and upgrades to the ROC facility as well as its systems to meet the specific central control needs of the project and ensure seamless integration into the existing facility and operations.
Metro is working to complete all necessary ROC facility preparations to support rail expansion lines under construction. To minimize disruptions to ongoing ROC operations, Metro is performing preparations to ensure each line is ready on time for system-wide integration and testing with its respective prime contractor. Currently, ROC preparations and systems integration are underway for the Foothill Extension Phase 2B and Purple Line Extension (PLE) Section 1, both projected to begin revenue service in 2025. Similar efforts are ongoing for PLE Sections 2 and 3, with expected service launches in 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Currently, the LASD occupies approximately 5,000 square feet of the ROC, along with additional trailers in the parking lot. This space supports law enforcement operations and the dispatch of officers across the Metro transit system. The balance of the facility houses offices for ROC technical staff, as well as rooms for vital communications systems and equipment used to manage rail service operations. To accommodate the expansion of the Control Room and CCTV Observer Area for the ESFV rail project, it is necessary to relocate LASD personnel from the ROC facility into a modular building at Division 4, allowing Metro staff to move into the western half of the floor.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
In preparation for the ESFV rail project, the second-floor space will be reconfigured to expand the Control Room and CCTV Observation Area into the area currently occupied by Metro staff administrative offices. The ESFV rail project will be the final expansion line added to the ROC facility, with revenue service anticipated in 2031.
Metro is also developing plans for a future centralized Rail Operations Control and Bus Operations Control facility (known as ROC/BOC) to replace the existing ROC on the site of Metro Division 10. This state-of-the-art operations center will support the long-term growth of Metro’s transit system as outlined in Measure M, with completion currently forecasted for 2032. To ensure uninterrupted service operations, the existing ROC and BOC facilities will be repurposed as backups to the new ROC/BOC facility.
A sole source contract is recommended to be awarded to WillScot for the construction of a 15,000-square-foot modular building to relocate and temporarily house LASD personnel and support law enforcement operations for the Metro transit system. The building will later be utilized by the TCPSD to serve as a Metro transit law enforcement facility when contract services with LASD reach their conclusion. The building will be constructed in the rear yard of Division 4, located in Downey, CA. The scope of work consists of two phases. Phase 1 includes design, permitting, site preparation, foundation work, modular construction, installation of an armory, radio communications systems, HVAC, fire alarm and suppression systems, plumbing and electrical utilities, and an occupancy certificate. Phase 2 is a lease agreement with a term of no less than five years. Due to the specialized design and specifications required for law enforcement use, staff conducted a market survey to identify qualified contractors. The specialized requirements include a customized layout featuring dedicated offices, general office areas, conference rooms, men’s and women’s locker rooms with restrooms and showers, and separate sleeping bunks for male and female personnel. Additional features include pit-set foundation, a gym with a reinforced floor, a fully reinforced with steel structural floor throughout the building, a masonry armory, a dedicated communications room with an uninterruptible power supply, a dispatch center, and a public service counter. The facility will also provide an exterior covered patio and lunch area, a concrete-and-steel armory, secured parking, CCTV surveillance, perimeter lighting, and outdoor riot gear storage. The interior finishes would be upgraded to meet the standards typically found in commercial office buildings. Metro reached out to other modular building suppliers but was unable to find an alternate supplier that could meet Metro’s and LASD’s requirements. The procurement summary for Contract No. C130977000 is shown in Attachment A.
Based on the ROC expansion scope and the modular facility to serve as a Metro transit law enforcement facility supporting LASD and TCPSD operations, staff calculated an LOP budget requirement of $17,000,000. The expenditure plan for the project is shown in Attachment B.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The ROC facility is central to Metro rail operations. Expanding and reconfiguring the facility ensures that the ROC can continue to safely supervise, monitor, and manage an increasingly complex and growing Metro rail network. Relocating LASD personnel to a purpose-built modular building allows Metro to optimize the Control Room and CCTV Observation Area space while ensuring law enforcement operations remain fully functional. The project supports the continued safe operation of current and future rail lines, including the ESFV rail expansion line.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This action will establish a $17,000,000 LOP budget for a new capital project, Rail Operations Control Expansion. The $13,200,048 of the LOP budget will be for the award of a contract to relocate the LASD (currently at the existing ROC) to Division 4, with the remaining balance of $3,799,952 to facilitate the ROC expansion. Funds required for FY26 Budget expenditures will be supported by a net zero budget transfer.
Impact to Budget
The current sources of funds for this action are local funds, which are eligible for Rail Capital and Operating Projects. Use of these funding sources currently maximizes funding allocations given approved funding provisions and guidelines. Metro continues to explore other avenues of funding to offset the cost of this facility expansion\.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The equity benefits of this action include improving transit infrastructure and enhancing the safety of Metro riders along transit lines through the expansion to the ESFV, including low-income riders and others who primarily use the Metro transit system to travel. Metro is committed to expanding transit assets to provide reliable and equitable transportation options for Metro riders.
The Diversity & Economic Opportunity Department (DEOD) recommended a 24% Small Business Enterprise (SBE) goal and a 3% Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) goal for this sole source procurement. The recommended contractor, WillScot, exceeded the goal by making a 30.23% SBE commitment and a 3.00% DVBE commitment, as summarized in Attachment C.
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 capital improvement investments to expand the ROC facility necessary for rail line expansion. These capital improvement investments further encourage transit ridership, ridesharing, and active transportation. 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
Approval of the recommendations aligns with Metro’s Strategic Plan by advancing Goal No. 1, which is to provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling; Goal No.2, which is to deliver outstanding trip experiences for all transportation system users; and Goal No. 3, which is to enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may choose not to authorize the LOP budget for the ROC expansion project. However, this is not recommended because the existing ROC facility will reach full capacity by 2027 with the opening of the PLE Section 3. Without expanding and reconfiguring the ROC facility, Metro will not be able to support the additional requirements of the ESFV rail project. This would jeopardize the system-wide integration for the ESFV rail project and disrupt revenue service commencement.
The Board may also choose not to award Contract No. C130977000 and instead direct staff to pursue the construction of a permanent Metro transit police station building for LASD and TCPSD law enforcement operations. However, this alternative would require a significantly extended schedule that does not align with the timeline for the ROC facility expansion. Another option would be to deliver a less robust solution, such as standard trailers, which would not meet the operational requirements of LASD.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon approval by the Board, staff will execute Contract No. C130977000 with Williams Scotsman, Inc., dba WillScot, and proceed with the project delivery for the LASD and TCPSD modular building and expand the ROC facility to accommodate the ESFV rail project.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Procurement Summary
Attachment B - Project Expenditure Plan
Attachment C - DEOD Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Geyner Paz, Chief Administrative Analyst, (213) 922-3744
Rudy Loera, Deputy Executive Officer, Facilities Maintenance (213) 617-6225
Errol Taylor, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, Infrastructure Maintenance and Engineering, (213) 922-3227
Carolina Coppolo, Deputy Chief, Vendor/Contract Management, (213) 922-4471
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 418-3034
