Meeting_Body
AD HOC 2028 OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC GAMES COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 23, 2024
Subject
SUBJECT: 2028 MOBILITY CONCEPT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION REPORT
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. RECEIVING AND FILING the Mobility Concept Plan (MCP) Implementation Report, and;
B. AUTHORIZING the CEO or their designee to amend the FY25 budget, in the amount of $9.67 million, to advance Metro-led GME STP projects with the Program.
Issue
ISSUE
This is a progress report regarding planning efforts in anticipation of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (“the Games”) and the pursuit of state and federal funds to support the transportation infrastructure and operations needed for the region to support mobility during the Games. With fewer than four years remaining before the 2028 Games, Metro is reaching a crucial decision point. Federal grants have funded a small portion of the 2028 Mobility Concept Plan (2028 MCP) projects. Staff is seeking the Board’s support to continue the work necessary to advance critical projects to be delivered on time for the 2028 Games.
Background
BACKGROUND
Metro has worked with LA28, Caltrans, Metrolink, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), a group collectively known as the Games Mobility Executives (GME), to develop the 2028 MCP. Metro’s Office of Strategic Innovation (OSI) is overseeing the implementation of the 2028 MCP.
Following an extensive agency stakeholder outreach process, Metro and the GME agencies identified a list of 15 priority MCP workstreams. The projects/programs under each workstream on the GME Surface Transportation Priority (GME STP) list (Attachment A) - presented at the June 2023 Board Meeting, either serve a specific Games delivery need (e.g., Games Enhance Transit System) or are highly beneficial and supportive of the transport strategy for the Games (e.g., a network of bus-only lanes). It is important to note that the estimated costs for each workstream have been updated based on the project development work completed over the past year. These new costs are reflected in the project implementation plans.
In early 2023, staff prioritized seven workstreams with long lead times from the GME STP list to immediately begin project development work: Games Route Network, Games Enhanced Transit System, Countywide Mobility Hubs, Countywide Bus-Only Lanes, Transit/Venue Ped/Bike Access Enhancements (First/Last Mile), Key Station Improvements, and Light Rail Speed and Operations Improvements.
A multi-disciplinary team from various Metro departments has collaborated with the GME to advance the planning and established the foundation to deliver these workstreams (i.e., project implementation plans), as described in Attachment B Progress Report, and securing initial funding from the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant for several key projects.
In March 2024, Board Motion 24.1 by Directors Solis, Bass, Hahn, Horvath, Najarian, and Yaroslavsky (Attachment C) directed the Chief Executive Officer to establish a Legislative Advocacy Working Group for the 2028 Games.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The implementation plans for each of the 7 workstreams outline the vision for the project scope and provide a preliminary roadmap that identifies the steps needed to deliver the projects. These plans are a useful resource to engage stakeholders and prepare funding applications to address evaluation criteria and demonstrate project development. A key finding from the project implementation plans is that the environmental phase will need to start no later than the end of 2024 for these projects to be delivered by 2028.
The preliminary total cost for both legacy and essential Games-specific projects, including Games Route Network (GRN), and Games Enhanced Transit System (GETS), is approximately $3.1 billion. Funding to continue advancing the next phases of these projects needs to be secured no later than the end of Q4 of calendar year 2024 to be able to deliver the projects in time for the 2028 Games.
Federal agencies (e.g., USDOT and EPA) continue to move forward with grant opportunities made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Staff continue to work with GME partners to monitor and evaluate potential state and federal funding opportunities that align with 2028 MCP projects and to strategize on partnerships that will lead to successful applications. The following table summarizes Metro’s grant applications related to the 2028 Games MCP legacy projects.
The funding strategy has been done in coordination with Metro’s Countywide Planning and Development Federal/State Policy and Programming (FSPP) department. Given the time it takes to pursue, be awarded, and receive discretionary federal funds, pursuing these discretionary grants will not be a viable approach beyond 2024 for funding the initial phases of the work. Final Design and construction activities could still be funded by federal grants and staff will continue to monitor these opportunities
Furthermore, there are no discretionary grants that the federal government offers that will fund the Games Enhanced Transit System (formerly Supplemental Bus System) or the Games Route Network that are required to implement the 2028 Games. As a result, Metro and the GME partners are seeking appropriations funding for the essential Games-specific projects. Concurrently, Metro and GME partners have focused on legacy projects for discretionary grants under IIJA and IRA.
Only a small portion (less than 5%) of the total costs associated with the Metro-led GME STP workstreams has been funded through awarded grants and Metro’s allocation of local funds, as described in the table below.
Time and opportunities for additional discretionary grant funding are dwindling. For these reasons, Metro and the GME have been advocating for federal government funding for legacy and spectator transportation. In a welcomed development consistent with Metro’s 2024 Board-adopted Federal Legislative Program, the Senate Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 transportation spending bill includes $200 million to plan and design several of Metro’s priority MCP workstreams.
Although the House and Senate have different versions of this bill and differing language on the Games, Metro and the GME are hopeful that some portion of this funding will remain part of the final spending bill anticipated to be approved later this year.
Budget Amendments
Given the critical nature of these projects and the time constraints, Metro staff is seeking an amendment to the FY25 budget to advance: 1) time-sensitive planning work for the GETS ($1.5 million), including the development of various service scenarios and a contingency fleet; and 2) the environmental phase ($6 million) of Metro-led GME STP capital projects (i.e., Mobility Hubs, Key Stations, LRT Operational Improvements, and Bus Priority Corridors) before the end of calendar year 2024.
Furthermore, On August 19, 2023, the Metro Board approved accepting the California Transportation Commission (CTC) awarded REAP 2.0 grants for a list of Metro projects including $4.024 Mil for the Mobility Wallet Pilot 2.0: Challenge and Low-Income projects. In January 2024 SCAG issued a stop work order for all REAP 2.0 grant awarded projects due to a threat of funding reductions in the California state budget for FY25. However, in July 2024 the state of California preserved the majority of REAP 2.0 grants in the state annual budget and SCAG issued a re-start work order. Due to the funding being challenged in the early part of the year, the funds were not budgeted in the FY25 budget that was brought to the Metro Board for approval in June 2024. Therefore, $2.17 million for the Mobility Wallets Pilot 2.0 need to be added to the budget for critical project work to continue. The funding will support ongoing work on Mobility Wallets as included in the GME STP list under Universal Basic Mobility. The funds requested to be amended to the budget are 100% reimbursable through the REAP 2.0 grant program through SCAG and the CTC.
Legislative Update
In response Board Motion 24.1, staff convened standing internal meetings of senior leadership team members and regional partners focused on advocacy and funding pursuits. Metro's legislative advocacy efforts continue to focus on bringing together a coalition of transportation stakeholders, including the County of Los Angeles and the members of the Games Mobility Executives (GME), which includes Metro, the City of Los Angeles, Caltrans, Metrolink, and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). Coordination between all parties is crucial to secure the State and Federal partnerships and investments necessary to implement the transportation infrastructure improvements needed to deliver a successful 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games as adopted by the Board in the Mobility Concept Plan. It is crucial when advocating at both the federal and state levels that all stakeholders are speaking with one voice to emphasize the crucial roles Sacramento and Washington D.C will have in the delivery of the Games. Convenings of local stakeholders, and coordination with key Games delivery partners helps to ensure that investments and improvements realized for the Games have a lasting legacy impact on enhancing mobility and access to opportunities for disadvantaged communities and Metro riders more broadly. Metro is committed to continuing to work in good faith with a broad and diverse array of federal, regional, and local stakeholders to ensure that the State and Federal Governments provides support for surface transportation projects and initiatives related to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
At the Federal level, Metro continues to work with a diverse number of partners to secure financial support from the Federal government for our agency’s efforts related to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This effort is guided and informed by our Board-approved 2024 Federal Legislative Program and the Board approved Mobility Concept Plan, which set forth the projects deemed necessary and how Metro will work with the U.S. Department of Transportation to successfully coordinate the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games being held in Los Angeles County. In 2024, staff has been working with the appropriate congressional committees to explore how the Fiscal Year 2025 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill might include funding for mobility related projects and initiatives tied to the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Staff is pleased that the U.S. Senate’s Fiscal Year 2025 THUD bill included $200 million for Olympics-related mobility projects. Likewise, staff are encouraged that Congressman Robert Garcia circulated a letter on August 9, 2024, signed by 17 members of the House, urging House leaders to include a similar amount of funding in their Fiscal Year 2025 THUD spending measure. Over the next several months staff will be working with House and Senate stakeholders to ensure that the $200 million for Olympics-related mobility projects is included in the final Fiscal Year 2025 THUD bill adopted by Congress and signed into law by the President.
Consistent with Board-approved Federal Legislative Program and the Board approved Mobility Concept Plan, staff continues working with the Biden-Harris Administration - including the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) - to discuss how funding for mobility-related projects and initiatives tied to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games might be included in the Fiscal Year 2026 White House Budget that will be released in early 2025. This dialogue with the Biden-Harris Administration has also included requests that federal grants be provided to our agency to enhance our mobility efforts related to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. For this reason, staff was pleased when the U.S. Department of Transportation provided on March 13, 2024, a $139 million Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) Grant for our Removing Barriers by Creating Legacy - A Multimodal Approach for LA County grant application. This grant, submitted in partnership with a large number of diverse stakeholders across Los Angeles County, is supporting our agency’s goal to provide unprecedented mobility for the upcoming 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and our broader goal of having this global sporting event serve as a “catalyst for transforming LA County through regional collaboration, high-quality mobility options, and access to opportunity.” Specifically, staff is focused on proposing that the Federal Budget set to be released by the White House early next year, include robust funding for transportation projects directly related to the Games. Provided the Federal Budget includes major funding for the Games, staff would then work to ensure that these proposed federal dollars are appropriated by Congress in their Fiscal Year 2026 spending bills. At present, staff are working on several initiatives that will involve direct support from our Board of Directors to ensure that the White House Budget issued next year acknowledges the past support provided to Atlanta and Salt Lake City when they hosted the Games by including robust funding for transportation projects and initiatives we are working to provide for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
At the State level, and, in partnership with LA 2028, have met with the Governor’s office and the Secretary of Transportation to stress the importance of collaboration on the supplemental bus system and the Mobility Concept Plan more broadly, and plan to continue this partnership. This effort was the initial step in our ongoing advocacy at the State level. We will continue to meet on a regular basis with our State partners including the Gubernatorial Administration, legislative leadership in both houses, key policy committees and the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation. These efforts will be coordinated with our local partners, including the County of Los Angeles and the GME, to advocate for all the resources necessary to make the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games as success as outlined in the Board approved Mobility Concept Plan. In addition, Metro Government Relations and the Office of Strategic Innovation will continue working with the Office of Equity and Race to review the potential impacts of Metro’s advocacy strategy related to the Mobility Concept Plan.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Several projects in the GME STP list will positively impact safety, as patrons waiting for transit will have more shade, and space and be more comfortable waiting for service. Accessibility can be improved for passengers' boarding and alighting. For example, bus-only lane projects will allow buses to reduce weaving out from and into traffic as they approach and leave the bus stop.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Given the critical nature of the GME STP projects and the time constraints, staff is requesting additional funds in FY25 to continue to advance planning for the GETS and the environmental phase of several legacy capital projects. As this is a multi-year program, the Project Manager will be responsible for allocating grant funds and local match funds in future years.
Impact to Budget
Funding for Games planning, in the amount of $16.4 million, is included in the FY25 under Project 402028. This new project number was set up in FY25 and will serve as a dedicated, central repository for Olympics-related efforts. Staff is requesting authorization to amend the FY25 budget in the amount of $7.5 million, funded by planning/admin funds, to advance Metro-led GME STP projects that require moving to the next phase of project development in order to be completed by 2028, and$2.17 million to fund the Mobility Wallet Pilot 2.0: Challenge and Low-Income projects that are 100%reimbursable through the REAP 2.0 grant program. None of these fund sources are eligible for Bus or Rail Operations.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Staff continues to work with the Office of Equity and Race (OER) to ensure that programs and projects identified within the Mobility Concept Plan (MCP) follow Metro’s Equity guidelines. Staff emphasized equity in the prioritization of the project list with a weighted score of 40%. This translated into projects with higher equity scores ranking higher overall and getting included in the 2022 MCP Prioritized Project List.
Over the past six months, staff worked with OER to pilot the Equity Planning & Evaluation Tool (EPET) as part of the development of implementation plans for four workstreams: Light Rail Speed & Reliability Improvements, Key Stations, Mobility Hubs and First/Last Mile. The recommendations stemming from these reports will guide further development of any project under these workstreams and will support staff in identifying existing disparities that might impact how the MCP
programs/projects are experienced by different users and designing the programs/projects to better address their unmet needs, reduce negative or unintended impacts, and improve access to opportunity.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The development of the MCP supports:
Strategic goal 1: Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling. Strategic Goal 2: Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system. Strategic Goal 4: Transform LA County through regional collaboration and national leadership” by providing a roadmap and strategy to deliver permanent transit and transit-supportive projects and programs that can help serve the 2028 Games.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could elect to not approve the recommendations but Board action is necessary to maintain momentum and ensure critical MCP projects can be completed on time for this date-certain event in July 2028. It is imperative to provide the funding necessary to support these MCP Workstreams to support the 2028 Games. The consequences of lack of funding include the following:
• Forgoing some key 2028 Games MCP workstreams that would support 2028 Games mobility and provide permanent, long-term improvements and benefits to all Angelenos.
• Complicating Metro’s efforts to provide efficient, accessible, and reliable transit for travel to and from venues for the millions of local, national, and global spectators in Los Angeles during the 2028 Games.
• Potentially disrupting the quality of life for Angelenos in the lead-up to, during, and after the 2028 Games due to traffic congestion, especially those near venues in disadvantaged communities.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
With the Board’s support, staff will continue the scoping work necessary to advance the 2028 Games MCP Projects that Metro is currently leading, including the initiation of the Environmental phase for Metro-led projects in the GME STP list. This effort will be critical to ensuring these projects can continue to compete for additional state and federal funding opportunities and be delivered in time for the Games. Staff will continue to seek potential local, state, and federal funding opportunities and work with the Board to advocate for funding for both legacy projects and essential Games-specific projects, such as the GETS and GRN.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - GME Surface Transportation Project List
Attachment B - Progress Report
Attachment C - Board Motion 24.1
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Jacqueline Torres, Senior Director, Office of Strategic Innovation, (213) 547-4208
Kasey Shuda, Senior Director, Office of Strategic Innovation, (213) 454-6479
Ernesto Chaves, Executive Officer, Office of Strategic Innovation, (213) 547- 4362
Marcel Porras, Deputy Chief, Office of Strategic Innovation, (213) 922-2606
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Seleta Reynolds, Chief Innovation Officer, (213) 922-4656
