Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
Subject
SUBJECT: EASTSIDE TRANSIT CORRIDOR PHASE 2 PROJECT
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to execute Modification No. 8 to Contract No. AE51242000 with Cordoba HNTB Design Partners, a Joint Venture, in the amount of $74,869,029 to advance to 30% Preliminary Engineering (PE) for the Initial Operating Segment (IOS), increasing the contract value from $35,514,357 to $110,383,386 and extending the period of performance from December 31, 2024, to August 30, 2026.
Issue
ISSUE
On May 23, 2024, the Metro Board approved the full 9-mile Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project, with a 4.6-mile Initial Operating Segment (IOS) to Greenwood Station and a Maintenance and Storage Facility in the City of Montebello and certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) of this Project. Metro filed the Notice of Determination (NOD) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) with the Los Angeles County Clerk and CA State Clearinghouse on May 24, 2024. Metro anticipates reinitiating the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) clearance process and continuing project design development in Summer/Fall 2024.
Staff is seeking Board approval for a contract modification to continue project design from 15% advanced conceptual engineering to 30% PE design for the 4.6-mile IOS to the Greenwood Station for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project. The execution of Modification No. 8 is necessary for the advancement of the design through the Project Development phase. This phase will progress the design to continue designing complex elements (tunnel, cut and cover stations, cross passages, transitions structures, maintenance storage facility, etc.), geotechnical analysis of the underground alignment, and further design of conflicting utilities requiring relocation.
Background
BACKGROUND
Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project is a nine-mile light rail transit (LRT) extension from the existing Metro E (formerly Gold) Line serving the cities and communities of Commerce, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, Whittier, and unincorporated East Los Angeles and West Whittier-Los Nietos. At the December 2022 Board meeting, the Board approved the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA), a 4.6-mile extension of the E-Line to Greenwood Station via the IOS with design options for Atlantic/Pomona (open underground station) and Greenwood Station (at-grade) and a Maintenance and Storage Facility located in the City of Montebello.
On May 23, 2024, the Board certified the full nine-mile Project alignment to Whittier in the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Certification of the Final EIR also includes approval of the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan and the Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Conditions.
The Project is a Measure R and Measure M project that is included in the 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 2020-2045 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS).
The Measure M Ordinance identifies $3 billion (2015 $) in Measure M and other local, state, and federal funding for the Project. The Board previously directed staff to reinitiate the NEPA environmental clearance process for the IOS to pursue federal funding for this project segment.
On October 25, 2018, the Board awarded firm fixed price Contract No. AE51242000 to Cordoba HNTB Design Partners, a Joint Venture, to provide the advanced conceptual engineering (ACE) design and urban design services for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project for work in support of the reinitiated environmental clearance study. Seven modifications have been issued to date to add scoping meetings, proceed with one build alternative including additional refinements, as well as extend the period of performance (reference Attachment B).
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Since the Contract was approved in 2018, Metro has modified the Contract to focus on high-risk project elements benefiting early design and coordination, including coordination with program management and operations, at-grade geotechnical analysis, identification of utility conflicts along with potholing, hazardous material evaluation, and right-of-way updates. Modification No. 8 includes further technical analysis for the options identified in the EIR design work to align with updates to the Metro Rail Design Criteria (MRDC), sustainability measures, systems design, and development of early work packages. Based on lessons learned from other rail projects and to identify high-risk cost items earlier in the planning process, the Contract Modification increases the level of geotechnical investigation at the underground structures, real estate rights, and utility relocation to identify and manage future cost/schedule impacts.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Approval of this contract modification will not impact the safety of Metro’s customers or employees.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The adopted Fiscal Year 2025 budget includes approximately $32.4 million total between Project 860232 (Program Management) and Project 460232 (Countywide Planning Department) for professional services and support for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project. Since this is a multi-year contract, the Cost Center Manager, Project Manager, and Chief Program Management Officer will be responsible for budgeting in future years.
Impact to Budget
Funding for this action comes from Measure R 35% Transit Capital and TIRCP (Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program: Cycle 6), which is not eligible for bus and rail operations.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The Board’s approval of the contract modification for the Project will help advance equitable access to opportunity as the Project traverses through six Equity Focus Communities (EFCs) along the eastern portion of Los Angeles County. There are 2,281 transit-dependent households along the project alignment and 1,828 transit-dependent households along the LPA. This Project will benefit these EFCs and other communities along the eastern portion of Los Angeles County by providing access to a reliable light rail system and filling a gap in high-quality transit services that currently exist. When the eventual build-out of the project occurs, communities along the corridor will have access to the Metro regional network and to activity centers and job opportunities along the corridor that include but are not limited to, Whittier College, East Los Angeles College, Citadel Outlets, Historic Whittier Boulevard retail, and Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital.
Cordoba HNTB Design Partners made a 54.91% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) commitment on this contract and is exceeding with 59.12% DBE participation. See Attachment C.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The Project supports the following strategic plan goals identified in Vision 2028:
• Goal 1: Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling,
• Goal 3: Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity, and
• Goal 5: Provide responsive, accountable, and trustworthy governance within the Metro organization.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could choose not to approve the contract award. Delaying this contract modification to a future date would pose significant delays to the overall project schedule and the risk that the project would be unable to meet its Measure M schedule.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval, staff will execute Modification No. 8 to the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project Contract No. AE51242000 with Cordoba HNTB Design Partners, a Joint Venture, to advance to 30% PE for the IOS and extend the period of performance from December 31, 2024, to August 30, 2026. This effort will include advancing design and technical analysis, including value engineering and updating cost estimates to seek federal funding opportunities.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Procurement Summary
Attachment B - Contract Modification/Change Order Log
Attachment C - DEOD Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Mat Antonelli, Deputy Chief Program Management Officer (213) 893-7114
Carolina Coppolo, Deputy Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer (Interim), (213) 922-4471
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Tim Lindholm, Interim Chief Program Management Officer (213) 922-7297
