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REGULAR BOARD MEETING
NOVEMBER 30, 2023
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Motion by:
DIRECTORS BASS, HAHN, SOLIS, MITCHELL, DUTRA, AND NAJARIAN
Related to Item 19: 2024 Legislative Program
Just after midnight on Saturday, November 11th, a destructive fire erupted below the Interstate-10 freeway (I-10) in a pallet yard in the 1700 block of East 14th Street on the outskirts of Downtown Los Angeles. This fire has resulted in a full freeway closure of the I-10 between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue, stretching nearly two miles within the City of Los Angeles. This freeway closure, although temporary, has substantial impacts on travelers by severely impacting access through the core of downtown Los Angeles for the entire Southern California region. It is estimated that over 300,000 motorists traverse this corridor daily, and until this two-mile stretch of the I-10 is reopened, people who live, work, and travel in the region will have to adjust their travel patterns and commutes.
While there is good news regarding expected build times, the urgency that we must continue to bring to our ongoing efforts to help mitigate the traffic impacts on communities and commuters will remain the same. Caltrans is working around the clock with CAL FIRE, California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles County, and local agencies to reopen the I-10 as quickly as possible. Governor Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency in Los Angeles County to facilitate clean-up and repair work to support this critical transportation corridor's timely re-opening and directed Caltrans to formally request assistance through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program, as appropriate. Additionally, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is anticipated to take action to activate County Departments to support Caltrans and the City of Los Angeles in their efforts to conduct freeway repairs, and support impacted communities in the recovery phase as well as direct inter-jurisdictional integrated corridor management planning to proactively integrate existing or future infrastructure and strengthen collaboration on operations and incident response.
While we continue to work to expedite the I-10 repair, we can encourage Angelenos to take public transportation to save time, alleviate traffic congestion, and help people consider more sustainable modes of transportation. Metro, the second largest transit agency in the nation, continues to build a world-class transit system with the ability to move millions of riders daily, and we are continuing to add bus and rail services onto the network. As such, Metro will continue to have a significant role to play in ensuring people and goods can move safely and efficiently across Los Angeles County during the closure of the I-10 freeway by providing quality alternatives to driving, especially reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips people take to get around during the closure.
Subject
SUBJECT: METRO’S RESPONSE TO I-10 FREEWAY FIRE AND SUBSEQUENT CLOSURE MOTION
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RECOMMENDATION
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APPROVE Motion by Directors Bass, Hahn, Solis, Mitchell, Dutra, and Najarian that the Board direct the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. Amend goal #4 of the 2024 Legislative Program’s State Goals to include provisions for the reimbursement of transit-related services/expenses incurred during a federal or state emergency declaration.
B. Promote ridership through regional coordination:
1. Coordinate with the City, County, State, and Federal agencies to take the necessary action to support the recovery phase for the communities impacted by the I-10 freeway fire and subsequent closure.
2. Collaborate with Tier 1 transit operators and Metrolink to expand and coordinate services affected by the freeway closure to encourage and promote ridership.
3. Collaborate with local jurisdictions to increase opportunities for bus priority lanes and bus signal prioritization on lines affected by the closure.
4. Collaborate with local jurisdictions and Caltrans on E-Line & A-Line signal prioritization, including but not limited to closing the eastbound I-10 on-ramp that crosses the A & E Lines right-of-way at Flower Street.
5. Coordinate with local jurisdictions and special traffic operations to support reliable travel for major and special events.
6. Develop a strategy to prepare and implement Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) plans for major freeway corridors in partnership with Caltrans, Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, Los Angeles Department of Transportation, and additional local jurisdictions.
C. Provide incentives for public transportation and enhance services:
1. Lift the monthly cap on transit rides for participants of the Low-Income Fare is Easy (LIFE) program for the duration of the freeway closure.
2. For Metro riders, reduce daily parking rates to 10 cents at Metro’s Park and Ride lots, excluding NFL Game Day promotions, for the duration of the freeway closure.
3. Provide fare-free rides on Metro Bike-Share for the duration of the freeway closure.
4. Launch a marketing campaign to encourage transit ridership while the I-10-freeway is undergoing repairs.
5. Beginning November 23, 2023, work to enhance station services and amenities by deploying additional Transit Ambassador teams at key origin stations around the entire system to ensure adequate coverage is available to serve additional transit riders using the system for the duration of the freeway closure; expanding cleaning services at Metro-owned stations and platforms as needed; and improving lighting at Metro-owned parking lots, bus stations, and station platforms, as necessary.
D. Assess impacts of the freeway closure and ensure reimbursement of eligible expenses:
1. Instruct Metro Real Estate to prepare an inventory of Caltrans-owned properties leased by Metro to ensure compliance with the lease terms and recommend corrective action if needed.
2. Report back to the Board within 30 days of the freeway reopening, on the effectiveness of various travel demand management strategies utilized during the I-10 freeway closure, including a separate report back on how to improve the transponder technology to provide accurate arrival at transit stations, starting with lines affected by the closure.
3. Report back to the Board within 30 days on ridership changes related to the freeway closure.
4. Submit grant applications and conduct any necessary actions, including negotiating and executing grant agreements and signing requests for reimbursements to the California State Transportation Agency, California Department of Transportation, California Office of Emergency Services, and other pertinent agencies to secure State funds for emergency operations and infrastructure protection services, as necessary.