Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
APRIL 16, 2025
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
APRIL 17, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: LONG BEACH-EAST LOS ANGELES CORRIDOR MOBILITY INVESTMENT PLAN UPDATE
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATIONS
Title
CONSIDER:
A. APPROVING:
1. AMENDING the 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) to reflect the Board selection of “No Build” for the I-710 South Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR), the project’s new name of the Long Beach-East Los Angeles Corridor Mobility Investment Plan (LB-ELA CMIP), and its transition to a comprehensive multimodal program of infrastructure projects and services;
2. PROGRAMMING up to $3,000,000 in Measure R Highway Capital Funds through the LB-ELA CMIP to replace $3,000,000 originally identified through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program for the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) Drayage Truck Charging Depot Project; and
3. PROGRAMMING $9,000,000 in Measure R Highway Capital Funds through the LB-ELA CMIP for the Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive Project;
B. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or their designee to negotiate and execute all necessary agreement(s) with the local jurisdictions; and
C. RECEIVING AND FILING the status report on the LB-ELA CMIP.
Issue
ISSUE
Consistent with the Metro Board approval of the LB-ELA CMIP, several actions are being requested. This request includes amending the 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan to reflect the Metro Board’s approval of the LB-ELA CMIP and programming available funding capacity in Measure R Highway Capacity Funds for projects identified in the LB-ELA CMIP (Port of Los Angeles Drayage Truck Charging Depot Project and the Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive Project). Staff will also provide an update on the LB-ELA CMIP.
Background
BACKGROUND
In May 2022, the Metro Board adopted the “No Build” alternative for the I-710 South Corridor Project Final Environmental Document and directed staff to continue re-engaging the corridor communities to repurpose the funds to develop a community-supportive multimodal vision for the corridor. After the completion of this effort, in April 2024, the Metro Board adopted the Long Beach-East Los Angeles Corridor Mobility Investment Plan (LB-ELA CMIP) and its recommendations for programming $743 million in Measures R and M funds assigned to I-710 South improvements to fund an array of multimodal projects and programs within the former I-710 South Corridor that were identified, developed, and prioritized through an extensive two-and-a-half-year community and stakeholder engagement process guided by the principles of equity and sustainability and shaped by the consensus goals of air quality, community, environment, mobility, opportunity, prosperity, and safety.
The CMIP recommends the allocation of funding to three categories - Initial Investment Programs, Community Programs, and Modal Programs. The Initial Investment Program includes 20 projects and five programs of projects that are highly rated for alignment with advancing CMIP goals and that would leverage additional funding. The Community Programs include 15 topic areas responsive to long-standing equity issues facing LB-ELA Corridor communities for which Metro can partner with other agencies, stakeholders, and communities to leverage catalyst funding to secure supplement transportation investments in the corridor with external funding opportunities to advance community health, air quality, environment, housing stabilization, land use, job creation, and work opportunity goals. The Modal Programs afford CMIP flexibility to allow projects not selected as an Initial Investment priority to be developed through additional planning and stakeholder engagement efforts to secure funding in future years when Measure funds become available in FY32. Through these three categories, the CMIP will also fund pilot programs, strategic initiatives and studies, and provide technical assistance for lower-resourced communities to develop high-quality projects.
Zero-Emission Truck Program - Port of Los Angeles Drayage Truck Charging Depot (LB-ELA CMIP Project # LB-ELA_0004)
In June 2023, the Metro Board approved programming up to $3 million for the LB-ELA Corridor Zero-Emission Truck (ZET) Program to leverage state and other funds for a proposed ZET Charging Project at the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) that would support the use of ZETs on I-710 South and within the LB-ELA Corridor. With the Board’s adoption of the LB-ELA CMIP and the inclusion of the ZET Program in its Initial Investment list (Attachment A), the Port of Los Angeles Drayage Truck Charging Depot project (Attachment B) became eligible to receive the Measure R Highway Capital funds.
Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive Project (LB-ELA CMIP Project # LB-ELA_0010)
The Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive Project combines two projects that together will transition a high-speed highway, designed during the 1950s and 1960s, into a lower-speed, community-friendly roadway; transform the urban freeway into a local arterial roadway; and create a seamless park space currently bisected by freeway on and off ramps and other roadways. The city of Long Beach is the project sponsor and is committed to delivering multimodal connectivity, including bikeways and pedestrian pathways that are physically separated from the street, new sidewalks, signalized intersections, drought-tolerant landscaping, and a stormwater management system.
The city of Long Beach has requested the full amount of $9 million from the LB-ELA CMIP as identified in the Initial Investment list (Attachment A) to complete the design of the Project.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Amending the 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan
The Board-adopted 2020 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) provides a constrained funding plan for the next 30 years and sets bold policies and goals to move LA County toward a future that enjoys reduced congestion; greater transit mobility options; improved air quality, public health, and equity; and stronger sustainability, environmental, and economic outcomes. The 2020 LRTP details how Metro plans, builds, manages, and maintains LA County’s transportation system through ongoing investment in an array of multimodal projects and programs.
Since the 2020 LRTP is a financially constrained plan, Metro’s committed investments are programmed to match Metro’s anticipated funding. Funds supporting the LRTP are derived mainly from LA County’s four transportation sales tax measures, two of which (Measures R and M) include funding for the I-710 South Corridor Projects (Phases I and II).
The Board’s adoption in 2022 of the “No Build” alternative as a Locally Preferred Alternative for the I-710 South Corridor Project Final Environmental Document, and subsequent adoption of the LB-ELA CMIP in 2024 as the replacement program of projects, require an amendment to the 2020 LRTP for consistency with the new project name and its transition from a freeway-focused project to a comprehensive multimodal corridor program of transportation infrastructure and services supporting community and regional needs.
ZET Program - Port of Los Angeles Drayage Truck Charging Depot (LB-ELA_0004)
The POLA submitted a response to a Request for Information (RFI) to advance zero-emission goods movement infrastructure that was issued by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) in September 2022. Separately, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) also responded to the RFI proposing four sites, including the same site identified and submitted by POLA. The four sites included in LACI’s response were deemed highly desirable to be developed for battery electric charging to support heavy-duty trucks per LACI’s I-710 Investment Blueprint for Heavy-Duty Charging Depots <https://laincubator.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/LACI_710-Blueprint_Final.pdf> (April 2023).
Metro staff invited LACI to present the project to the LB-ELA ZET Working Group in April 2023 and discussed its alignment with the LB-ELA ZET Program’s goals and program principles developed with community and stakeholder support. As a result of the discussion, the working group, which included LB-ELA CMIP Task Force and Community Leadership Committee members, supported Metro’s contribution of up to $3 million from the $50 million seed funding available for the LB-ELA ZET Program. Staff then sought Board approval of the Metro contribution for this project in June 2023.
Since the Board approved programming of up to $3 million for this project, using CMAQ as a Metro-controlled source of funds, the award process for CMAQ funds has shifted from Metro to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). The current CMAQ program requires a competitive nomination and selection process for a two-year funding cycle, with the next round to cover FY27 and FY28. This timeline does not align with the project’s construction phase activities, which will start equipment procurement and installation in FY26. Staff recommend replacing these CMAQ-identified funds with Measure R Highway Capital dollars, which became an eligible funding source for this project through the Board’s adoption of the LB-ELA CMIP in April 2024. Prior to the Board approval, the uses for the Measure R Highway Capital subfund for the I-710 South and/or Early Action Projects were limited to projects located within the boundaries of the Gateway Cities subregion.
The total project cost is estimated at $20.5 million. Metro’s contribution of $3 million will leverage an additional $17.5 million in federal, regional, and private funds, fulfilling the Board’s direction to secure an overall funding target of $200 million from the $50 million approved for the ZET Program.
The funding sources for the project are as follows:
• $1.5 million from a Community Project Funding award sponsored by U.S. Representative Nanette Diaz Barragan,
• $3 million from POLA,
• $3 million from MSRC,
• $3 million from Metro, and
• $10 million from the POLA-procured third-party contractor.
Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive Project (LB-ELA _0010)
The City of Long Beach has been leading the Shoemaker Bridge project to improve safety, operations, and connectivity between Downtown Long Beach, local/regional transportation facilities, and other points of interest. The city is also sponsoring the Shoreline Drive project which will reconfigure West Shoreline Drive to remove a roadway barrier that separates Cesar E. Chavez Park, and as a result will convert 5.6 acres of roadway into parkland to create a more functional park space.
Combined, both projects will bring multiple benefits to the region, including safety and multimodal connectivity improvements, access to parks and open spaces, enhancements to sustainability and addressing climate change challenges, stimulating the local economy, and serving as a gateway to sports venues and hospitality accommodations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. These improvements will address unsafe conditions that contributed to 131 collisions over a 10-year period on Shoemaker Bridge based on the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. The project will create dedicated spaces for multimodal travel options, including a shared-use path, ADA-accessible sidewalks, and a Class I bike path. The project design also includes resiliency features to withstand sea level rise and high winds and will mitigate flooding through stormwater systems that will attenuate runoff and recharge groundwater, including bioswales and pervious surfaces.
The city has committed local funds to these projects and is actively pursuing federal and state discretionary grants with Metro’s support to fulfill the combined project’s full funding need. The projects reflect the desired outcomes expressed by local communities through the city’s decade-long public outreach, including thoughtful roadway design and infrastructure elements that are self-enforcing and create greater mobility and safer roads for people, improved access to parks and public spaces, and mitigation for impacts caused by the nearby Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Long Beach staff presented this project to the LB-ELA CMIP Task Force and CLC at its joint November 21, 2022, in-person meeting. The city is committed to engaging residents through the project’s design and construction phases.
The LB-ELA CMIP prioritizes the Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive Project in its Initial Investment Project list and identifies $9 million to support the city of Long Beach’s effort to complete the design of both projects and leverage these funds to secure construction funds. The city has requested the entire $9 million from the CMIP for the Shoemaker Bridge project.
Metro has supported the city of Long Beach in delivering these projects since October 2012 and June 2019. In September 2024 the city requested Metro program the $9 million from the LB-ELA CMIP funds for the Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive Project to complete the design phase of the project (Attachment C). The Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive Project is also contained within the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Mobility Concept Plan.
LB-ELA CMIP Status
Staff continue to advance other priority projects identified within the LB-ELA CMIP to support investment in the corridor communities to improve mobility, safety, air quality, and quality of life.
Pre-Investment Plan Opportunity
In September 2022, the Board approved a staff recommendation for a Pre-Investment Plan Opportunity (PIPO) that comprised four corridor projects to take advantage of the unprecedented funding opportunities at the state and federal government in fiscal year 2022-23 in advance of the CMIP adoption.
The four projects were selected as PIPO projects and were all successful in receiving state and federal discretionary grants with the support of the Board. These projects are as follows:
• Humphreys Avenue Bike/Pedestrian Crossing over I-710 in East LA
• Huntington Park Safe Routes for Students and Seniors
• I-710 Integrated Corridor Management Project
• Southeast LA Transit Improvement Program
More details of the discretionary grant programs, award amounts, and the project phases are provided in Attachment D.
Rail to River Segment B Project (LB-ELA CMIP Project # LB-ELA_0006)
The LB-ELA CMIP includes $3.15 million in Initial Investment funding support for the Rail to River Segment B Project, which is the eastern segment of the longer Rail to Rail/River Active Transportation Corridor and extends approximately four miles east from the Metro A Line Slauson Station to the Los Angeles River, traversing a small segment of unincorporated Los Angeles County and the cities of Huntington Park, Maywood, and Bell.
Metro staff have been working closely with the corridor jurisdictions on the initial design of the Rail to River Segment B project. Community meetings were recently conducted in February and March 2025 to provide a project update and receive community feedback. Staff are providing a status update to the Board this month that reports on the outcome of community meetings and requests programming of the $3.15 million in LB-ELA CMIP funds previously approved by the Board through a separate Board Report.
Pending Grant Opportunities
To leverage funding in the LB-ELA CMIP, Metro submitted applications in 2024 for the federal Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) program for the I-710 Planning Study: Reconnecting the Long Beach-East LA Corridor Communities, and for the Senate Bill 1 (SB1) Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP) for the Long Beach-East Los Angeles Corridor ZET Project.
This application was submitted by Metro and the METRANS Transportation Consortium, a joint partnership of the University of Southern California and California State University, Long Beach. Although the project did not receive the RCP award in this cycle, staff recognize that the need to reconnect communities across the freeway remains a central focus of the CMIP and intend to identify other funding opportunities to pursue.
Metro, in partnership with two private developers that specialize in developing battery-electric heavy-duty truck charging depots, requested $13.7 million from the SB1 TCEP for a total project cost of $38.1 million. As described in a November 2024 Board Box, the project will build two battery-electric truck charging depots within the LB-ELA CMIP study area to support the transition of heavy-duty drayage trucks from diesel engines to zero-emission engines. The TCEP award announcement is scheduled to be made in June 2025. If successful, staff will return to the Board to request programming of Metro’s local match commitment of $3 million from the CMIP-dedicated funds. MSRC is a funding partner in this effort and its Governing Board would likewise approve their funding contribution upon receipt of the TCEP award.
Community Leadership Committee Reflections & Recommendations Report
The LB-ELA CMIP piloted a new approach to community engagement and equity leadership by having a community-led group act as an advisory body (the Community Leadership Committee, or CLC) to the project Task Force, who in turn provided recommendations to the Metro Board. While this approach may be refined if used for other project engagement efforts, overall, the collaborative environment created throughout this new process helped to build trust between Metro and community members and increase a sense of ownership of the CMIP by the communities that were engaged and for whom the plan’s benefits will accrue.
Metro at the request of the Board took an unprecedented approach to engage and work with impacted communities to ensure the resulting plan reflected their vision and needs. Immediately after the adoption of the CMIP, staff recognized the need to document the lessons learned from the CLC process to benefit future Metro efforts. The report begins with the historical context of the project and outlines methods of engagement, key dates in the CLC process, approaches to communication, CLC recruitment efforts, and language translation protocols. Interviews were conducted with eight CLC members, six Task Force members, five Metro staff, and three consultants. Each interview asked for reflections on what worked and what could be improved for future Metro community leadership processes. The report (Attachment F) includes resources for Metro to incorporate community leadership into projects when feasible.
Continuation of Community Engagement
Since the adoption of the CMIP, Metro staff has been vetting internally various approaches to support the CMIP projects and intends to assemble a dedicated team of professionals for the Phase II implementation. In the interim, staff recognizes the need to regularly update the Task Force, CLC, and corridor communities and jurisdictions on the LB-ELA CMIP’s progress.
To this end, Metro is planning one Task Force and CLC combined meeting, and three public meetings in the next 10 months. These meetings will be used to provide CMIP progress, including the items that are reported in this Board Report, and share Metro’s plan for creating a community advisory group for the Implementation Phase of the CMIP and soliciting community feedback on the proposed community advisory group formation.
Staff also plan on hosting community engagement events on the two ZET projects for which Metro applied for SB1 TCEP funding. Envisioned as community engagement events in partnership with the ZET project developers, these events are intended to showcase the proposed ZET projects and anticipated improvements to the immediate area and discuss opportunities to deliver additional community benefits.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The LB-ELA CMIP supports the development of a safer multimodal transportation system that provides high-quality multimodal mobility options to enhance communities and lives through safer travel options to access opportunities. In particular, the projects selected for the Initial Investment Program were evaluated on their ability to deliver safety benefits identified through the CMIP process. Some examples of these projects include safer pedestrian crossings, protected bicycle lanes, improved freeway crossings for vehicles, and gates and barriers to prevent at-grade rail crossing collisions.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funding for these projects will be budgeted under the LB-ELA CMIP project, which is funded from the Measure R Highway Capital subfund for the I-710 Early Action Project in Cost Center 4611.
Since the LB-ELA CMIP is a multiyear program that contains various projects, Countywide Planning and Development will be responsible for budgeting the costs in current and future years.
Impact to Budget
The source of funds for these projects is Measure R 20% Highway Funds dedicated to the I-710 South (now LB-ELA) Corridor. This fund source is not eligible for transit capital or operations expenses.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The LB-ELA CMIP is a multimodal comprehensive plan that reflects the collective vision and aspirations of the corridor communities and stakeholders as gathered through a two-and-a-half-year engagement process. The plan lays out multimodal solutions and their benefits to the community, the environment, and the economy, and is a testament to the power of collaborative planning in creating a more connected, accessible, and vibrant region. Implementing the CMIP, particularly the Community Programs, will meet community needs and provide benefits that complement and exceed those found in traditional transportation investment strategies.
Throughout the development of the CMIP, community members challenged Metro to take accountability for historical and ongoing transportation-related health burdens that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and other socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, and that improve community health outcomes and advance equity through Metro’s transportation investments. In response, OER is developing an Equity Planning Toolkit based on the lessons learned and best practices gathered through the CMIP process. The toolkit will be integrated into the existing Metro process to support staff to think more broadly about and address the health implications of Metro projects.
The 2020 LRTP was developed in accordance with the Equity Platform and its four pillars as adopted by the Board in 2018. Amending the 2020 LRTP as explained in this Board Report ensures the LB-ELA CMIP’s alignment with the Equity Platform.
The LB-ELA CMIP included a ZET Working Group whose membership was made up of partner agencies, subject matter experts, and community members who guided staff in developing the ZET Program vision, goals, and principles that reflected the communities’ desired outcomes. The working group supported Metro’s contribution to the POLA Drayage Truck Charging Depot Project with a recognition that the project will bring immediate air quality benefits to Equity Focus Communities (EFC) near the project location and along the LB-ELA Corridor.
The Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive Project aligns with the Measure R Board-approved guidelines and the Objectives for Multimodal Highway Investments. The Highway Subsidy Grants offer equity opportunities via the development of transportation project improvements through city contracts that can reduce transportation disparities. As such, each city and/or agency, independently and in coordination with its subregion, undertakes its jurisdictionally determined community engagement process specific to the type of transportation improvement it seeks to develop.
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 Board item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through investment and planning activities that will benefit and further encourage multimodal transportation, including active transportation due to the traffic calming and safety enhancement designs of the Shoemaker Bridge and Shoreline Drive projects. These projects will reduce driving and improve conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
In addition, this item funds a project that will help transition some diesel trucks to zero emissions technology. While these projects do not directly encourage taking transit, sharing a ride, or using active transportation, they are a vital part of Metro goals to improve quality of life, as they support Metro’s commitment to clean trucks and cleaner goods movement. Because the Metro Board has adopted an agency-wide VMT Reduction Target, and this item supports the overall function of the agency, this item is consistent with the goals of reducing VMT.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from the highway performance monitoring system data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The recommendation supports strategic plan goals:
• Goal 1: Provide high-quality options that enable people to spend less time traveling.
• Goal 2: Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity.
• Goal 4: Transform LA County through regional collaboration and national leadership.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could elect not to approve the funding allocation. However, this option is not recommended as the programmed amount has already been approved by the Board with the adoption of the LB-ELA CMIP in April 2024. Furthermore, not approving the item will delay the development and completion of one of the Board-approved 2028 Games Mobility Concept Plan projects.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will coordinate to 1) amend the 2020 LRTP to ensure consistency with the Board action on adopting the LB-ELA CMIP, and 2) negotiate and execute all necessary agreements with local jurisdictions for the Port of Los Angeles Drayage Truck Charging Depot and the Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive project upon approval by the Board.
Given the breadth of the CMIP with multimodal and multi-jurisdictional projects and programs, staff have been meeting with internal departments and groups, and external agencies and communities to chart a course to operationalize various elements of the CMIP in the near term. Staff will continue working with the subregion, cities, communities, stakeholders, and sponsor agencies to operationalize the LB-ELA CMIP and deliver projects.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - LB-ELA CMIP Initial Investment Project List
Attachment B - Port of Los Angeles Drayage Truck Charging Depot
Attachment C - City of Long Beach Request for Funding for Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive
Attachment D - LB-ELA CMIP Pre-Investment Plan Opportunity Project Status Update
Attachment E - Community Leadership Committee Reflections & Recommendations Report
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Akiko Yamagami, Senior Transportation Manager, (213) 547-4305
Rena Lum, Deputy Executive Officer, (213) 922-6963
Michael Cano, Executive Officer, (213) 418-3010
Avital Barnea, Senior Executive Officer, (213) 547-4317
Nicole Ferrara, Deputy Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4322
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by:
Ray Sosa, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4274
