Meeting_Body
REVISED
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
NOVEMBER 16, 2016
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: FIRST/LAST MILE MOTION RESPONSE
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE REPORT ON APPROACH AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT FIRST/LAST MILE MOTION AND AUTHORIZE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER TO TAKE ACTION TO IMPLEMENT FIRST/LAST MILE MOTION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. RECEIVING AND FILING status report on work approach and resource needs to implement the Metro Board’s First/Last Mile Motions 14.1 and 14.2; and
B. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer to take action to implement Board Motions 14.1 and 14.2.
Issue
ISSUE
On May 26, 2016, the Metro Board passed Motion 14.1 on first/last mile implementation. Motion 14.1 was subsequently amended by Motion 14.2 on June 23, 2016. The Board requested that staff report back on the Purple Line Section 2 in June 2016 and the balance of the motion at the October 2016 Board meeting. On June 15, 2016, staff reported to the Planning and Programming Committee on the Purple Line Section 2 and indicated that a full report back to the Board would occur in October 2016. As directed, this report comprehensively responds to Motions 14.1 and 14.2.
As outlined in detail in the financial impact section of this report, the total cost to implement the motions’ multiple directives is estimated to be $16.5 million for professional services and 6 additional full-time employees over a period of 4.5 years.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
On May 26, 2016, the Metro Board passed Motion 14.1 on first/last mile implementation (Attachment E). The motion, subsequently amended by Motion 14.2 (allowing first/last mile active transportation improvements to be counted toward the 3% local contribution for rail projects) is expansive in scope and scale and has implications agency-wide and countywide. This comprehensive directive will improve safety, livability and access to transit. Through Board Motion 14.1, staff is directed to:
• Conduct first/last mile planning for 254 station areas in the county;
• Implement first/last mile improvements to coincide with the completion of the Purple Line Section 2;
• Incorporate the newly-designated Countywide First/last Mile Priority Network into the Long-Range Transportation Plan;
• Facilitate first/last mile improvements initiated by local jurisdictions through technical and grant assistance; and
• Establish first/last mile improvements into the project delivery process for future transit capital projects.
Motion 14.2 (Attachment F) allows city-funded first/last mile projects to count toward the 3% local contribution for rail projects. It should be noted that under provisions in Measure R, funding assumptions for future transit capital rail projects typically already account for the 3% local contribution in the project cost, which does not include first/last mile improvements. The Board-mandated inclusion of first/last mile components will increase the total project cost. Further, the actual cost of implementing first/last mile improvements will be determined through planning for each station area, will vary by project, and may be greater or less than the 3% contribution. Notably, while the Measure M ballot measure going to the voters on November 8 includes important provisions regarding 3% local contributions, this Board report addresses provisions and circumstances as they exist today for projects under Measure R.
This Board report adds definition and describes the cost and resource implications of the specific activities set forth in the motion. It details an approach to conduct first/last mile planning and incorporate first/last mile elements into future transit capital projects. In summary, the motion necessitates five new projects/programs:
• Transit Capital Projects Guidelines to Integrate First/Last Mile
• Purple Line Sections 2 and 3 First/Last Mile Planning and Design
• Countywide First/Last Mile Planning
• Grant/Funding Technical Assistance
• Matching Grant Program
Implementing all the mandated work will require 6 full-time employees (FTEs), including 4.5 FTEs supporting various aspects of program development and project planning and up to 1.5 FTEs supporting grant and technical assistance. Without this additional staffing, only a small subset of the directed work (Purple Line Planning and Capital Project Guidelines) can be accomplished in the near term, and then only by substantially delaying the following other initiatives:
• Grant-writing Assistance (as directed by Motion 14.1)
• Countywide FLM Planning and Design (as directed by Motion 14.1)
• Parks Access Motion
• Urban Greening Implementation Action Plan and Demonstration Projects
• First/Last Mile Training
• Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Strategy
• Annual Sustainability Report/Sustainability Metrics Update
• Sustainability Demonstration San Gabriel Valley COG
• Sustainability Demonstration Gateway Cities COG
We have identified a need for $12.5 million for professional services over four fiscal years assuming the recommended staffing, and an additional need of up to a total of $20 million to directly fund matching grants over a similar time frame. As detailed in this report, this resource estimate is based on comparable prior work efforts, and as such, should be viewed as the most accurate appraisal of the work possible at this time.
The approach detailed herein calls for intensive efforts to implement Board direction over four fiscal years (FY17-FY20). Due to time sensitivity and commitments described in staff’s June 15, 2016 report to the Planning and Programming Committee, our first priority will be to implement first/last mile components of the Purple Line and to prepare guidelines pertinent to all future capital projects. Attachment D details the prioritization of work described in this Board report, along with an alternative scenario for deferred work efforts in the absence of additional staffing.
This report does not identify capital costs for a build-out of the Countywide First/Last Mile Priority Network, including future transit capital projects. The addition of first/last mile improvements to future transit capital projects as mandated by the Board has implications for the scope and total cost of those projects which will be reported to the Board on an on-going basis as each individual project progresses.
Context and Prior Activities
Staff recognizes the far-reaching implications of Motions 14.1 and 14.2, and is well prepared to carry out the specified directives. Metro has played a vital role in advancing sustainability goals in the region and has focused on the concept of the first/last mile and sustainability in the county for many years, including planning and implementing a regional transportation system that increases mobility, fosters walkable and livable communities, and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts. Metro took a leadership role on sustainability issues with the development of the 2012 Countywide Sustainability Planning Policy and Implementation Plan (CSPP). Through this policy, the agency defined long-term sustainability outcomes to facilitate greater coordination across modes, planning disciplines and government agencies. The concept of first/last mile fits squarely within the community and environmental dimensions of sustainability and was further developed in the First/Last Mile Strategic Plan (FLM Plan), which Metro adopted in April 2014. An outgrowth of the CSPP, the FLM Plan provides a path to systematically address the first/last mile challenge.
On May 26, 2016, the Metro Board of Directors adopted the Active Transportation Strategic Plan (ATSP) and designated the Countywide First/Last Mile Priority Network (Attachment A). Included in the ATSP is the Regional Active Transportation Network. By adopting the ATSP, Metro has adopted a comprehensive plan to increase access and mobility throughout the county that facilitates easier and safer walking and biking. By designating the Countywide First/Last Mile Priority Network, Metro is on the forefront of improving and enhancing the transit customer’s experience accessing Metro stations.
To continue improving access to Metro’s transit system, Motion 14.1 recognizes that first/last mile projects complement the transit system by providing mobility options, safety and choice. Further, by encouraging transit use and mode shift, Metro aims to achieve sustainability goals in the region that support the RTP/SCS and state goals for reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
The tasks directed by Board Motion 14.1 and 14.2 will play out over the course of several years taking into account approach, scope development, procurement, funding, and construction. In addition, feedback loops will be in place at key deliverables to ensure that the interrelated elements are continually being improved. See Figure 1 below.
Anticipated Timeline for Motion Items Addressed in this Report
Figure 1
As outlined in the ATSP, implementation of the Regional Active Transportation Network and first/last mile projects requires close collaboration among different disciplines, jurisdictions and community stakeholders. Staff will rely on the methods and strategies outlined in both the ATSP and the First/Last Mile Strategic Plan to engage Metro departments and the community, and to partner with cities and the County of Los Angeles for unincorporated areas in order to implement these station access projects.
As Metro works to accomplish the directives specified in the first/last mile motion over the next several years, staff will evaluate the effects of these improvements on access to transit, vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions. The forthcoming guidelines on first/last mile project delivery will identify additional performance metrics to ascertain how these projects improve transit access and measures of sustainability. The results will enable Metro to be flexible and innovative with respect to how first/last mile projects are delivered.
Work Approach
As described above, Motions 14.1 and 14.2 necessitate five distinct projects requiring FTEs and professional services, as well as direction impacting on-going Metro activities such as the Call for Projects and Long Range Transportation Plan. The intended approach for each of these activities is described below in prioritized order. Priority is based on both time sensitivity as well as cost-effectiveness. Activities to implement major capital projects are first priority in order to align first/last mile planning and implementation with the timelines for the larger transit capital projects. Other activities (Call for Projects, LRTP, and Grant Assistance) are high priorities due to their lower resource demands relative to anticipated benefits.
1. Transit Capital Projects - Purple Line Section 2 and Beyond
Integrating the First/Last Mile Priority Network into the planning, design and implementation of capital projects is an important piece of the Board’s overall direction in Motion 14.1 and will require several layers of effort. The work consists of guidelines development and Purple Line Section 2 first/last mile planning.
For projects that follow Purple Line Section 2, Metro will develop a set of guidelines to direct this full integration and carry out the Board’s objectives. Pursuant to Director Solis’ amendment to Motion 14.1, this will include Foothill Gold Line Phase 2B Extension to Claremont. These guidelines will cover process, timing, and funding considerations for including first/last mile network improvements in future capital projects. Guidelines will not cover how to develop a first/last mile plan, as this is already sufficiently laid out in the First/Last Mile Strategic Plan and the Active Transportation Strategic Plan. The following elements are anticipated for the guidelines:
• Appropriate phasing of first/last mile planning and implementation activities within the context of a larger capital project (see working draft Attachment C for reference). All projects will have a consolidated construction process, with first/last mile components included in the project scope and carried out in tandem. Ideally, first/last mile efforts will also be included in the planning and environmental review stages, but projects that are further along will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Some projects (e.g., those with completed environmental clearances) will necessitate standalone first/last mile planning processes in order to “catch up” prior to implementation. Attachment C provides a snapshot of project planning, design, and implementation phases, and notes the stage of development of all current capital projects.
• Delineation of responsibility between Metro and municipalities for planning and project delivery. It is anticipated that Metro will have the lead role in planning, with input and review from cities. Project delivery will likely vary on a case-by-case basis in consideration of the given city’s capacity. Guidelines will lay out considerations and options for shared roles, such as Metro leading project delivery with a minimal local review role; a city leading project delivery based on planned improvements and Metro review; or hybrids. In all cases, this collaborative process will result in a project plan for first/last mile improvements containing specific agreed-upon components to be implemented. Project plans will focus on access improvements within the ½ mile walk-shed of each station, with some components possible up to three miles based on the bicycle access distance as defined in both the First/Last Mile and Active Transportation strategic plans and local active transportation planning efforts.
• Funding considerations including the application of the 3% local contribution toward first/last mile components. First/last mile components will be part of the overall project costing and, as specified in Board direction, will be defined, integral parts of the overall project not subject to value-engineering. The municipality will be able to apply the 3% local contribution toward any eligible improvement included in the project plan as described above, and conversely, may not count other active transportation investments that are not included in the project definition. Guidelines will also establish exclusions (e.g. on-going sidewalk maintenance, mitigation obligations, etc.) that cannot be counted toward the 3% contribution.
Process, Approach, and Resources
The Financial Impact section in this report will describe the level of effort and resources needed to carry out this direction. Briefly summarized, the process will entail:
• Metro will procure a consultant to assist in the development of these guidelines.
• A technical working group will be formed in order to capture input and advice from affected Metro departments and local agencies.
• An approximately 12-month development timeline (including time for procurement).
In terms of level of effort, First/Last Mile Implementation Guidelines are comparable to the development of other guidance documents that coordinate and direct internal processes for construction projects and communicate expectations and roles for external partners. For example, the Active Transportation Design Criteria and Metro’s Countywide Urban Greening Plan include tasks for internal and interagency research and coordination and provide cross-agency guidance for future projects. We have referenced and compared scope elements from these projects in order to estimate the cost to develop the FLM Implementation Guidelines. See Financial Impact section for details.
As reported in June 2016, Metro will engage an additional consultant under a separate contract to prepare an FLM project plan for the Purple Line Section 2 (Attachment G). For efficiency, we also anticipate including Purple Line Section 3 stations in this planning effort. This will involve collaboration with the cities of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, analysis of existing conditions data, conducting walk audits, and engaging communities in the station area, resulting in conceptual designs to serve each station. Further, this effort will develop detailed costing and a financial plan for Section 2. The financing plan for the Section 3 project will need to include the FLM components which will inform future decision points on FLM implementation. Environmental review for the FLM components will also be included in this overall effort, as environmental review for the transit project itself has already been completed. The work to develop a plan for the Purple Line is comparable to the planning, design, and environmental work previously done for the Gold Line Eastside Access project. See Financial Impact section for details.
While this aspect of first/last mile implementation will have resource implications beyond the specific areas discussed here (guidelines and Purple Line planning), including increases to scope for individual projects as well as the longer-term costs for project construction, we are not estimating the additional resource needs at this time. Rather, cost implications for individual projects will be reported to the Board as each project progresses through planning and implementation phases.
2. Existing Fund Sources / Capital Grant Prioritization / Long Range Transportation Plan
Review and Assessment of Existing Fund Sources
The Metro Board of Directors requested staff to develop a funding strategy to implement first/last mile improvements identified in the Countywide First/last Mile Priority Network. Specifically, the Board requested staff under Motion 14.1, B.4 to “dedicate funding for the Countywide First/last Mile Priority Network in the ongoing Long-Range Transportation Plan update, including a review of first/last mile project eligibility for all Prop A, Prop C, and Measure R capital funding categories.” This is our assessment.
The Board-adopted ATSP includes Chapter 3: Implementation, which contains a summary of all eligible funding sources for implementation of the Countywide First/Last Mile Priority Network. This summary includes not only Proposition A, Proposition C, and Measure R, but also the other local, state, and federal sources eligible for first/last mile improvements. Importantly, eligible fund sources are not necessarily available fund sources. A key part of the next long range plan will be the reconciliation and prioritization of multiple funding demands against these projected revenue streams.
Currently, the Long Range Transportation Plan funds first/last mile improvements through the Metro Call for Projects (Call). Under previous direction from the Board, staff prioritized first/last mile projects in the 2015 Call for Projects. The Board may elect to increase the share of funding dedicated to first/last mile projects in future Calls, based on the priority of this investment compared to others.
As noted above, Metro’s Grant Assistance Policy has been successful in securing funding for first/last mile projects, and will be expanded, per Board direction.
Capital Grant Prioritization
At the May 2016 Board meeting, the Metro Board directed staff to prioritize funding for the Countywide First/Last Mile Priority Network in Metro grant programs, including the creation of a dedicated first/last mile category in the Call for Projects.
In response to a June 25, 2015 Board motion (Item 16), staff is working with the Subregional Executive Directors Group on a restructured Call process to share Call decision-making with the subregional agencies while meeting federal and state requirements. Staff has briefed Metro’s Technical Advisory Committee, Streets and Freeways Subcommittee, Bus Operations Subcommittee, and the General Managers Group on this approach. As reported to the Planning and Programming Committee on August 18, 2016, the next Call funding cycle is on pause while this concept is further developed and the LRTP funding assessment referenced above in completed. Staff will report back to the Board as future Call funding availability is assessed through the upcoming Long Range Transportation Plan process. As the Call restructuring process evolves, first/last mile improvements may be prioritized beyond just its inclusion as an evaluation criterion in the 2015 Call for Projects.
Long Range Transportation Plan - FLM Eligibility Review
The Metro Board also directed staff to support the ATSP by dedicating funding in the LRTP update for the First/Last Mile Priority Network, including a review of first/last mile project eligibility for all Propositions A and C and Measure R capital funding categories. As the LRTP is updated over the next year, funding for first/last mile improvements will be identified.
Activities described in this section relate to consideration of first/last mile in on-going efforts, and therefore do not involve additional resource needs.
3. Technical Assistance
Through Motion 14.1, the Board has directed Metro staff to provide technical and grant writing support to local jurisdictions wishing to deliver first/last mile projects. Staff recommends augmenting the existing Metro Grant Assistance Policy, which provides ongoing grant-writing technical assistance to projects applying to the state Active Transportation Program (ATP). This Board-adopted grant assistance program focuses on the implementation of Metro-adopted active transportation projects, programs, and policies such as the Active Transportation Strategic Plan (ATSP) and the First/Last Mile Strategic Plan and Planning Guidelines. Project selection, which is based on applications submitted voluntarily by local jurisdictions, prioritizes:
• Consistency with ATP and Metro goals
• Provision of local matching funds
• Funding needs greater than $1 million
Under this existing policy, Metro is well-positioned to provide additional support for local jurisdictions seeking ATP funding to advance first/last mile projects around transit stations on the Countywide First/Last Mile Priority Network (Attachment A) identified in the ATSP and the first/last mile Board motion.
Schedule
Grant schedules vary by program. A typical grant-writing technical assistance schedule can take four to five months.
The Letters of Interest (LOI) solicitation process can easily be modified to accommodate projects of an appropriate dollar amount that have been developed and prioritized through a first/last mile planning process, are consistent with Metro’s First/Last Mile Strategic Plan and Planning Guidelines and correspond with the availability and timing of funding for implementation. Additionally, the schedule could be augmented to allow for grant assistance in pursuing awards from other discretionary grant programs. The Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities, Highway Safety Improvement Program, Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program, and various Federal Transit Administration programs may also have funding eligible for first/last mile projects.
There could be opportunities to combine a match funding program with the grant assistance program, so that promising first/last mile projects receive both matching funds and grant assistance from Metro to assist in efforts to obtain discretionary grant funds.
The Financial Impact section of this report details the resource needs associated with technical assistance. Staff’s estimation in this area is based solely on an expansion of the existing grant assistance program to support a larger pool of applications.
4. Countywide First/Last Mile Planning
Motion 14.1 directed staff to conduct first/last mile planning for all existing and under construction Metro rail stations, Orange and Silver Line stations, 100 top ridership bus stops and all regional rail stations. In total, we identified 254 stations that fall under the definition in Motion 14.1 for first/last mile planning. See Attachment B for the list of stations and methodology utilized to determine them.
Per the motion, staff will apply the first/last mile planning methodology detailed in the First/Last Mile Strategic Plan (currently underway for all 22 Blue Line stations) to 254 locations. We anticipate 42 months to develop and complete first/last mile plans for these 254 locations (inclusive of start-up time for hiring and procurement). We will develop a more detailed schedule to describe the sequencing of planning work and include this in a status report to the Planning and Programming Committee within six months. The comprehensive countywide planning approach will entail innovative community engagement and in-the-field walking audits, and will result in funding-ready conceptual plans.
Through a grant from the state’s Active Transportation Program (ATP), Metro is currently conducting the first/last mile planning work for the 22 Blue Line stations. This is the first time comprehensive first/last mile improvements have been planned for an entire rail line in the county. Part of the planning process includes innovative community engagement strategies tailored to the areas along the Blue Line. Successes and lessons learned from the Blue Line first/last mile effort will be applied to countywide first/last mile planning. In addition to other sources, the Blue Line First Last Mile Plan was used to approximate costs for first/last mile planning countywide.
The resource requirements for countywide first/last mile planning, including full-time employees (FTEs) and professional services needs, are covered in the Financial Impact section.
5. Countywide First/Last Mile Priority Network Funding Match Program
The ability to create and identify funding for a new Countywide First/Last Mile Priority Network funding match program, separate from existing Metro funding and grant programs, is highly dependent on the passage of the ballot measure in November 2016. If the ballot measure passes, an array of new funding sources will be available that could directly fund such a program or be used to free up other revenues from existing Metro projects/programs that will be directly funded through the ballot measure. Absent the passage of the ballot measure, the funding of a new match program will require that the Metro Board make tradeoffs with existing Metro projects/programs, including the redirection of funds that would otherwise be made available through programs such as the Call for Projects.
The intent of a Countywide First/last Mile Priority Network funding match program would be to support local agencies in securing funds from state and federal discretionary programs such as the state Active Transportation Program (ATP), as the availability of matching funds is often a criteria for award. It is proposed that Metro’s funding match program focus on first/last mile improvements to existing transit stations within the Countywide First/Last Mile Priority Network consistent with the improvement plans developed for each station as discussed above (new transit stations will already incorporate such elements into their project scope and funding plans). Local jurisdictions may be able to utilize as a local match the total transit corridor/station project funding on grant applications for first/last mile elements of new stations and those jurisdictions would not be precluded from pursuing state and federal discretionary program funds.
Staff will develop a specific proposal for the matching grant program that will maximize the leveraging capacity of Metro funds, including but not limited to, the discretionary state Active Transportation Program. The Financial Impact section of this report preliminarily identifies a need of $20 million per bi-annual grant cycle on this basis.
Role of On-Going Related Efforts
Motions 14.1 and 14.2 create a new slate of efforts within the existing Countywide Active Transportation and Sustainability Program that will have synergies with closely related on-going active transportation work. This section describes areas of potential overlap and coordination opportunities for selected initiatives. It should be noted that staff will revisit project timelines for the Active Transportation and Sustainability Program as a whole, in light of the added workload, and will provide on-going updates to the Ad Hoc Sustainability Committee on progress. As described above and in Attachment D, the absence of additional resources will necessitate substantial delay of work.
• ATSP Implementation: Multiple actions in the first/last mile motion overlap with implementation items in the Active Transportation Strategic Plan and will be coordinated by staff.
• Urban Greening: Metro completed an Urban Greening Plan and toolkit in October 2015. In January 2016, the Board subsequently approved an Implementation Action Plan to direct additional activities related to urban greening, including creating a set of demonstration projects. As Metro develops plans for first/last mile access improvements, we will also consider opportunities for urban greening interventions including storm water capture and infiltration, urban heat island reduction, and sustainable landscaping. Metro will use the newly completed toolkit for guidance in this effort and will seek to develop best practices going forward. Proceeding in this way will reinforce the role of green infrastructure in place-making and improving the physical environment and transit, help position projects to compete for funding sources that emphasize multiple benefits (especially cap-and-trade), and reduce the likelihood of non-coordinated multiple projects impacting local rights-of-way.
• First/Last Mile Training: As part of the previously committed set of first/last mile implementation activities, Metro has initiated a training program geared toward local staff and elected officials. The training instructs participants on how to plan, fund, and implement first/last mile projects, and was intended originally to prompt cities to take a lead role in delivering projects. At this time, Metro is working with our selected consultant to adjust the curriculum for trainings in order to describe a more collaborative approach wherein cities will be working closely with Metro to plan and deliver projects.
• Parks Access Motion: On June 23, 2016, the Metro Board approved a motion directing a planning effort to better link transit to parks and open space. A separate report on this agenda responds to that motion describing a planning process to identify specific opportunities for connectivity projects and demonstrations and an assessment of access issues countywide. Pertinent to the first/last mile motion, all planning work for station areas will consider nearby open space and parks as key destinations for transit riders, and will identify project components that will improve connectivity where appropriate.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of the recommendations would have impacts to the agency as described below.
Motions 14.1 and 14.2 direct several new areas of activity for Metro as described in this report. These new efforts will necessitate resources in terms of both new professional services contracts and full time employees (FTEs) if implemented in the near future. Within this section, staff is providing an estimate of resource needs to carry out this work. This estimate was developed by reviewing comparable past and on-going work efforts. See Attachment D for details on comparable projects and estimating methodology.
The chart below (Figure 2) summarizes our resource needs to carry out the Board’s direction as described above. It should be clearly noted that costs estimated here cover the specific near term activities included in the motions including planning and design, a process to integrate first/last mile in future capital projects, and enhanced technical assistance and granting capacity. Notably, incremental cost increases to future transit capital projects due to the inclusion of first/last mile improvements are not included in this review. Rather, those costs will be detailed and reported to the Board as project plans are completed.
Professional Services and FTE Needs Overview
Figure 2
|
Activity |
Estimated Schedule and Duration |
Unit |
Estimated Professional Services |
Estimated # FTEs and Cost of FTEs |
|
Capital Projects Guidelines Development |
Start - Oct Dec. 2016 Duration - 12 months (including procurement) |
Countywide |
$138,000 |
.75 |
|
Purple Line Sec 2 and 3 Planning and Design |
Start - Oct Dec.2016, Duration - 30 months (including procurement) |
5 Stations |
$1.625 million |
.625 |
|
Countywide Planning and Design |
Start - Oct Dec.2016, Duration - 42 months (including procurement) |
254 Station Areas and Stops |
$10 million |
3 |
|
Grant Assistance |
Start - Oct Dec.2016, Duration - 18 months (including procurement) |
30 Project Applications |
$700,000 |
1.5 |
|
TOTAL: |
4.5 Years |
|
$12.5 million in Professional Services |
5.875 FTEs Estimated Annual Cost of FTEs: $900,000 to $1 million |
|
GRAND TOTAL: |
$16.5 million in Prof. Services and FTEs over 4.5 years (approx. $3.66 million per year) |
|
|
|
|
Matching Grant Program |
Pending budget action, and timed to applicable grant cycles, especially ATP |
30 Projects |
$20 million biennially (approximately) |
0 |
Not including the matching grant program, the total estimated third party cost to carry out work as described in this report is $12.5 million, which is detailed in Attachment D. FY17 will mostly involve start-up activities such as procurement and $125,000 in professional services is anticipated to be incurred. The FY17 budget includes the current fiscal year needs in Cost Center 4340, Sustainability Policy and Programs, under Project Number 450009, Sustainability Demonstration Projects.
For FY17, three new FTEs are needed to support the work program outlined in this report. Upon approval of this work plan by the Board, the three FTEs will be considered among other agency priorities to be drawn from the mid-year "reassignment pool" of available FTEs across the agency. However, should other agency needs determine first assignment of those available FTEs, staff will return to the Board for consideration of a budget amendment to FY17 that would underwrite these positions. The additional three program staff positions identified in this report will be requested from either the "reassignment pool" or through the FY18 budget cycle.
Since this is a multi-year project, the cost center manager and the Chief Planning Officer will be accountable for budgeting the cost in future years, including any option exercised.
As noted above, absent the passage of the potential ballot measure, the funding of a new match program will require that the Metro Board make tradeoffs with existing Metro projects/programs. Approval of this report provides direction to the Chief Executive Officer to identify and budget resources as outlined here.
Impact to Budget
The funding sources are Propositions A, C, and Transportation Development Act Administration, which is not eligible for bus and rail operating or capital expenses.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may decide not to approve the work approach and resource needs in this report. Alternatively, the Board could modify elements of Board Motions 14.1 and 14.2 and staff would develop corresponding recommendations on scope and resource requirements.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
If approved, staff would initiate steps to determine the availability of staff through the RIPA or pursue needed budget actions, and proceed with hiring and consultant contracts within the parameters described above. Staff will report back to committee twice a year on the status of implementing Motions 14.1 and 14.2.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Countywide Priority First/Last Mile Network
Attachment B - Stations and Stops for First/Last Mile Planning
Attachment C - Capital Projects Implementation Steps
Attachment D - FTE and Professional Services Needs
Attachment E - Motion 14.1
Attachment F - Motion 14.2
Attachment G - June 15, 2016 Board Report: First/Last Mile Purple Line Section 2; 3%
Local Contribution Provision
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Katie Lemmon, Manager, Transportation Planning, (213) 922-7441
Jacob Lieb, Senior Manager, Transportation Planning, (213) 922-4132
Diego Cardoso, Executive Officer, (213) 922-3076
Cal Hollis, Senior Executive Officer, (213) 922-7319
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Therese McMillan, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-7077
