Meeting_Body
CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE
APRIL 16, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: CALTRANS QUARTERLY UPDATE
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE ORAL REPORT
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE the quarterly oral report on the status of the Caltrans construction projects.
Issue
ISSUE
Caltrans is a Metro funding partner and the lead agency on multiple highway projects under construction in Los Angeles County. These projects include, but are not limited to, safety, mobility, and operational improvements on freeways and state highways that are Measure M-funded.
At the request of Directors Horvath and Hahn, this report includes an update on the status of the Pacific Coast Highway Safety Enhancement Project and the I-105 at Studebaker Safety Enhancement Project, respectively. This will be the last report and presentation on both projects because the I-105 at Studebaker Safety Enhancement Project has been completed, and the Pacific Coast Highway Safety Enhancement Project will be completed before the next quarterly report.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)/ Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Commitments
Projects administered by Caltrans have federal aid and DBE commitment goals based on the contract bid amount for federal aid projects.
• The I-405 Crenshaw Auxiliary Lane Project’s DBE goal of 14% has been achieved.
• The SR-71 South Segment Project did not have federal participation, so a DBE goal was not required, however, the Contractor achieved 0.45% in DBE participation.
• The Pacific Coast Highway Safety Enhancement Project was an emergency contract and a Disadvantaged Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation goal of up to 5% was encouraged.
• The I-105 at Studebaker Road Safety Enhancement Project is a Caltrans Minor B Contract that is only awarded to SBEs.
Project-Based Equity Considerations
The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) Safety Enhancement Project and the I-105 at Studebaker Safety Enhancement Project are contracts administered by Caltrans to address unsafe conditions. The proposed safety and operational improvements for the PCH Safety Enhancement Project are intended to reduce speeds and collision rates along the corridor and enhance safety through traffic calming improvements that provide better and safer access for people to walk, roll, cycle, or drive.
The I-105 at Studebaker Road Safety Enhancement Project in Norwalk is located within Equity Focus Communities (EFCs) and the SR-71 South Segment Project is adjacent to EFCs in Pomona. Both cities have communities that have raised safety concerns and stand to benefit from the proposed improvements that address operational deficiencies and unsafe conditions. For the I-105 at Studebaker Road Project, Caltrans will conduct an independent analysis of the before and after conditions after all collision reports are prepared and compiled. Also, in the future, the project partners will convene a workshop to inform all about the planned improvements in the area and the analysis to be conducted.
Community Engagement
Caltrans, in coordination with the local jurisdictions, determined community engagement processes specific to the type of transportation improvement. This coordination is aligned with the Caltrans Race & Equity Action Plan to address systemic racial inequities that exist within the transportation sector.
Throughout the construction phase for the projects noted, outreach efforts consisted of sending press releases to cities, communities, elected officials, and multiple media outlets (talk radio, cable news) and social media platforms (X/Twitter, Instagram) that cover Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Specific notices regarding construction work and/or detours were made available in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, etc.) based on the impacted communities. In addition, Caltrans uses fixed and portable changeable message signs to report lane, ramp and/or local road closures; and QuikMap, a digital application, to provide real-time traffic information (including road closures) for motorists traversing to and through project areas impacted by construction activities. Caltrans also provides updates that are posted on Caltrans and Metro websites about active construction sites. Any unintended equity impacts that may arise will be responded to on a case-by-case basis by the appropriate project partners.
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.
While the agency remains committed to reducing VMT through transit and multimodal investments, some projects may induce or increase personal vehicle travel. However, these individual projects aim to ensure the efficient and safe movement of people and goods.
SR-71 South Segment Phase 1 Project
This project will likely increase VMT in Los Angeles County as it involves a construction project that adds an additional mixed flow lane for approximately 3.1 miles in each direction that encourages driving alone (and also adds one HOV lane that extends north to the I-10 freeway to close the gap in the HOV system, provides mobility options, and promotes increased carpool, vanpool and bus transit usage along the SR-71 corridor).
This safety and mobility improvement project along SR-71 is identified in the voter approved Measure M expenditure plan and was cleared environmentally decades ago, prior to CEQA requiring VMT analyses. The Project has been under construction for almost four years and is scheduled to be opened in July 2025.
I-405/Crenshaw Boulevard Improvements Project
This project will likely increase VMT in Los Angeles County as the ramp improvements will encourage driving alone. The operational improvements will enhance safety and mobility by eliminating the weaving and merging conflicts on I-405 between Western Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard and provide more ramp storage for vehicles to reduce congestion and prevent excess traffic from backing up and queueing along local arterials (Crenshaw Boulevard and 182nd Street). According to Caltrans, most of the ramp collisions were rear ends followed by sideswipes, hit objects, and overturns. Most of the collisions were caused by speeding, followed by improper lane change, improper turn, failure to yield, improper driving, and the influence of alcohol.
The Project is identified in the voter-approved Measure R expenditure plan and was cleared environmentally in 2016. Construction began in 2021 without conducting a VMT analysis, and the new on- and off-ramps were opened to traffic in May 2024 (southbound) and June 2024 (northbound). With 97 percent of the construction completed to date, only plant establishment work remains.
PCH Safety Enhancement Project
As part of these ongoing efforts, this item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through operational traffic calming activities that will slow traffic, reduce vehicle collisions, and improve safety for people using active transportation modes along the corridor. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
I-I05 at Studebaker Safety Enhancement Project
The Project was completed in August 2024, and it is likely contributing to reduced VMT. Caltrans maintenance crews were dispatched after completion of the Project to install sentry water-filled barriers and flashing red lights at freeway termini from 10pm to 4am to enhance safety. This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through safety improvements (i.e., flashing beacons, rumble strips, reflective back plates, LED flashing sign panels, cable barriers, and high-visibility crosswalk markings) that will slow traffic exiting the freeway, reduce collisions, and improve safety for people using active transportation modes to cross Studebaker Road. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
Although the projects included may not all directly contribute to the achievement of the Board-adopted VMT Reduction Targets, the VMT Targets were developed to account for the cumulative effect of a suite of programs and projects within the Metro region, which individually may induce or increase VMT. Additionally, Metro has a voter-approved mandate to deliver multimodal projects that enhance mobility while ensuring the efficient and safe movement of people and goods.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019
Prepared_by
Prepared by: John Yang, Deputy District Director, Caltrans District 7, (213) 761-3255
Michelle E. Smith, Executive Officer, Complete Streets & Highways,
(213) 547-4368
Avital Barnea, Senior Executive Officer, Multimodal Integrated Planning,
(213) 547-4317
Nicole Ferrara, Deputy Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4322
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Ray Sosa, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4274
