Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
JUNE 17, 2020
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
JUNE 18, 2020
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS BUTTS, BONIN, GARCIA, GARCETTI, and FASANA
Modernizing the Metro Highway Program
On January 13, 2020, Chair Butts appointed a subcommittee of board staff to reconcile conflicting interpretations of policy direction with regard to the Metro Highway Department. His direction to the subcommittee was to "chart a roadmap toward a more future-oriented highway program that reflects the Board's strategic priorities of efficiency (defined multimodally), safety, equity, and sustainability." The scope of the subcommittee's work included reviewing and recommending changes to relevant guidelines, policies, and procedures related to project scoping, prioritization, funding/eligibility, and stakeholder engagement.
In October 2014, the Metro Board adopted the Complete Streets Policy, marking a shift in philosophy from traditional highway capacity projects toward comprehensive, multimodal planning and implementation.
A key policy goal, especially in light of the Covid 19 Pandemic crisis, should aim to reduce vehicle miles travelled by expanding the traditional definition of Metro's highway program including geometric changes, infrastructure and technologies in public rights of way that support transit, ridesharing and working from home.
n 2016, Measure M continued this trajectory by diversifying the types of projects and programs included in the expenditure plan, incorporating stakeholder input via a "bottom up" planning process, and giving subregions a more direct role in setting funding priorities on an ongoing basis. This decentralization of highway planning and the increasing prevalence of projects on city streets makes it timely to assess the structure, policies, and procedures of the Metro Highway Program to identify opportunities for increased alignment with current board policies, funding priorities, and street design best pra...
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