Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
October 14, 2015
CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 15, 2015
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: AIRPORT METRO CONNECTOR
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE quarterly status report on the Airport Metro Connector (AMC) 96th Street transit station in response to the June 2014 Board motion (Attachment A).
Issue
ISSUE
At the June 26, 2014 meeting, the Board directed that quarterly status reports be provided on the AMC 96th Street transit station in coordination with Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) staff. The report provides updates on the status of the AMC project including: (1) environmental review process; (2) architectural and engineering design services; and (3) Crenshaw/LAX design accommodations for the future AMC transit station. The report responds to the Board directive.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Staff continues in coordination with LAWA to advance the AMC 96th Street Transit Station. Over this past quarter, work continued on the environmental review, station design and on the Crenshaw/LAX Line accommodations to allow for the construction of the station. LAWA continues its environmental clearance of its Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) including the Automated People Mover (APM) system.
The AMC 96th Street transit station is receiving interest by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). On August 26th, FTA Acting Administrator Therese McMillan along with Leslie Rogers, FTA Region 9 Administrator and other high ranking FTA staff toured LAX and both the LAMP and AMC project areas. LAWA staff joined the tour and provided a briefing on their LAMP.
On September 8th, Metro submitted an expression of interest for the AMC 96th Street transit station for FTA’s pilot project for expedited project delivery. This $77 million expression of interest, if approved for funding, will help Metro to accelerate the project to a 2023 opening date, consistent with the Board direction to deliver this project earlier than the 2028 revenue operations date in the 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan.
Environmental Review Process
Staff continues to work with LAWA representatives to coordinate the environmental efforts for both the AMC transit station and LAMP project, which are on parallel schedules. Metro and LAWA staff have been meeting bi-weekly to confirm project definitions, baseline traffic data, ridership model assumptions and bicycle and pedestrian connectivity. This will help ensure that both separate and independent projects are fully synchronized.
In addition to exchanging data with LAWA representatives, Metro staff has been attending bi-weekly multi-agency ground access technical coordination meetings led by LAWA with Caltrans, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) to discuss roadway concepts, freeway access, traffic modeling, and details of the LAMP project.
Architectural and Engineering Design Services
In July, the Board awarded the architectural and engineering design services contract for the station. A kick-off meeting was held on August 25th with the design team to present the project objectives, discuss the Board directed transit station design considerations as well as the Crenshaw/LAX construction schedule, accommodations for the 96th Street station and the Southwest Yard design and construction schedule. On August 26th, the design team received a detailed briefing by the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project, Southwestern Maintenance Yard and LAWA’s LAMP design teams and toured the project area. Staff reinforced that the Crenshaw/LAX and Southwest Yards’ construction schedules cannot be impacted by the AMC 96th Street Transit station. Work progresses on defining the station’s program elements.
Crenshaw/LAX Design Accommodations
Staff issued a limited change order with Walsh-Shea Corridor Constructors for the design of the accommodations. Staff has also informed the affected property owners that additional property acquisition is no longer needed on the east side of the Metro ROW for the accommodations.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff in close coordination with LAWA staff will continue to work on the environmental document, station design and the Crenshaw/LAX design accommodations.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - June 26, 2014 Board Motion
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Meghna Khanna, Transportation Planning Manager (213) 922-3931
Cory Zelmer, Project Manager (213) 922-1079
David Mieger, Executive Officer (213) 922-3040
Renee Berlin, Managing Executive Officer (213) 922-3035
Rick Meade, Executive Officer (213) 922-7917
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Martha Welborne, FAIA, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-7267
Bryan Pennington, Deputy Executive Director, Program Management (213) 922-7449
Rick Clarke, Executive Director, Program Management, (213) 922-7557
