Meeting_Body
PLANNING & PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 14, 2015
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: I-710 SOUTH CORRIDOR PROJECT EIR/EIS SCOPE, BUDGET, AND SCHEDULE
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATIONS
Title
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED (3-0) authorizing the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. EXECUTE Contract Modification No. 16 to Contract No. PS4340-1939 with AECOM (formerly URS Corporation) to address changes to the project alternatives for the Recirculated Draft EIR/EIS, and evaluate a Preferred Alternative for the I-710 South Corridor Project, in an amount not to exceed $7,012,735, increasing the total contract not-to-exceed amount from $38,781,395 to $45,794,130 and a contract extension of 15 months;
B. EXECUTE Contract Modification No. 10 to Contract No. PS4340-1940 with Moore Iacofano Goltsman, Inc., for the continued facilitation of community outreach services through the evaluation of the Preferred Alternative, in an amount of $616,413, increasing the total contract amount from $3,192,312 to $3,808,725, and a contract extension of 15 months;
C. EXECUTE Contract Modification No. 8 to Contract No. PS4710-2647 with AECOM (I-710 South Utility Study - South Segment), for the utilities and structural engineering efforts associated with the revised project alternatives, in an amount not to exceed $648,969 increasing the total contract from $7,448,929 to $8,097,898, and a contract extension of 15 months; and
D. INCREASE Contract Modification Authority (CMA) specific to the three contracts to cover the cost of any unforeseen issues that may arise during the performance of the contracts as follows:
1. Contract No. PS4340-1939 in the amount of $1,051,910; increasing the total CMA amount from $3,526,331 to $4,578,241
2. Contract No. PS4340-1940 in the amount of $92,462; increasing the total CMA amount from $177,884 to $270,346
3. Contract No. PS4710-2647 in the amount of $97,345, increasing the total CMA amount from $742,845 to $840,190.
Issue
ISSUE
At the January 2013 Board meeting, staff provided a status update and recommended the re-circulation of the Draft EIR/EIS to update the traffic assumptions/forecasts and address proposed changes in the design of the alternatives required to minimize impacts. At that time, the Board approved modifications to increase funding for the I-710 Corridor Project EIR/EIS (Project) engineering and outreach contracts. The additional funds were required to continue the Project’s environmental document through the final EIR/EIS and Record of Decision (ROD). However, once the traffic forecast update work got underway, it became apparent that the project alternatives needed to be re-evaluated to address public input and important changes in the base growth, goods movement and project assumptions. Most of the approved budget under the last contract modifications was therefore used to complete the revision to the alternatives.
The additional funds being requested are required to re-circulate the Draft EIR/EIS with a set of revised alternatives and to evaluate a Preferred Alternative. Metro staff developed five separate scopes of work (one for engineering/environmental, three for supporting the engineering efforts and another for outreach) and independent cost estimates to address all of the needs listed above. This request is for three of the five contracts; the other two contract modifications were approved at the September Board meeting. The contract modification scopes do not cover the entire cost to complete the Final EIR/EIS and Project Report, nor does it cover the extensive community participation effort associated with completing the Final EIR/EIS. The requested amount covers efforts to carry studies through the selection of a Preferred Alternative. Once a Preferred Alternative is recommended by the I-710 advisory committees, staff will return to the Board with a recommendation on the Preferred Alternative and a funding request for the completion of the Final EIR/EIS and ROD.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Background
The I-710 Corridor Project (I-710 South) study encompasses an 18-mile long corridor that extends from Ocean Blvd in Long Beach to State Route 60. I-710 is a vital transportation artery, linking the Ports of Los Angles and Long Beach to Southern California and beyond. As a result of population growth, cargo container growth, increasing traffic volumes, and aging infrastructure, the I-710 Freeway experi-ences serious congestion and safety issues. Among the major concerns in the corridor are the higher than average truck accident rates, the projected growth in the study area, which include the Ports, and effects on mobility and the quality life in the surrounding communities. The I-710 South Project alternatives seek to improve safety, air quality/public health, mobility, and accommodation for projected growth.
The Project was initiated in January 2008 by Metro and six funding partners: Caltrans, Gateway Cities Council of Governments (GCCOG), Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), and the I-5 Joint Powers Authority. Caltrans is the CEQA/NEPA lead agency for the project and Metro is the agency responsible for managing the consultant contracts.
The Project has advanced through a very robust community participation process. Decisions regarding analytical assumptions, project alternatives, and the scope of the environmental analysis have been made in consultation with community stakeholders through the I-710 Community Participation Framework; this framework comprises a number of advisory committees formed at the Project’s inception, including: Local Advisory Committees (LAC), a Corridor Advisory Committee (CAC), a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and a Project Committee, which includes elected officials for each of the corridor cities as well as representatives from each of the Funding Partner agencies.
A Draft EIR/EIS was circulated on June 28, 2012. The Draft EIR/EIS evaluated four build alternatives, three of which included a grade-separated freight corridor. Close to 3,000 comments were received as part of the circulation.
Status of Draft EIR/EIS Recirculation
During the first half of 2013, the Project Team updated the traffic forecast for the project based on the most recent regional model. Important changes in the base growth, goods movement, and project assumptions were factored in. These changes resulted in a revised No Build traffic forecast that, as compared to the previous forecast, indicated less growth in vehicular traffic and more dispersed origins and destinations for truck trips in the region. This led the Project Team to re-asses the effectiveness of the Alternatives previously evaluated in the Draft EIR/EIS. It was determined these Build Alternatives needed to be revised to better address the forecasted traffic conditions. The Project Team proceeded to evaluate various revisions to the Build alternatives.
In early 2014, the Project Team began working with the various I-710 advisory committees to present the work accomplished so far (traffic forecasting and alternatives development) and to further refine the preliminary build alternatives and geometric concepts. By the middle of 2014, the following two Build Alternatives were presented to the 710 Committees for inclusion in the RDEIR/SDEIS:
Alternative 5C - widen to 5 mixed flow lanes in each direction plus improvements at I-710/I-405 (including truck by-pass lanes), I-710/SR-91, I-710/I-5 and every local interchange between Ocean Blvd. and SR-60.
Alternative 7 - two dedicated lanes (in each direction) for clean technology trucks from Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach to the intermodal railroad yards in Commerce/Vernon, plus improvements at I-710/I-405, I-710/SR-91, I-710/I-5 and every local interchange between Ocean Blvd. and SR-60.
Both alternatives include: maximum goods movement by rail, TSM/TDM/ITS improvements, transit improvements, arterial improvements, active transportation improvements, consideration of public-private partnership (P3) for financing, delivery, and operation, and lastly, support for Zero or Near Zero Emission Truck commercialization and incentive programs.
The preliminary cost estimates are $8 billion for Alternative 7 and $4 billion for Alternative 5C.
Since the middle of 2014, the Project Team has been completing the preliminary engineering work on these two Build Alternatives. The environmental technical studies will be completed in March 2016, in an effort to release the recirculated Draft EIR/EIS in late 2016.
Project Expenditures
Initial funding for the environmental phase of the Project was provided by Metro and the I-710 Funding Partners (Metro, GCCOG, SCAG, Caltrans, I-5 Joint Powers Authority, Port of Long Beach, and Port of Los Angeles), with Metro taking the lead and becoming the contracting agency for the EIR/EIS. Due to extensive changes in the design of the Project throughout the environmental process, the original budget was depleted in 2012, and since then, the Board has approved additional Measure R I-710 South/Early Action Project funding to continue the EIR/EIS document. The engineering contract started off with a budget of $23 million and has increased to $38.8 million, while the outreach contract increased from $2.5 million to $3.5 million. Additionally, three separate engineering contracts (utility studies) were initiated in 2011 to supplement the utilities and structural engineering components of the Project. These studies were required to address the significant amount of potential utility impacts and to complete the structural Advance Planning Studies required by Caltrans but not included in the original scope. Three separate contracts were procured to ensure that focused and relevant technical expertise could be applied to the different engineering challenges present at the three major segments of the Project: south, central and north. These contracts amount to another $19.4 million. The Board has also authorized $1.5 million in third party support costs. Altogether, $66.8 million has been authorized so far in expenditures on the Project, out of which, approximately $55.9 million has been spent to date on the environmental phase of the Project.
Participation and support from third parties such as Caltrans, US Army Corp of Engineers, GCCOG, Gateway Cities, and SCE have been necessary for the development of the Project. Staff anticipates the continued need for this support and is recommending increasing funding to cover the remainder of the environmental phase. Caltrans funding is estimated to total $2,500,000; GCCOG funding is estimated to increase by approximately $300,000; SCE funding is estimated to increase by $400,000; funding for US Army Corp of Engineers is to be determined, and Gateway Cities funding for the review of the environmental document is estimated to increase by approximately $522,000. Final funding amounts will be negotiated with each party.
Project Schedule
The Recirculation of the Draft EIR/EIS is anticipated late 2016. A decision on a Preferred Alternative will be made post the recirculation of the Draft EIR/EIS.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The I-710 South Corridor project scope, schedule, and budget revisions will have no impact to the safety of Metro’s patrons or employees.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funding for these contract modifications is currently included in the $14,009,495 FY16 budget in Cost Center 4730 (Highway Program B), Project 460316, (I-710 South Early Action Projects), Account 50316 (Services Professional/Technical), as well as $19,048,000 in Cost Center 0442 (Highway Subsidies), Account 54001 (Subsidies to others), Project 460316 (I-710 South and/or Early Action Projects). Since this is a multi-year project, the cost center manager and the Managing Executive Officer of the Highway Program will continue to be responsible for budgeting in future years.
Impact to Budget
The additional source of funds for this project will be from Measure R Highway Capital (20%) Funds from the I-710 South and/or Early Action Projects. These funds are not eligible for bus and rail operating and capital expenditures.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may elect not to approve the contract modifications. This option is not recommended. Completing the environmental document for the project is a necessary step in developing the improvements described in Measure R for the corridor. The Board has recognized that the strength of this project has evolved around the development of community consensus throughout the corridor. Board approval would allow the project to move forward with continued community engagement and support which has been the trademark of this study.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon approval by the Board, staff will execute the three contract modifications.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A1 - Procurement Summaryfor PS4340-1939
Attachment B1 - Contract Modification/Change Order Log for PS4340-1939
Attachment C1 - DEOD Summary for PS4340-1939
Attachment A2 - Procurement Summary for PS4340-1940
Attachment B2 - Contract Modification/Change Order Log for PS4340-1940
Attachment C2 - DEOD Summary for PS4340-1940
Attachment A3 - Procurement Summary for PS4710-2647
Attachment B3 - Contract Modification/Change Order Log for PS4710-2647
Attachment C3 - DEOD Summary for PS4710-2647
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Lucy Olmos, Transportation Planning Manager, (213) 922-7099
Ernesto Chaves, Transportation Planning Manager, (213) 922-7343
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Ivan Page, Interim Executive Director, Vendor/Contract Management, (213) 922-6383
Bryan Pennington, Deputy Executive Director, Program Management, (213) 922-7449
Richard Clarke, Executive Director, Program
Management , (213) 922-7557
