Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
OCTOBER 22, 2015
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: TITLE VI AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE EQUITY EVALUATIONS FOR NEW FIXED GUIDEWAYS
ACTION: APPROVE ADOPTION OF THE TITLE VI AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE EQUITY FINDINGS FOR THE METRO GOLD AND EXPO LINES EXTENSIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
ADOPT the following Title VI and Environmental Justice Equity Findings:
A. Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension to Azusa and related bus service changes which have no Disparate Impact to minority populations and the Disproportionate Burden analysis as identified in Attachment A; and
B. Metro Expo Line Extension to Santa Monica and related bus service changes which have no Disparate Impact to minority populations and the Disproportionate Burden analysis as identified in Attachment B.
Issue
ISSUE
The Federal Transit Administration requires equity evaluations for new fixed guideway projects six months prior to revenue operation. The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension to Azusa has no Disparate Impact to minority populations. A Disproportionate Burden to poverty level persons will result primarily as a consequence of the rail line itself, and cannot be reasonably mitigated. The rail extension will provide significant regional benefits that will outweigh and mitigate the Disproportionate Burden that results from its operation in the extension corridor.
Metro Expo Line Extension to Santa Monica has no Disparate Impact to minority populations and will impose no Disproportionate Burden on poverty populations.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Federal Transit Administration Circular 4702.1B provides requirements and guidelines for Title VI and Environmental Justice obligations of federal funds recipients. Page IV-21 of these guidelines requires that a service and fare equity evaluation be performed six months prior to the initial operation of a new fixed guideway project.
The service equity analysis must include consideration of the impacted populations for all service changes that are proposed in relation to the operation of each fixed guideway project, whether or not the changes meet the adopted definition of major change as defined in Metro’s Administrative Code Section 2-50. A comparison of before and after service levels on each impacted service is also required. For these two equity evaluations there is no comparative table of service frequencies because no changes are proposed in levels of service, only routing changes.
A fare equity analysis is also required if there are any fare impacts resulting from the operation of the fixed guideway projects. There are no fare changes proposed in association with either of the two projects evaluated. The only potential fare impacts could be on cash paying riders who may be required to transfer to complete a trip that did not previously require them to do so. These riders will not be adversely impacted as they may obtain a TAP Card at any rail station, and use it to pay their fare, thereby being able to transfer at no added cost. The cost of the TAP Card is inconsequential as it is only one dollar for a card that should last for ten years.
The methodology and findings for each evaluation are detailed in Attachment A (Equity Evaluation of Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension - Pasadena to Azusa) and Attachment B (Equity Evaluation of Metro Expo Line Extension - Culver City to Santa Monica).
Findings
Metro Gold Line Extension
There is no Disparate Impact from any of the studied scenarios for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension and related Metro bus service changes.
There will be a Disproportionate Burden imposed on poverty level persons for either of the scenarios that retain existing Route 270 service north of Pomona Ave. The Disproportionate Burden is principally due to the low level of poverty among those persons benefitting from the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension itself. While Scenario 2 would mitigate the overall Disproportionate Burden by withdrawing Route 270 service from Myrtle Ave. north of Pomona Ave. it is too extreme an adverse impact to persons along that portion of the route who would be left with no fixed route bus service. This is not considered to be a reasonable alternative. The significant benefits of introducing the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension to the area outweigh the Disproportionate Burden that results.
Metro Expo Line Extension
The proposed service changes evaluated will result in no Disparate Impact to minorities, and no Disproportionate Burden to poverty level persons.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
There are no safety issues associated with completing Title VI and Environmental Justice evaluations.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The projected operating costs for these two fixed guideway projects are part of planned future year expenditures. These equity evaluations will have no impact on planned expenses.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The completion of equity evaluations for fixed guideway projects is a Federal Transit Administration requirement for continued funding eligibility. There are no practical or economic alternatives to the performance of these analyses and the adoption of their findings.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Approval of the findings of the equity evaluations of these two fixed guideway projects will permit staff to continue with remaining actions necessary to put these projects into revenue service.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Equity Evaluation of Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension - Pasadena to
Azusa
Attachment B - Equity Evaluation of Metro Expo Line Extension - Culver City to Santa
Monica
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Jon Hillmer, EO of Service Planning & Development, (213) 922-6972
Dan Levy, EO Civil Rights Program Compliance & Paratransit
Scott Page, Director of Service Planning, (213) 922-1228
Dana Woodbury, Transportation Planning Manager IV, (213) 922-4207
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: James T. Gallagher, Chief Operations Officer (213) 922-4424
