Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
APRIL 13, 2016
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: WEST SANTA ANA BRANCH TRANSIT CORRIDOR - SUSTAINABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED COMMUNITIES (OPERATION SHOVEL READY)
ACTION: AUTHORIZE EXECUTION OF FUNDING AGREEMENT
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to enter into a Funding Agreement (FA) for the West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor - Sustainable Transit Oriented Communities Predevelopment and Planning Activities (Operation Shovel Ready) with the Gateway Cities Council of Governments (COG), to be led by the Eco-Rapid Transit Joint Powers Authority (JPA) for near-term project activities in response to the Metro Board February 2016 directive, in an amount not-to-exceed $230,800.
Issue
ISSUE
At the February 25, 2016 meeting, the Metro Board directed the CEO to return within 60-days with a budget (not to exceed $18 million), scope of work, potential funding sources and community engagement strategy for the purpose of pursuing Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) predevelopment and planning activities, in coordination with the City and County of Los Angeles, as well as the Eco-Rapid Transit JPA and Gateway Cities COG for the West Santa Ana Branch (WSAB) Transit Corridor (Attachment A). The Gateway Cities COG has requested that Eco-Rapid Transit lead this effort and that staff work directly with them. Staff has had several discussions and meetings with the Eco-Rapid Transit staff concerning the scope of work. These discussions resulted in a two-phased approach. Phase 1 is comprised of nearer-term work elements that would help inform the upcoming environmental document for the WSAB transit project, such as station area planning, parking management guidelines, rail storage and maintenance facility siting methodology and criteria, etc. Phase 1 will also include the development for the larger work scope for Phase 2. Phase 2, the longer-term elements, needs to be coordinated with the preparation of the environmental document. Board authorization is being requested to execute the FA for the Phase 1 elements in order to proceed with the nearer-term project activities. Both the Gateway Cities COG and Eco-Rapid JPA support this approach. Attachment B contains letters of support.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Background
The WSAB Transit Corridor is one of the 12 Measure R Transit corridors with $240 million earmarked for the project. The project is contained in Metro’s 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) for a total of $649 million, including Measure R dollars earmarked for the project, Proposition C 25% and savings from the I-5 South Construction Project (Measure R 20%), with a revenue service date of 2027. The 2009 LRTP did not specify a mode as that was to be determined through the Alternative Analysis (AA) Study. No other funding has been identified for this project. This is an Operation Shovel Ready project.
The Corridor stretches approximately 20 miles from the City of Artesia to Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS). Attachment C shows the study area, which uses eight miles of Metro-owned abandoned Pacific Electric Rail right-of-way (PEROW) from the Los Angeles/Orange County border north to the City of Paramount. It extends 12 miles north of the City of Paramount to LAUS via a combination of local streets and privately owned rail ROW. Of this 12 miles, the route from Huntington Park to LAUS is undetermined (approximately six miles).
In February 2013, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) completed an AA Study for the 40 miles WSAB Corridor from Union Station to Santa Ana in Orange County. The SCAG approved AA Study eliminated from further consideration Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Streetcar and MagLev leaving Light Rail Transit (LRT) as the recommended mode.
In September 2015, Metro completed the Technical Refinement Study that focused on specific issues for the Los Angeles County portion of the corridor (Artesia to LAUS) that were raised during the AA. The Technical Refinement Study updated the Los Angeles County portion project’s cost based on five percent conceptual level of engineering. The Study estimated the project cost at $4 billion in 2015 dollars. The WSAB project is currently in the procurement phase to obtain both environmental clearance and outreach consultant services for the Los Angeles County segment. The Board is scheduled to consider contract award in September/October 2016.
Scope of Work
In collaboration with Eco-Rapid Transit, staff developed a two-phased approach to pursuing sustainable TOCs along the corridor. Phase 1 includes scope elements that can be undertaken in the near-term to help inform the upcoming environmental document. Work for this phase can utilize the remaining $230,800 from the original $350,000 directed by the Metro Board in January 2014 for participation in the Technical Refinement Study (Attachment D). The scope of work for Phase 1 includes:
1. Develop a detailed scope of work for Phase 2 long-term Sustainable TOCs along the WSAB Transit Corridor including timeline, budget and potential funding sources. The Phase 2 work needs to be completed in conjunction with the environmental document as stations are sited and the alignments plans and profiles are more solidified. Staff will be working with Eco-Rapid Transit to develop a detailed scope of work for Phase 2 activities such as an evaluation of existing systems - electric, water, storm water, sewage, fiber (data), to identify opportunities to modify existing facilities to create a state-of-the-art infrastructure, as well as the identification of potential funding sources for the scope elements.
2. Conduct Conceptual Land Use Planning Studies for three southern station areas not previously studied or funded through Metro, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), or SCAG grants. Community engagements will be included as part of the studies. The three station areas are:
• City of Cerritos: 183rd/Gridley Street station
• Cities of Paramount and South Gate: I-105 Freeway/New Green Line station
• City of Paramount: Paramount Blvd./Rosecrans Avenue station
Station planning on the northern stations has been deferred to later in the environmental process when the alignment to LAUS is more solidified.
3. Develop Parking Management Guidelines as a technical supplement for the environmental document. This shall include recommended methodology, guiding principles, typology and key issues for parking management in the corridor and in the station areas. The report will include recommendations for Metro’s consideration to inform the environmental document.
4. Identify criteria and methodology for working with corridor cities to identify potential sites for a rail storage and maintenance facility to be cleared as part of the environmental document.
5. Project Management/Administration for the above scope elements, including the submittal of quarterly reports/invoices.
Determination_of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
This action will not have any impact on the safety of our customers and/or employees.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The FY 2015-16 budget includes $456,000 for Professional Services in Cost Center 4370, Project 460201 (WSAB Transit Corridor). Since this is a multi-year program, the Cost Center Manager and Chief Planning Officer will be responsible for budgeting in future years.
Impact to Budget
The funding for this project is from Measure R 35%. As these funds are earmarked for the WSAB Project, they are not eligible for Metro bus and rail capital and operating expenditures.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may choose not to enter into the FA, enter into a FA for a different amount, or defer executing the agreement until the full scope is developed. These alternatives are not recommended as the pursuit of TOCs along the WSAB Transit Corridor was previously directed by the Board. Additionally, Phase 1 scope elements will help inform the environmental document. This approach has been developed in close collaboration with the Eco Rapid Transit JPA.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval, staff will execute the FA with the Gateway Cities COG to initiate work for the Phase 1 tasks. Staff will continue working with Eco-Rapid Transit and the Gateway Cities COG to develop the scope of work for the long-term tasks to meet the Board directive, and will return to the Board in early FY 17 with a scope of work for the remaining work not to exceed $17,769,200.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - February 25, 2016 Board Motion, Item# 32.1
Attachment B - Letters of Support
Attachment C - WSAB Transit Corridor Study Area Map
Attachment D - January 15, 2014 Board Motion
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Matt Abbott, Transportation Planning Manager, (213) 922-3071
Fanny Pan, Director, (213) 922-3070
David Mieger, Executive Officer, (213) 922-3040
Renee Berlin, Managing Executive Officer, (213) 922-3035
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Calvin E. Hollis, Interim Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-7319
