Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
AUGUST 18, 2016
Preamble
Motion by:
MOTION BY GARCETTI, KNABE, ANTONOVICH, SOLIS,
DUBOIS & FASANA
August 18, 2016
Federal Freight Funding Program Update
In December 2015, Congress passed a multi-year surface transportation-funding bill known as the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act).
The FAST Act contains provision, National Highway Freight Program (NHFP) which provides funds to support freight related projects.
The funds are both apportioned a formula basis to the states and distributed on competitive basis under provisions of the FASTLANE program.
This year, eighteen projects were selected nationwide to receive $760 million in total FASTLANE grant dollars.
Of the twenty-four projects that California submitted to USDOT for funding, nine of which were located in Los Angeles County, only one project received FASTLANE grant money-SR 11 Enrico Fermin to Otay Mesa East Point of Entry Improvement Project in San Diego, a project that promotes faster border crossing by commercial trucks at the U.S.- Mexico border.
The six-county area that stretches from Ventura to Imperial Counties and include Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino Counties did not receive a single funded project.
Yet, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach make up close to 40% of the nation’s freight movement at approximately $400 billion dollars a year and the volume of goods is expected to more than double over the next thirty years.
Being that the FAST Act authorized the FASTLANE Program for $4.5 billion dollars through 2020 with competitive years for projects each year, it is incumbent upon this Board to approach these grant opportunities with the utmost urgency in planning and strategy to allow us to reduce congestion and pollution and move freight more efficiently through the region.
Over the authorization period of the FAST Act the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is anticipated to apportion to the State of California over $500 million of freight formula related funds.
In response to provisions of the FAST Act the U.S. Department of Transportation has released an “Interim National Multimodal Freight Network”, which includes major freight and goods movement corridors of national significance, including I-5 and the I-710 (south).
The Federal Highway Administrator recently stated: “I-5 is key to international commerce since it reaches U.S. borders with both Canada and Mexico. The interstate links some of America’s largest urban areas, industrial operations, agricultural communities and freight facilities to the nation and to Pacific Rim markets, fueling the West Coast’s strong economic recovery and low unemployment rate.”
There is an urgent need for MTA to demonstrate a strong leadership role in accessing the maximum amount of FAST Act federal freight funds apportioned to California in order to support the implementation critical and congested national freight infrastructure projects located in the I-5 and I-710 (south), the County’s freight corridors along with implementation of the innovative zero emission technology program outlined in the Metro “Pilot Project.”
Title
APPROVE Motion by Garcetti, Knabe, Antonovich, Solis, DuBois and Fasana that the Board direct the CEO on the following:
A. Review MTA’s process for selecting the three projects presented for the first year of FASTLANE grants, including the list of projects and selection process.
B. Present on lessons learned from the first FASTLANE grant cycle, outlook for future FASTLANE grant cycles, and strategies for better positioning MTA to secure funding from future FASTLANE cycles.
C. Establish a freight corridor implementation working group which includes representatives from the following:
1. MTA Deputy Executive Officer for Goods Movement
2. Representatives from the Gateway Cities Council of Governments
3. The I-5 Joint Powers Authority
4. Caltrans District 7
5. Southern California Association of Government
6. Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority (“ACE”)
7. Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (“ACTA”)
8. Port of Long Beach & Port of Los Angeles
D. Activation of “charter” for the working group, including but are not limited to, the following:
1. Development of early action implementation projects with advanced environmental planning in place.
2. Identification of actions to accelerate and expedite the early action projects which shall include a Public Private Partnership (“P3”) opportunities and strategy.
3. Preparation of a strategic action program targeted to access the maximum amount of federal freight formula funds apportioned by FHWA to the State, including proposed criteria for the State to use in a project selection process, e.g., Trade Corridor Improvement Program (TCIF).
E. A comprehensive review of federal advocacy in support of MTA’s FASTLANE grant applications, including an assessment of our communications, outreach, and strategies employed to secure these grant funds.
F. Presentation of an interim report and recommendations by the working group to the October MTA Board meeting of Board of Directors.