Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
JANUARY 18, 2017
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: 2017 ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM (ATP)
ACTION: APPROVE LOS ANGELES COUNTY PORTION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS (SCAG) 2017 ATP REGIONAL PROGRAM
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. APPROVING the SCAG 2017 ATP Regional Program Implementation Project List for Los Angeles County including the assignment of ten points for consistency with regional, local, and Metro plans and a contingency list to be used should additional ATP funds be made available, as shown in Attachment A; and
B. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer to commit $2,169,000 to the Metro-sponsored project, Reconnecting Union Station to the Historic Cultural Communities in DTLA, required in order to secure partial ATP funding of $3,157,000.
Issue
ISSUE
The 2017 ATP provides a total of $263.5 million, distributed through three components: Statewide, Small Urban and Rural, and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO). The CTC adopted the Statewide and Small Urban and Rural components of the 2017 ATP on December 7, 2016. Los Angeles County’s share of the 2017 Statewide ATP awards total approximately $33.6 million is shown in Attachment B.
The CTC is scheduled to adopt the remaining third element of the 2017 ATP-the MPO component --on March 16, 2017. To prepare for that action of the CTC, Metro’s MPO, SCAG, will consider their 2017 ATP Regional Program on February 2, 2017. It will also include three components: Implementation, Planning, and Non-infrastructure Projects. SCAG made its 2017 Regional Program Implementation Projects recommendations on November 15, 2016. For this first of three MPO components, SCAG’s guidelines require the Boards of the county transportation commissions and authorities to approve the recommendations for their respective counties. Los Angeles County’s MPO component recommendation includes partial ATP funding for Metro-sponsored Reconnecting Union Station to the Historic Cultural Communities in DTLA project requiring commitment of additional Metro funds to ensure a fully funded project.
For the other two MPO components, SCAG will make its preliminary 2017 Regional Planning and Non-infrastructure Projects recommendations on January 20, 2017. Staff will inform the Board.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
A summary of active transportation funding recommended for projects in Los Angeles County is below. Funding comes from various components of the 2017 ATP and from SCAG’s 2016 Sustainability Planning Grants (SPG).
|
Program Component |
Amount Awarded |
Attachment |
|
SCAG ATP Implementation |
$28,785,000 |
A |
|
Statewide ATP |
$33,647,000 |
B |
|
SCAG ATP Planning and Non-Infra. through 2016 SPG |
~$1,515,017 |
|
|
Subtotal ATP funds |
~$63,974,000 |
|
|
SCAG 2016 SPG funds |
TBD |
|
|
GRAND TOTAL LA COUNTY ATP AND 2016 SPG FUNDS |
~$63,974,000 |
|
The total statewide funding available for the MPO components is $105.4 million, of which SCAG receives $56 million for its Regional ATP Program. SCAG then programs these funds to its six counties for infrastructure and Non-Infrastructure projects through formula population shares and for planning and Non-Infrastructure projects through a supplemental competition. Attachment C describes project selection processes for each of these project types.
Los Angeles County’s population share of the SCAG Implementation ATP funds is approximately $28.8 million. Metro Board approval is necessary to secure approximately $28.8 million for LA County Implementation Projects selected for the SCAG 2017 ATP Regional Program. After Metro Board approval to add 10 points, as appropriate per Metro Board policies, projects will be selected by SCAG in accordance with their 2017 ATP Regional Guidelines. These projects are shown in Attachment A in the rank order selected by the CTC and SCAG, per state law and ATP Guidelines.
The Regional Implementation Projects List includes partial funding for three projects, including Metro’s Reconnecting Union Station to the Historic Cultural Communities in DTLA. This project is one of the “Stage 1 Perimeter Improvement Projects” recommended in the Union Station Master Plan. $13.3 million of discretionary funds have already been secured for the other Stage 1 Perimeter Improvement Projects. This project’s ATP request is $5,326,000 but it is recommended for partial funding of $3,157,000, leaving a balance of $2,169,000. In order to deliver all benefits committed to in the original application to secure the partial funding and leverage the other funds committed to the overall Stage 1 Perimeter Improvement Projects, Metro needs to fully fund the balance. Going forward, staff will also explore other discretionary funding sources to offset this amount.
Metro Grant Assistance
Metro has provided grant assistance for three cycles of the ATP. A summary of grant assistance results is in Attachment D.
Impact to the Metro Call for Projects
A summary of the impact to the Call for Projects is in Attachment E.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The recommendations in this report will not have any direct impact on the safety of our customers and employees.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approving the 2017 ATP Regional Program Implementation Project List for Los Angeles County, including the City of Long Beach Atherton Bridge & Campus Connections project (2015 Call ID F9532) and City of Pasadena Bicycle Program-Union Street 2-way Cycle Track project (2015 Call ID F9516), will reduce the need for funding for the 2015 Call for Projects by $2,533,630.
Approving the commitment of $2,169,000 to the Metro-sponsored project, Reconnecting Union Station to the Historic Cultural Communities in DTLA, will allow Metro to secure $3,157,000 in State grant funds that it would not otherwise receive. This grant will build upon the $13.3 million of discretionary funds Metro has previously secured for the other Union Station Stage 1 Perimeter Improvement Projects. Based upon the current project schedule the $2,169,000 in Metro matching funds will not be required until FY 2020 and FY 2021. This timing will allow Metro staff to explore other discretionary and or local funding sources to offset this amount. Metro staff will report on the success of these efforts at the time the Life of Project Budget for the Reconnecting Union Station to the Historic Cultural Communities in DTLA project is brought to the Metro Board along with details on any remaining commitments of Metro funding required to deliver the project.
Impact to Budget
Approving the staff recommendations will have no impact on the FY 2017 Budget. Since the Reconnecting Union Station to the Historic Cultural Communities in DTLA is a multi-year project, the cost center manager and the Chief Planning Officer will be accountable for budgeting the cost in future years.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may consider deferring action on the Los Angeles County portion of the 2017 SCAG Regional ATP Program to the February Board cycle. Staff does not recommend this alternative, as SCAG’s process requires County Transportation Commission approval in time for the County program to be incorporated into the regional program and adopted by the SCAG Regional Council on February 2, 2017.
The Board may consider not authorizing the CEO to commit $2,169,000 to fund the balance of the Reconnecting Union Station to the Historic Cultural Communities in DTLA project. Staff does not recommend this alternative as it would require the project to be downscoped in order to be completed with only 59% of the funds necessary to deliver the full project. If the project is downscoped such that the benefits committed to in the original application cannot be provided, then the project will not be able to receive the partial ATP funding. The City of Pasadena would be next in line for the freed-up funds.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
February 2, 2017 - SCAG Regional Council approval and submittal of 2017 ATP Regional Program to CTC.
March 17-18, 2017 - CTC considers MPO component recommendations for adoption.
Spring 2018 - Anticipated 2019 ATP Call for Projects.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - 2017 ATP Regional Program Implementation Projects List for LA County
Attachment B - Statewide ATP Awards for LA County
Attachment C - SCAG ATP Project Selection Processes
Attachment D - Metro Grant Assistance Summary
Attachment E - Impact to the Call for Projects
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Shelly Quan, Transportation Planner, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-3075
Patricia Chen, Senior Manager, Transportation Planning, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-3041
Wil Ridder, Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-2887
David Yale, SEO, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-2469
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Therese W. McMillan, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-7077
