Meeting_Body
REVISED
FINANCE, BUDGET AND AUDIT COMMITTEE
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
FEBRUARY 15, 2017
Subject/Action
SUBJECT: LINK UNION STATION (LINK US) PROJECT
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. APPROVING the recommended Alternative 1 with six Regional Rail run-through tracks and four High Speed Rail run-through tracks (also referred to as “6+4 Run Through Tracks” Alternative) to be carried forward in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Draft Environment Impact Statement (EIS) and continue to evaluate Alternatives 2, 3 and 4 as reasonable alternatives in the Draft EIR/EIS;
B. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to execute Modification No. 4 to Contract No. PS2415-3172, with HDR Engineering, Inc., for Link Union Station (Link US) to provide environmental and preliminary engineering services for the expansion of Link US to connect the Link US project with Patsaouras Transit Plaza to the east and the historic Union Station to the west, increasing the total contract value by $13,761,273, from $48,279,357 to a not to exceed amount of $62,040,630;
C. AUTHORIZING the CEO to increase Contract Modification Authority (CMA) in the amount of $1,376,127, increasing the total CMA amount from $2,980,588 to $4,356,715;
D. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer to execute a funding agreement with California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) in the amount of $3,726,102 for project development work related to Contract Modification No. 4; and
E. APPROVING an amendment to increase the FY17 fiscal year budget in the amount of $9,200,000 for the LINK US Project in Cost Center 2145.
Issue
ISSUE
Staff is seeking approval from the Board on the recommended “6+4 Run Through Tracks” Alternative to be carried forward in the Draft EIR/EIS, while continuing to evaluate three other reasonable alternatives in the document.
Contract Modification No. 3, approved by the Board in March 2016, included the LA Union Station Master Plan (USMP) passenger concourse and assumed that the Program-level EIR of the USMP would be prepared concurrently with the Project-level Link US EIR/EIS, and the connections to the Patsaouras Transit Plaza and the historic Union Station would be evaluated by the USMP team.
Early November 2016, Metro Planning staff provided an update to the Board on the LA USMP and a summary of implementation efforts to date. Staff also recommended changes to the approach to redevelopment of LAUS based on new information and direction. In particular, Metro Planning staff recommended not continuing with a Program-level clearance for the USMP, but instead to pursue a Project-level clearance for only the LAUS forecourt improvements identified by the USMP.
As a result, the Link US project-level EIR/EIS will need to be expanded to include additional improvements and study areas for connections from the new expanded passenger concourse to Patsaouras Transit Plaza and the historic Union Station, previously included in the LA USMP Program-level EIR/EIS. In addition, Metro Regional Rail staff recommends advancing the design of the proposed rail structure over US 101 to 100% level to reduce the risk of cost overruns in later phases of the project. Attachment D compares the study areas included in Contract Modification No. 3 and additional study areas proposed in Contract Modification No. 4.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Background
In April 2014, the Board authorized staff to execute Contact No. PS2415-3172 to HDR Engineering, Inc. for the Link Union Station Project, formerly known as Southern California Regional Interconnector Project (SCRIP). In October 2015, the Board approved the expansion of SCRIP to include the Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) Master Plan passenger concourse and accommodate a HSR system in LAUS. In March 2016, the Board approved Contract Modification No. 3 to Contract No. PS2415-3172 for SCRIP with HDR Engineering, Inc. to provide environmental and preliminary engineering services for the expansion of SCRIP to include the LAUS Master Plan passenger concourse and accommodate high-speed rail (HSR).
Project Description
LAUS is one of the largest transportation hubs in Southern California with Metro Rail (Red Line, Purple Line and Gold Line), Metro Bus (Rapid, Local and Limited, Express and Silver) including other municipal bus providers (Flyaway, Foothill Transit, Santa Clarita, etc.) and the largest railroad passenger terminal in Western United States with Amtrak and Metrolink. Currently, there are approximately 110,000 passengers traveling through LAUS each weekday. Metro anticipates continued increases in population will nearly double the demand on existing and planned modes of transportation utilizing LAUS, including the completion of the Metro Crenshaw/LAX, Regional Connector, Gold Line Phase 2B, West Santa Ana Branch, and Purple Line Extensions Sections 1, 2 and 3 by 2040 will result in over 220,000 passenger traveling through LAUS each weekday. Significant upgrades in passenger circulation and capacity at LAUS would be required to accommodate the anticipated growth in transit ridership. In addition, the existing throat, rail yard and passenger concourse (a 28-foot-wide passageway) also significantly constrain Metro’s ability to accommodate future increase in commuter rail service (including Metrolink, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and long distance trains) and future HSR service.
Link Union Station (Link US) project would transform Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) into a world-class transit station and change LAUS from a “stub-end tracks station” to a “run-through tracks station.” Link US would result in increased operational capacity for Metrolink and Amtrak rail service from Control Point (CP) Chavez to the north (near North Main Street) to CP Olympic to the south (near the Interstate 10/State Route 60/US-101 interchange), and increased capacity for passengers within the new expanded multi-modal passenger concourse. Link US would enhance local and regional connectivity by optimizing the connections among all modes of transportation at LAUS including bus, light rail, subway, commuter rail and active transportation. These benefits will be grouped by modes throughout the design document to maximize eligible fund sources contributing to the design and to capture related data for the improvements.
As the focal point of commuter rail travel in Southern California, LAUS serves an average 170 passenger trains each weekday, consisting of 142 Metrolink commuter trains and 28 Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and long distance trains. LAUS is the main stop on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, which is the second busiest Amtrak intercity service nationwide.
Major rail and passenger improvements include:
• Throat and Elevated Rail Yard - New track and subgrade improvements would increase the elevation of the tracks leading to LAUS known as the “throat” and an elevated rail yard including seven new passenger platforms and canopies, accommodating Metro Gold Line, Metrolink, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and long-distance service, and potentially California High-Speed Rail (HSR) service and West Santa Ana Transit Corridor.
• Run-Through Tracks - Up to ten run-through tracks would be constructed with a new viaduct structure over US-101 that extends run-through tracks for Metrolink and Amtrak (referred to thereafter as Regional Rail) and potentially HSR services south along the west bank of the Los Angeles River, and a separate viaduct structure for a loop track turning north to Keller Yard for Regional Rail trains.
• New Multi-Modal Passenger Concourse - The new passenger concourse would enhance Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility at LAUS and include new vertical circulation elements (stairs, escalators, and elevators) for passengers between the elevated platforms (including the Gold Line, Regional Rail and HSR platforms) and the new passenger concourse under the rail yard. The passenger concourse would contain up to 600,000 square feet (passenger circulation and waiting areas, passenger support functions and retail amenities, and building functional support areas), including up to 100,000 square feet of transit-serving retail amenities, to meet the demands of a multi-modal world class transit station.
Other transit improvements include:
• U.S. 101 Freeway Improvements - Several existing non-standard design features (including curve radius, sight distance, lane and shoulder widths, and deceleration distance) on northbound U.S. 101, northbound off-ramp to Alameda Street, and southbound on and off-ramps to and from Commercial Street would be eliminated or improved. The modifications to U.S. 101 would be needed to accommodate the proposed run-through track viaduct and the associated bridge columns.
• Local/Arterial Roadway Improvements - Center Street would be widened and upgraded to include bike lanes between U.S. 101 and Ducommun Street in accordance with the Connect US Action Plan. Commercial Street would be widened and upgraded between Garey Street and Center Street to meet City of Los Angeles street classification standards.
• Active Transportation Improvements - Active transportation connections from LAUS to the Los Angeles River and the surrounding neighborhoods via the proposed run-through tracks viaduct structure are being evaluated and could be potentially accommodated.
Community Outreach
In June 2016, the environmental process for the Link US Project began with a public scoping meeting during the Notice of Intent (NOI) and Notice of Preparation (NOP) comment periods. Metro staff and project team conducted outreach to key community groups, agencies, elected officials and stakeholders. A comprehensive public outreach plan was developed and implemented, resulting in over 40 project briefings to stakeholders to date. A Community Update Meeting was held on November 15, 2016 to provide an update on the project, present the four build alternatives carried forward in the Draft EIR/EIS, and obtain feedback from members of the public. The most common feedback received is summarized below:
• Minimize traffic impacts during construction;
• Lack of funding for construction may result in delay of project completion;
• Make job opportunities available to local communities;
• Minimize noise impacts during construction (temporary) and after project completion (permanent);
• Avoid disproportionate impacts to disadvantaged communities;
• Incorporate art and aesthetics early in the design of the project;
• Historic and cultural characteristics of the study area should be preserved.
Staff has taken all public feedback into consideration in the recommendation on the proposed alternative to be carried forward in the Draft EIR/EIS.
Alternatives Analysis
A total of 74 alternatives were developed to meet the project goals and objectives. A two-step alternative screening process, course-level and fine-level screening, was implemented to advance four alternatives of the total 74 into the EIR/EIS analysis. All four alternatives included the following elements:
• A new expanded passenger concourse that will include new vertical circulation elements (stairs, escalators, and elevators) and up to 600,000 square feet (passenger circulation and waiting areas, passenger support functions and retail amenities, and building functional support areas) including up to 100,000 square feet of transit serving retail amenities to meet the demands of a multi-modal transit station;
• Run-through tracks extending from an elevated rail yard with a new viaduct or viaducts over US 101 to accommodate the new expanded passenger concourse and vertical clearance requirements over the El Monte Busway and US 101;
• Incorporation of a loop track;
Three of the four alternatives include potential accommodation for the planned HSR system within the limits of the Project. Below is a more detailed description of the four build alternatives to be carried forward in the Draft EIR/EIS:
Alternative 1: Six Regional Rail run-through tracks and four HSR run-through tracks (Combined)
Alternative 1 includes six Regional Rail run-through tracks and four HSR run-through tracks extending south of LAUS over US-101. The new expanded passenger concourse will include HSR-related elements and the throat will be reconstructed. Other improvements include the permanent realignment of the Gold Line north of LAUS. In addition, portions of Commercial Street and Center Street, and the intersection of Center Street at Commercial Street, will be lowered to accommodate the proposed viaduct, an elevated rail bridge, that supports the run-through tracks over Commercial Street. Alternative 1 has the largest environmental study limits compared to the other three alternatives.
Alternative 2: Six Regional Rail run-through tracks and two HSR run-through tracks (Combined)
Alternative 2 includes six Regional Rail run-through tracks and two HSR run-through tracks extending south of LAUS. Alternative 2 includes similar improvements as Alternative 1 at the throat and rail yard, new passenger concourse, and Commercial Street and Center Street. The key differences between Alternatives 1 and 2 are related to the distribution of platforms at the rail yard (Regional Rail and HSR) and the number of run-through tracks proposed to extend south of LAUS.
Alternative 3: Six Regional Rail run-through tracks and four HSR run-through tracks (Phased)
Alternative 3 also includes six Regional Rail run-through tracks and four HSR run-through tracks extending south of LAUS, but Alternative 3 would involve the implementation of a phased construction approach to accommodate HSR-related infrastructure. As part of Alternative 3, the physical area for the planned HSR system and related infrastructure is accommodated within the maximum limits of construction; however, HSR-related infrastructure would not be constructed by Metro concurrent with Link US Regional Rail infrastructure. The tracks and platforms constructed would be limited to the Regional Rail infrastructure, but the maximum limits of construction would include the subsequent modification and extension of the two dedicated HSR platforms and four tracks as required for the planned HSR system.
Alternative 4: Six Regional Rail run-through tracks and no HSR run-through tracks
Alternative 4 assumes HSR’s Burbank to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to Anaheim project sections do not utilize LAUS. Alternative 4 includes six Regional Rail run-through tracks extending south of LAUS over US-101. The new expanded passenger concourse would not include HSR related elements and the throat would not be realigned and reconstructed. Similar improvements at Commercial Street and Center Street would also be included to accommodate the proposed viaduct.
A numeric evaluation score was assigned to each alternative to compare the performance of each. Alternative 1 received the highest score and therefore was considered the highest performing alternative. Alternatives 2 and 3 were also amongst the highest ranked alternatives with at least six regional rail run-through tracks. Alternative 4 is being recommended for further evaluation as part of the EIS/EIR process in the event that HSR does not elect to utilize LAUS as a station location. This potential circumstance is possible and therefore this alternative is considered to be reasonable.
All stakeholder agencies (e.g., Metrolink, California High Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), Caltrans, Amtrak, City of Los Angeles), interested agencies, and members of the public (including the Chinatown, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Arts District, Little Tokyo neighborhoods) were invited to provide feedback on the four EIR/EIS Build Alternatives. A community meeting was also held on November 15, 2016 to present the four EIR/EIS Build Alternatives to obtain feedback.
Attachment E provides a graphical representation of each of the four build alternatives.
Third Party and Other Anticipated Costs
Third party costs for Link US were not included in previous Board actions. As the preliminary engineering and environmental work is underway, third party costs have been identified and determined to be necessary.
Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) requested funding to cover efforts in attendance at meetings, reviewing and commenting on technical reports, environmental studies, conceptual and preliminary design drawings to ensure compliance with SCRRA standards and specification, providing data and inputs for rail modeling including SCRRA’s operational and maintenance requirements, providing flagging services for access to the right-of-way, and providing support for community outreach activities, etc. Additional third party costs have been identified from Caltrans, the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering (BOE), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Water and Power (DWP), and other agencies and utility companies. This additional third party cost is in amount of $3 million and will cover the entire preliminary engineering and environmental certification phase of the Link US Project.
Other anticipated costs of up to $1 million include additional real estate and legal support, sampling, testing and disposal of soils from subsurface geotechnical, utility and environmental investigations to support the preliminary engineering and environmental studies.
Funding
Staff is currently negotiating with CHSRA for their share of the design and construction costs for the Link US project. Staff anticipates returning to the Board with a full funding agreement by June 2017. With the Board’s approval of the recommended actions, it will enable staff to complete the environmental clearance and preliminary engineering studies enabling the project to be “shovel ready” for federal and state grants. Staff is also seeking public private partnership opportunities.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The project is being designed in accordance with Metrolink and Metro standards, federal requirements, and state requirements and will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. There are no pedestrian crossings of the proposed tracks so no safety impacts are expected.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total project cost to complete the Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Certification phase of the Link US project is $70,398,000, as follows (refer to Attachment F- Sources and Uses):
|
Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Certification |
$ 66,397,347 66,397,345 (including Contract Modification Authority amount of $4,356,715) |
|
Third Party Costs |
$ 3,000,000 |
|
Other Anticipated Costs |
$ 1,000,000 |
|
TOTAL PROJECT COST: |
$ 70,397,347 70,397,345 (round to $70,398,000) |
A total of $37.7 million has been programmed and approved to-date, consisting of $19 million of Measure R 3% funds programmed in prior board actions, and $18.7 million committed by the CHSRA, up to $15 million for project development work related to the previously approved Contract Modification No. 3 and up to $3.7 million for project development work related to Contract Modification No. 4.
Staff is utilizing the work of the consultant to identify each mode of transit affected by the expansion and capacity improvements of an improved Los Angeles Union Station in order to identify additional or alternative funding sources including all eligible Federal, State or other Local funding. An additional $32.7 million in funding will be required in order to complete the environmental and design phase of this project.
The cash flow for the Link US Project is anticipated to be as follows:
|
Project |
Expenditure from prior years |
FY 17 |
FY 18 |
FY 19 |
TOTAL |
|
Link Union Station |
$14,793,000 |
$18,500,000 |
$27,500,000 |
$9,605,000 |
$70,398,000 |
The amount of $9.3 million for these services is included in the FY17 budget for cost center 2415 Regional Rail under SCRIP 460089. For the fiscal year to-date, the project has incurred $6.4 million in expenditures and pending invoices are in an amount of $2.8 million. Staff is requesting to amend the FY 17 budget an additional $9.2 million to cover pending invoices and other anticipated costs through the end of the FY 17. Since this is a multi-year project, the Chief Program Management Officer, Program Management and Senior Executive Officer, Program Management/Regional Rail will be accountable for budgeting the costs in future years.
Impact to Budget
The source of funds for the requested amendment consist of previously approved and programmed Measure R3% funds and CHSRA funds discussed above. Measure R 3% Metrolink Commuter Rail Capital Improvements and CHSRA funds are not eligible for Metro bus/rail operating or capital budget expenses.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
An alternative could be not to execute Contract Modification No. 4 and third party agreements and not advance the Link US Project. However, this will not increase the commuter and intercity rail capacity at LAUS causing significant delays and operational challenges.
The Board could elect to proceed with the Link US Project without expanding the project limits to connect the proposed passenger concourse with the Patsoauras Transit Plaza and the historic Union Station. The expansion of the passenger concourse and rail yard will likely create bottlenecks in pedestrian circulation at the existing passageway to the historic station and the east portal, which could also lead to potential safety concerns during peak periods and emergency situations. In addition, this would not provide for opportunities for transit optimization and future commercial developments at LAUS.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
With this Board approval, staff will begin preliminary engineering of the recommended alternative and continue to develop the draft EIR/S. Staff anticipates returning to the Board for a full funding agreement with CHSRA by June 2017. Staff anticipates public circulation of the draft EIR/S document in Summer 2017. In addition, staff will execute Modification No. 4 with HDR Engineering, Inc.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Procurement Summary
Attachment B - Contract Modification/Change Order Log
Attachment C - DEOD Summary
Attachment D - Comparison between Contract Modifications #3 and #4 Study Areas
Attachment E - EIR/EIS Build Alternatives
Attachment F - Sources and Uses
Prepared_by
Prepared by:
Vincent Chio, P.E., Senior Engineer, Program Management, (213) 922-7597
Jeanet Owens, P.E., Senior Executive Officer, Program Management, (213) 922-6877
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by:
Richard Clarke, Chief Program Management Officer, (213) 922-7557
Debra Avila, Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 418-3051
Nalini Ahuja, Chief Financial Officer, (213)922-3088
