Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
APRIL 17, 2019
Subject
SUBJECT: OVERVIEW OF PLANNING PROCESS FOR MAJOR TRANSIT AND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENTS
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE report on the overview of the planning process for major transit and active transportation investments.
Issue
ISSUE
Countywide Planning and Development (CPD) has previously committed to transparently updating the Board and the public about the status of projects and programs led by it. A key foundational element for promoting clarity and imparting an understanding of CPD’s work program is providing context for how and why work is undertaken. Specifically, characterizing how Metro’s rail, bus rapid transit and regionally-significant active transportation projects are “entitled” is foundational to the stewardship of advancing the planning, conceptual design and environmental process (planning process) for Measure M non-highway mobility corridor projects. The planning process is a vital precursor step to ultimate project delivery and involves the highest level of public and stakeholder engagement.
Background
DISCUSSION
An initial “Dashboard” of key projects and programs led by CPD was provided to the Planning and Programming Committee in January 2019 (Legistar #2018-0761). Staff noted in January that the Dashboard should be viewed as an interim deliverable, as capacity and improvements to it continue to be created. A quarterly update of the Dashboard is forthcoming in May 2019, which will align with the status update to be provided on the response to the direction given in February 2019 on Twenty-Eight by ’28 and Reimagining LA County (Items 32 through 32.4). The planning process for mobility corridors (transit and regionally-significant active transportation projects), also described as the entitlements process, is a foundation for understanding the reporting in the Dashboard because it explains the progress of a project in advancing through this process.
The planning, conceptual design and environmental clearance process for mobility corridor projects involves three fundamental steps at Metro (details and timelines vary, depending on the type of environmental rules and document types-federal National Environmental Policy Act, California Environmental Quality Act, NEPA exclusion or CEQA exemption-but the planning process below is generally applicable):
1. Alternatives Analysis
• Purpose: determine the transportation need to address, followed by the preparation and consideration of a range of alternatives, along with the viability and implications of each
• Outcome: determine whether to advance the project and if so, the number of alternatives to carry into environmental review
• Engagement: introduce the potential project and process to the public/stakeholders and seek input
• Board: initiates study, accepts final study and if the project warrants advancement, selects alternatives for environmental review
2. Draft Environmental Clearance Document
• Purpose: enable an informed understanding of the project’s effects on the environment and communities, while lessening or mitigating potential impacts
• Outcome: Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) selected
• Engagement: public/stakeholder input at the onset with scoping the environmental document and review of the draft environmental document
• Board: authorizes initiation of environmental review and selects LPA
3. Final Environmental Clearance
• Purpose: evaluate the LPA, make refinements, respond to public/agency comments received during the draft environmental review process and prepare mitigation measures
• Outcome: completed environmental documentation and approved project, which allows project delivery to proceed
• Engagement: review of the final environmental document and input on final project
• Board: acts on the final California environmental document and approves the final project; Federal Transit Administration is lead agency for federalized projects
During the planning process, the level of conceptual engineering design increases; this design work is supported by Program Management and Operations. The purpose of conceptual engineering is to ground the project with sufficient specificity to enable an evaluation commensurate with each of the three phases. At the Alternatives Analysis phase, typically 5% conceptual engineering is prepared; up to 15% conceptual engineering is prepared for the Environmental Clearance phases.
Once the planning process has concluded, the project is “entitled” and is fully transferred from CPD to Program Management as the lead to deliver the project, with CPD and Operations in support roles. Fundamental steps involved in the project delivery process include preliminary engineering (may be initiated upon selection of LPA), final design/design build, construction, testing and revenue service.
An overlay to both these processes is the programming and strategy for funding, along with continuous public engagement. Because mobility corridor projects are significant-oftentimes transformational-investments within a highly urbanized environment, there is a high level of technical, physical and political complexity, which necessitates constant adjustments that affect the project process, scope, schedule and budget. Attachment A provides additional detail of the planning process, in graphical form.
Consistency with Metro’s Equity Platform Framework
The transparency and accountability inherent to articulating the planning process facilitates access to information that supports understanding, engagement and decision-making. Access to information promotes access to opportunity.
Strategic_Plan
STRATEGIC PLAN
Articulating the planning process is consistent with Metro Vision 2028 Goal #5: Provide responsive, accountable, and trustworthy governance within the Metro organization. Doing so is transparent about CPD’s process methodology, which promotes understanding, accountability and trust in delivering public services.
Determination_of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
This item has no fiscal impact to the agency because no investment or operational action results from this receive and file report.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item has no fiscal impact to the agency because no investment or operational action results from this receive and file report.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
Since this is an informational report to the Board of existing work programs, it is administrative in nature. Therefore, alternatives are not applicable.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
CPD will provide a reformatted update of the quarterly Dashboard in May 2019, which will align with the characterization of the mobility corridors planning process described in this report. The Dashboard will also distinguish Twenty-Eight by ’28 projects. Every Board report for Measure M major capital projects led by CPD will include a callout for where the project is within the planning process and highlight when key decisions should be made to keep projects on schedule.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Planning Process Exhibit
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Manjeet Ranu, Senior Executive Officer, (213) 418-3157
Cory Zelmer, Deputy Executive Officer, (213) 922-1079
Laura Cornejo, Interim Executive Officer, (213) 922-2885
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Laurie Lombardi, Interim Chief Planning Officer, (213) 418-3251
