Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
MARCH 18, 2020
Subject
SUBJECT: 2021 FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
ADOPT the resolution for the 2021 Los Angeles County Transportation Improvement Program as shown in Attachment A.
Issue
ISSUE
As the designated County Transportation Commission for Los Angeles County, Metro is required to submit a resolution to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) certifying that Los Angeles County has the resources to fund and is committed to implement the projects to be included in the 2021 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) covering Federal Fiscal Years (FFY) 2020/21 - 2025/26. Inclusion of projects in the FTIP is required for the allocation of federal funds, state and local funds (as applicable), as well as for specific federal actions (including federal environmental clearance).
Background
BACKGROUND
SCAG, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the six-county region that includes Los Angeles County, is required under federal and state law to develop the FTIP. This is a six-year document that lists projects to be funded with federal, state, and local funds. The FTIP is required to advance the planning and construction of projects included in SCAG’s Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS). This is achieved through the systematic programming of funds for the projects included in the RTP/SCS in accordance with federal and state requirements, including scheduling, financing, and the timely implementation of transportation control measures to help reduce air pollution.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Projects from each of SCAG’s six counties are included in their respective TIP and then submitted to SCAG for inclusion in the FTIP. To comply with both state and federal requirements, the FTIP is updated every two years in California. SCAG’s 2019 FTIP, which programs funds covering FFY 2018/19 - 2023/24 was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in December 2018. SCAG is scheduled to adopt the 2021 FTIP in September 2020. A joint air quality conformity determination from the FHWA and the FTA is required for the approval of SCAG’s 2021 FTIP, which is anticipated in December 2020. The 2021 Los Angeles County Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) includes about 800 projects valued at approximately $21 billion for about 100 agencies.
Equity Platform
The 2021 Los Angeles County TIP includes over 800 projects sponsored by about 100 agencies, including Caltrans, Metro, County of Los Angeles, the 88 cities, transit municipal operators, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, and non-profit organizations. The implementation of projects included in the 2021 Los Angeles County TIP improves access to opportunities by disadvantaged communities and supports all four pillars of the Equity Platform.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Adoption of the resolution will have no direct impact on the safety of Metro customers or employees. However, as the Los Angeles County TIP includes safety enhancement projects, eliminating delay or risk for overall project delivery resulting from inability to program and receive funding would ensure the timely realization of the projects’ anticipated safety benefits.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of the resolution will allow Metro to program and secure federal, state, and local funds for projects in Los Angeles County.
Impact to Budget
Adoption of the resolution for the 2021 Los Angeles County TIP has no impact on the FY 2020 Budget.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC GOALS
Approval of this item advances achieving all five goals of the Vision 2028 Strategic Plan.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could elect to not adopt the resolution shown in Attachment A. Staff do not recommend this alternative. By not adopting the resolution, the Los Angeles County TIP will not be included in SCAG’s 2021 FTIP. Therefore, Metro and other agencies in Los Angeles County will not be able to program and receive federal, state, and local funding allocations for their projects. This may jeopardize the implementation of projects in Los Angeles County that have funds programmed through FFY 2025/26. It may also result in the loss of funding allocations due to federal and state lapsing and/or project inactivity policies, as well as in the ineligibility for future funding allocations.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval of the recommendation, staff will submit the resolution to SCAG.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Resolution for the 2021 Los Angeles County TIP
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Nancy Marroquin, Sr. Manager, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3086
Ashad Hamideh, Sr. Director, Countywide Planning & Development,
(213) 922-5539
Wil Ridder, Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development,
(213) 922-2887
Laurie Lombardi, Senior Executive Officer, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3251
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: James De La Loza, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-2920
