Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
FEBRUARY 17, 2021
Subject
SUBJECT: I-10 EXPRESSLANES EXTENSION PROJECT APPROVAL/ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT, CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, AND ADVANCED DESIGN CONTRACT AWARD
Action:
ACTION: AWARD CONTRACT AND EXECUTE AGREEMENT
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. AWARD a 33-month, firm fixed price Contract No. AE65145000 to Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. in the amount of $23,904,353 for Architectural and Engineering services to produce the I-10 ExpressLanes Project Report, engineering studies, select environmental studies, the Concept of Operations report and advanced design development, subject to resolution of protest(s), if any;
B. EXECUTE a Cooperative Agreement with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to prepare the I-10 ExpressLanes Extension Environmental Document in an amount not to exceed $4,600,000.
Issue
ISSUE
The Metro Board previously directed the Congestion Reduction department to initiate planning studies for the conversion of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes into High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes for those projects within Tier 1 of the ExpressLanes Strategic Plan, adopted in January 2017. The Interstate 10 ExpressLanes Extension (I-10 ExpressLanes Extension) between I-605 and the Los Angeles/San Bernardino County Line is among the Tier 1 projects slated for near term implementation.
The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is currently under construction with their I-10 Express Lanes project, which includes two tolled express lanes in each direction between the Los Angeles/San Bernardino County Line and I-15. The two tolled express lanes transition to a single tolled express lane as it approaches the county line. Once completed as currently anticipated in Spring 2023, there will be a gap along I-10 between Metro’s and SBCTA’s Express Lanes facilities. This Project Approval/Environmental Document (PA/ED) effort will serve to address the gap between the two facilities.
To continue the planning efforts required for I-10 ExpressLanes Extension, professional services are required to support the development of the PA/ED, Concept of Operations and Preliminary Design. During the PA/ED phase, more detailed technical studies, including traffic analysis and an environmental assessment, will be conducted to further refine the information in the Project Study Report-Project Development Support (PSR-PDS) and develop the Project Report, Environmental Document, and Concept of Operations. The acquisition of professional services was delayed in response to the economic impacts of COVID-19.
The I-10 ExpressLanes Extension PA/ED is a collaborative effort between Metro and Caltrans, with Metro responsible for the preparation of the Project Report (PR) and Caltrans responsible for the development of the Environmental Document (ED). The agreement provides $4,600,000 to Caltrans and defines the terms and conditions of the funding as well as the roles and responsibilities of each agency.
Background
BACKGROUND
In November 2014, the Board directed the preparation of a Countywide ExpressLanes Strategic Plan (the Plan) based on the previous success of the I-110 and I-10 ExpressLanes. In January 2017, the Board approved the Plan which screened, organized, and ranked possible ExpressLanes projects in Los Angeles County into three tiers based on time horizon (Tier 1 within 5-10 years, Tier 2 within 15 years, and Tier 3 within 25 years). This project was prioritized as a Tier 1 near-term project. Simultaneously, the Board directed staff to initiate planning studies for the Tier 1 projects listed in the Strategic Plan.
As an initial step, a PSR/PDS for projects in the Tier 1 Network, inclusive of the I-10 ExpressLanes Extension, has been completed.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The next phase in the planning process for the I-10 ExpressLanes Extension is the Project Approval & Environmental Document (PA/ED) phase. The PA/ED consists of two components, the Project Report (PR) and Environmental Document (ED). The PR will be prepared by Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. (Parsons) and includes preliminary engineering of the studied alternatives, a traffic report, surveys, mapping, geometric plans, cost estimates and assessment of right of way and utilities needs/impacts. The ED will be prepared by Caltrans in parallel to the PR and will include the reports/analysis required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)/National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including air quality, noise, hazardous waste, traffic, community, biological, and cultural resource studies.
Additionally, Parsons will develop a Concept of Operations (ConOps) report which will describe and document operating policies, facility design, and tolling infrastructure for the project. This effort will also include several optional tasks including 30% level design development for the preferred alternative, an assessment of various construction methods, a preliminary alternatives screening, and support for the preparation of the California Transportation Commission (CTC) tolling application.
Under this procurement, Parsons will prepare the PR and associated studies, select environmental studies, ConOps, and optional tasks as needed. Caltrans will prepare the Environmental Document and provide review and oversight on the Project Report, as agreed through a Cooperative Agreement.
Because Caltrans is the owner of the state highway system, has in-house expertise to develop the ED, and the authority to approve the ED, preparation of the ED by Caltrans would provide the most efficient method of completing the PA/ED phase of the project. Due to the resources required to complete the ED, Metro intends to provide $4,600,000 to Caltrans for the preparation of the ED.
This funding would be provided through a Cooperative Agreement between Caltrans and Metro. The Agreement defines items such as the Caltrans ED scope of work, Metro’s responsibilities, progress reporting, the process for Caltrans receiving funds, and the oversight process. Some of the key provisions in the agreement include: 1) Any additional funds required due to unforeseen scope or schedule changes must be approved by the Board; and 2) If Metro disputes Caltrans expenditures, Metro can send written notice to Caltrans to suspend work until the dispute is resolved.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Strategic Goal 1: Provide high quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling. ExpressLanes provides drivers with the option of a more reliable trip while improving the overall operational efficiency of the freeway network.
Financial Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funds in the amount of $1.3 million needed to conduct this work are available in the FY21 budget in cost center 2220. Because this is a multi-year program, the cost center manager and the Executive Officer, Congestion Reduction, will be responsible for budgeting for future years.
Impact to Budget
Funds for this action will come from toll revenues generated from the existing I-10 ExpressLanes. No other funds were considered for this activity. The toll revenues are not eligible for bus and rail operations and capital projects.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could choose not to award this contract. This is not recommended as it would delay the PA/ED phase and jeopardize the overall project completion schedule as necessitated by inclusion in Twenty-Eight by ’28 Initiative. Additionally, this alternative is not recommended since the I-10 ExpressLanes Extension Project is a Metro ExpressLanes Strategic Plan Tier 1 prioritized project.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval, staff will execute Contract No. AE65145000 with Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. and will finalize and execute the Cooperative Agreement with Caltrans.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Procurement Summary
Attachment B - DEOD Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Daniel Tran, Manager, Transportation Planning, Congestion Reduction, 213.922.2313
Mark Linsenmayer, Deputy Executive Officer, Congestion Reduction, 213.922.5569
Reviewed_by
Reviewed by: Shahrzad Amiri, Executive Officer, Congestion Reduction, 213.922.3061
Debra Avila, Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, 213.418.3051
