File #: 2021-0150   
Type: Policy Status: Passed
File created: 3/18/2021 In control: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
On agenda: 4/22/2021 Final action: 4/22/2021
Title: CONSIDER: 1. APPROVING the West Santa Ana Branch (WSAB) Transit Corridor and Sepulveda Transit Corridor Projects as Metro's next priorities for pursuing New Starts grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program; 2. APPROVING the East San Fernando Valley (ESFV) Transit Corridor Project as Metro's priority for pursuing a grant from the FTA Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) Pilot Program; 3. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or his designee to request from the FTA the entry into the Project Development Phase of the CIG Program for the WSAB Transit Corridor Project and the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project, at the appropriate time, and to submit a grant application for the EPD Pilot Program for the ESFV Transit Corridor Project; and 4. AUTHORIZING staff to develop and implement targeted CIG/ EPD legislative and FTA engagement strategies that support securing grants for the three priority projects.
Sponsors: Planning and Programming Committee
Indexes: Application, Board approved a Motion, Budgeting, Bus rapid transit, C Line (Green) Extension to Torrance, Capital Project, Capital Project Funds, Construction, Construction Support, East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Project, Evaluation and assessment, Federal Transit Administration, Fixed Guideway, Fixed Guideway Capital Investment Grants, Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, Full Funding Grant Agreement, Gold Line Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2, Grant Aid, Growing States/High-Density States Formula Grants, Measure M, Metro Equity Platform, Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, Metro Rail A Line, Metro Rail C Line, Metro Rail D Line, Metro Rail E Line, Metro Rail L Line, Metro Vision 2028 Plan, National Environmental Policy Act Of 1969, New Starts Program, Olympic games, Pilot studies, Plan, Policy, Program, Project, Project delivery, Public private partnerships, Rail transit, Record Of Decision, Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project, San Fernando, Twenty-eight by '28 Initiative, United States Department Of Transportation, Value capture, West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor, West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor (WSAB) Project
Attachments: 1. Attachment A - Overview of CIG and EPD Programs_ Attachment A, 2. Attachment B - Overview of CIG and EPD Project Pipeline of the FTA_ Attachment B, 3. Attachment C - Metro CIG and EPD Prioritization Assessment Workshops and Presentations, 4. Attachment D - Results of Metro CIG and EPD Prioritization Assessment_ Attachment D, 5. Presentation
Related files: 2021-0237
Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
APRIL 14, 2021

Subject
SUBJECT: PROJECT PRIORITIES FOR NEXT NEW STARTS GRANTS

Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS

Heading
RECOMMENDATION

Title
CONSIDER:

1. APPROVING the West Santa Ana Branch (WSAB) Transit Corridor and Sepulveda Transit Corridor Projects as Metro's next priorities for pursuing New Starts grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program;

2. APPROVING the East San Fernando Valley (ESFV) Transit Corridor Project as Metro's priority for pursuing a grant from the FTA Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) Pilot Program;

3. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or his designee to request from the FTA the entry into the Project Development Phase of the CIG Program for the WSAB Transit Corridor Project and the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project, at the appropriate time, and to submit a grant application for the EPD Pilot Program for the ESFV Transit Corridor Project; and

4. AUTHORIZING staff to develop and implement targeted CIG/ EPD legislative and FTA engagement strategies that support securing grants for the three priority projects.

Issue
ISSUE

The Board of Directors last authorized the CEO to pursue New Starts grants for Metro capital projects in 2009. Following this directive, Metro secured a total of about $4.4 billion in New Starts grants for the Regional Connector and Purple Line Extension projects. Metro also succeeded in receiving voter approval for Measure M and its Expenditure Plan, which assumes federal and other funding to implement major capital projects throughout Los Angeles County. While Measure M better positions Metro to compete for additional New Starts grants, the nationwide demand for this discretionary funding has increased significantly as evidenced by the FTA's project "pipeline". The FTA awards New Starts grants through the execution of Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGAs) following a multiyear/ multistep pro...

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