Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
MAY 19, 2021
Subject
SUBJECT: METRO EXPRESSLANES PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SUPPORT CONTRACT MODIFICATION
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
A. AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to execute Modification No. 8 to Contract No. AE275020011497 for ExpressLanes Program Management Support services with WSP USA, Inc. to prepare Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) for the I-405 to Central Avenue segment of the I-105 ExpressLanes project in the amount of $18,788,594, inclusive of one optional task to provide post-PS&E support in the amount of $1,413,641, increasing the Total Contract Value from $14,147,001 to $32,935,595.
B. INCREASE Contract Modification Authority (CMA) specific to Contract No. AE275020011497 in the amount of $2,000,000 increasing the total CMA amount from $770,000 to $2,770,000 to support potential additional services needed to complete the PS&E for the I-405 to Central Avenue segment of the I-105 ExpressLanes project.
Issue
ISSUE
Board action is requested to execute a contract modification
to complete PS&E for the I-405 to Central Avenue segment of the I-105 ExpressLanes project to meet the funding and timeline requirements of the State Solutions for Congested Corridors Program (SCCP) grant the project received.
Background
BACKGROUND
In June 2015, the Metro Board approved the Metro ExpressLanes Program Management Support Contract valued at $7,700,000 to provide professional services in support of ExpressLanes project planning and development. Work conducted in this contract include preparation of the I-105 ExpressLanes Project Approval/Environmental Document (PA/ED) and I-105 Concept of Operations. This contract has a 25% Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal and, as of March 2021, approximately 29% of funds spent have been paid to SBE firms.
In October 2019, the Board approved contract Modification No. 7 for $5,677,001 to prepare additional geotechnical and structure reports and traffic modeling that were required to complete the PA/ED. In addition, this modification included preparation of 30% design, field surveys, and utility design and coordination.
In December 2020, the I-105 ExpressLanes project received a $150 million SCCP grant from the California Transportation Commission (CTC). The SCCP grant requires the project to request a funding allocation from CTC by June 2023 and issue a Notice to Proceed (NTP) for construction by December 2023. To meet this deadline, the project must complete PS&E no later than Summer 2023 which would include 100% design of all project elements including roadway widenings, structures, signage, retaining walls, soundwalls, Roadside Toll Collection System (RTCS), and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) elements including new ramp metering. The RTCS will be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained by a contractor that will be procured separately from PS&E.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The I-105 ExpressLanes project will construct dual ExpressLanes on the I-105 between I-405 and Studebaker Road in the City of Norwalk which is sixteen miles long. This project is included in the Measure M expenditure plan and has been allocated $175 million. The I-105 ExpressLanes Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment was signed by Caltrans on April 21, 2021. The next step in project development is to begin PS&E. Metro and Caltrans are currently working on the PS&E cooperative agreement, which staff expects to bring to the Board in June 2021 for consideration. The cooperative agreement is needed in addition to the recommended contract modification.
The SCCP grant which is limited to construction costs requires a construction NTP to be issued by December 2023. To meet the SCCP grant requirements and maximize the benefits of the grant, staff intends to apply the grant funding to construct the first segment of the project between I-405 and Central Avenue which is approximately seven miles long. This segment was chosen to be constructed first due to the fact that it is a high volume segment which directly connects to Los Angeles International Airport, no right of way acquisition is required and there are fewer structure widenings compared to the rest of the corridor. Furthermore, the construction cost is estimated to be approximately $150 million so the entire SCCP grant can be applied to construct this segment.
It should be noted that staff is seeking a contract modification for PS&E only for the I-405 to Central Avenue segment of the project to meet SCCP grant requirements. For the remainder of the corridor between Central Avenue and Studebaker Road, the PS&E will be procured via an open solicitation. The length of the Central Avenue to Studebaker Road segment is approximately nine miles, so the majority of PS&E for the project will be prepared by a contractor selected via an open solicitation. Staff expects to release the Request for Proposals for PS&E for this segment in Summer 2021. Meanwhile, Congestion Reduction staff will continue to work with the Government Relations and Planning departments to identify additional grant opportunities for the project.
Completion of PS&E for the I-405 to Central Avenue segment is expected to take approximately 24 months. Therefore, if PS&E for this segment begins in June 2021 then it can be completed by June 2023. This should provide sufficient time to issue a construction NTP by December 2023. Staff believes this is the best approach to minimizing the risk of losing the SCCP grant funds.
The proposed contract modification also includes an optional task for post-PS&E support for the construction phase of the project and additional surveys. The SBE commitment is $6,555,304, inclusive of the optional task, which is approximately 34.9% of the contract modification value. This significantly exceeds the contract SBE goal of 25%.
If, in lieu of this action, Metro pursues an open solicitation for PS&E, the earliest a PS&E contractor could begin work is January 2022. However, given the time required to complete PS&E, the high level of coordination required between the PS&E and RTCS contractors as well as Caltrans and Metro, and the time needed to issue a construction NTP, there is significant risk that the construction NTP will not be issued by December 2023 if PS&E for the I-405 to Central Avenue segment does not begin until January 2022. If Metro does not issue a NTP for construction by December 2023, Metro could lose $150 million in SCCP grant funding.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
These actions will not have any impact on the safety of our customers and/or employees because this Project is at the study phase and no capital or operational impacts result from these Board actions.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The FY 2021-22 budget includes $5,044,312 in Cost Center 2220 (Congestion Reduction), Project 475004 for I-105 ExpressLanes PS&E. Since this is a multi-year contract, the Cost Center Manager and Executive Officer, Congestion Reduction will be responsible for budgeting in future years.
Impact to Budget
The funding for this Project is from Measure M. As these funds are earmarked for the I-105 ExpressLanes project, they are not eligible for Metro bus and rail capital and operating expenditures.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The I-105 Express Lane project supports Strategic Goal 1: Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling. The proposed Express Lanes would increase regional highway capacity and improve the Level of Service for both the Express Lanes as well as the general purpose lanes. The project also supports Strategic Goal 2: Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system. The proposed project would result in shorter trip time for both the Express Lane and the general purpose lanes. Lastly, the project supports Strategic Goal 4: Transform LA County through regional collaboration and national leadership. This project will require extensive collaboration with Caltrans, corridor cities, Los Angeles County, and regulatory agencies.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could decide not to approve the recommended contract modification. This alternative is not recommended, as this could jeopardize the $150 million SCCP grant funding the project received.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval, staff will execute the contract modification with WSP and issue a NTP to WSP to begin PS&E work.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
A. Procurement Summary
B. Contract Modification /Change Order Log
C. DEOD Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Philbert Wong, Senior Manager, (213) 418-3137
Mark Linsenmayer, Deputy Executive Officer, (213) 922-5569
James Wei, Deputy Executive Officer, (213) 922-7528
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Shahrzad Amiri, Executive Officer, (213) 922-3061
Debra Avila, Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 418-3051
