Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 20, 2021
Subject
SUBJECT: I-405 SEPULVEDA PASS (PHASE 1) EXPRESSLANES INVESTMENT GRADE TRAFFIC AND REVENUE STUDY; AND I-10 EXPRESSLANES EXTENSION INVESTMENT GRADE TRAFFIC AND REVENUE STUDY
Action
ACTION: AWARD CONTRACTS
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. EXECUTE firm fixed price Contract No. PS67379000 with CDM Smith for comprehensive investment grade Traffic and Revenue (T&R) modeling services to produce the I-405 (Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) ExpressLanes Investment Grade Traffic and Revenue (T&R) Study, for a three-year performance period, effective on November 20, 2021, in the amount of $1,455,718 subject to the resolution of properly submitted protest(s), if any; and
B. EXECUTE firm fixed price Contract No. PS67450000 with CDM Smith for comprehensive investment grade Traffic and Revenue (T&R) modeling services to produce the I-10 ExpressLanes Extension Investment Grade Traffic & Revenue (T&R) Study, for a two-year performance period, effective on November 20, 2021, in the amount of $1,363,452 subject to the resolution of properly submitted protest(s), if any.
Issue
ISSUE
In January 2017, following previous Board direction, the Congestion Reduction Department initiated planning studies for the conversion of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes into High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes for two projects within Tier 1 of the ExpressLanes Strategic Plan. Interstate 405 (I-405) Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) ExpressLanes between I-10 and US-101 and I-10 ExpressLanes Extension between I-605 and the Los Angeles/San Bernardino County line are among the Tier 1 projects slated for near term implementation.
To continue the planning efforts required for I-405 Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) and the extension of I-10 ExpressLanes, professional services are required to support the development of the Investment Grade T&Rs to assess and confirm toll rates and potential toll revenue that could be used to operate, maintain, fund construction of the projects as well as net toll revenues for improvements within the corridor.
Background
BACKGROUND
In November 2014, the Board directed the preparation of a Countywide ExpressLanes Strategic Plan (Strategic Plan) based on the success of the I-110 and I-10 ExpressLanes. In January 2017, Board direction included initiating planning studies for Tier 1 ExpressLanes projects in Los Angeles County as identified in the Strategic Plan. The I-405 and the I-10 Extension ExpressLanes projects are prioritized as Tier 1 near-term efforts.
The Project Study Report/Project Development Support (PSR/PDS) for projects in the Tier 1 Network, inclusive of the I-405 Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) ExpressLanes and the I-10 ExpressLanes Extension were completed in January 2021. The I-405 Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) ExpressLanes Project Approval/Environmental Document (PA/ED) efforts which were paused in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed in December 2020 with completion anticipated in December 2023. The I-10 ExpressLanes Extension PA/ED effort recently approved by the Board is slated to begin in Fall 2021. The I-405 Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) ExpressLanes has $260 million in Measure M dedicated funding. Both projects are included in the Twenty-Eight by ’28 Initiative.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The current phase in the planning process for the I-405 Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) ExpressLanes Project and the I-10 ExpressLanes Extension is the PA/ED phase which includes preparation of engineering and environmental studies, Concept of Operations (ConOps), and community outreach and engagement activities. The PA/ED consists of two components, the Project Report (PR) and Environmental Document (ED). The PR will prepare preliminary engineering of the studied alternatives at a level of detail such that the potential impacts of those alternatives can be identified. The ED includes the necessary reports/analysis as required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)/National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including environmental justice, air quality, community, noise, hazardous waste, biological, and cultural resource studies. In addition, investment grade T&Rs, subject to board approval, must be prepared that will provide toll rates and toll revenue estimates in these corridors. Toll revenue will fund operations and maintenance costs and can be leveraged for project construction, as well as fund transit enhancements, active transportation, and roadway improvements.
Metro will continue to coordinate with Caltrans for review and oversight on the PA/ED and other related study efforts. With Board approval, the work associated with the Investment Grade T&Rs will be initiated upon execution of the contracts.
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 and transit users with the option of a more reliable trip while improving the overall operational efficiency of the freeway network.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
As part of the Investment Grade T&R contract, data will be collected on travel patterns in the corridor and the willingness of drivers from within the respective project area to pay tolls in relation to potential travel time saved through a Stated Preference Survey (SPS). HOVs meeting the occupancy requirements will still travel free on the ExpressLanes with a transponder; the general-purpose lanes will remain free.
The SPS asks questions such as trip origin and destination, trip purpose, time/day of the trip, routes used, income level, and number of occupants on the trip. The Rapid Equity Assessment Tool (REA) was applied to identify the survey area for the Stated Preference Survey (SPS), particularly in identifying Equity Focus Communities (EFCs) in the I-405 and I-10 corridors. EFCs will be surveyed as part of the SPS and survey responses from EFCs will be identified by requiring survey respondents to provide their ZIP code.
Through gathering data in the SPS on how and where people travel in the corridor, the T&R will assist Metro in identifying transportation improvements in the corridor that could be funded through net toll revenue, which could reduce potential inequities and disparate impacts to the most vulnerable corridor users. The SPS is able to prioritize EFCs along each of the corridors and the contract scope focuses on EFC populations’ survey participation and data contribution towards the overall T&R. One approach is to oversample or send out more surveys to individuals within EFCs.
Metro grants approximately $8 million in toll revenues annually to incremental additional transit service on the ExpressLanes benefiting the I-10 and I-110 corridors. It is anticipated that similar reinvestments could be made as part of the I-10 ExpressLanes Extension and I-405 Phase 1 ExpressLanes projects, subject to availability of funds.
As noted earlier, the Investment Grade T&R is part of the larger PA/ED effort that will prepare the PR and ED. The ED will include environmental justice/equity, socioeconomic analysis, noise, air quality, visual, and community impacts and extensive outreach to communities along the corridor. The ED’s Community Impact Assessment (CIA), as required by state and federal law, identifies minority, low income, and disadvantaged populations along the corridor using socio-economic data from the Census Bureau and SCAG. The CIA is meant to clearly describe the existing conditions and potential socio-economic impacts of the project. These reports will identify any significant community impacts and mitigation/improvement measures, as required.
Finally, once these projects are operational, the Low-Income Assistance Plan (LIAP) will provide assistance to low-income populations by providing free toll credits and waiver of the monthly account maintenance fees.
Metro’s Diversity and Economic Opportunity Department (DEOD) established a 12% Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and 3% Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) goal for PS67379000 and PS67450000. CDM Smith exceeded the goals for both procurements by making a 21.09% SBE and 3.02% DVBE commitment for PS67379000 and a 14.02% SBE and 3.01% DVBE commitment for PS67450000.
Financial Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funds in the amount of $2,819,170 are needed to conduct this work and are available in the FY22 budget in cost center 2220 “Congestion Reduction” and project # 475003 “I-405 Sepulveda Express Lanes” and 405548 “Congestion Pricing”. Because this is a multi-year program, the cost center manager and the Executive Officer, Congestion Reduction programs, will be responsible for budgeting for future years.
Impact to Budget
Funds for this action will come from dedicated Measure M funding for the I-405 Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) ExpressLanes Project and I-10 toll revenues for the I-10 ExpressLanes Extension Project. Toll revenues are not eligible as direct funding for bus and rail operations and other capital improvements.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could choose not to award this contract. This is not recommended as it would delay related project efforts including engineering and environmental studies, public outreach activities, potential funding opportunities, and jeopardize the overall project completion schedule.
Additionally, since the I-405 Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) Project and I-10 ExpressLanes Extension Project are part of Metro ExpressLanes Strategic Plan Tier 1 prioritized projects with Measure M dedicated funding ($260 million) for the I-405 Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) ExpressLanes Project.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval, staff will execute the contracts with CDM Smith to initiate work associated with the projects.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - I-405 Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) ExpressLanes Procurement Summary
Attachment B - I-405 Sepulveda Pass (Phase 1) ExpressLanes DEOD Summary
Attachment C - I-10 ExpressLanes Extension Procurement Summary
Attachment D - I-10 ExpressLanes Extension DEOD Summary
Prepared_By
Prepared by: Alice Tolar, Sr. Manager, Transportation Planning, Congestion Reduction,
213.418.3334
Daniel Tran, Manager, Transportation Planning, Congestion Reduction, 213.236.1883
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
