Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
JANUARY 19, 2022
Subject
SUBJECT: SEPULVEDA TRANSIT CORRIDOR
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to execute Modification No. 2 to Contract No. AE67085000, Sepulveda Transit Corridor Environmental Review and Conceptual Engineering, with HTA Partners, a joint venture between HNTB Corporation, Terry A. Hayes Associates Inc., and AECOM Technical Services, Inc., in the amount of $4,723,199 to include additional environmental review, increasing the total contract value from $48,304,067 to $53,027,266.
Issue
ISSUE
At its August 2020 meeting the Board approved the award of the above contract for environmental analysis and advanced conceptual engineering (ACE) design services for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor (Legistar File 2020-0296). Informed by the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Feasibility Study, which concluded in 2019, the environmental contract specified the clearance of three alternatives.
Subsequently, in March 2021 (Legistar File 2021-0072), the Board approved the award of Pre-Development Agreements (PDA) with two contractor teams for the further definition and design development of their transit alternatives. In August 2021, a Notice to Proceed was issued to these teams that has resulted in five PDA alternatives being carried forward for environmental study. In addition, elements from the Feasibility Study that were not proposed by either PDA team were incorporated into a sixth alternative for environmental review. Negotiations for this contract modification have been conducted concurrently with the definition of these alternatives by the PDA and environmental teams following the issuance of the Notices to Proceed in August 2021.
Board action is required to execute a contract modification for the additional work needed to conduct environmental review for six project alternatives. Attachment A shows the general alignments of the alternatives.
Background
BACKGROUND
In 2016, Los Angeles County voters approved the Measure M Expenditure Plan, which included transit improvements between the San Fernando Valley, the Westside, and the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The Measure provides for the implementation of the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project in two phases: the first segment between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside and a second segment extension to LAX.
Metro conducted the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Feasibility Study between 2017 and 2019 that identified three feasible heavy rail alternatives and one feasible monorail alternative between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside. The Board received the findings of the study in 2019 (Legistar File 2019-0759).
The current study alternatives include both monorail and heavy rail technologies and range between 14 and 16 miles in length. From north to south these routes all connect the Van Nuys Metrolink Station, Metro G Line (Orange), future Metro D Line (Purple) and Metro E Line (Expo).
The project began the CEQA environmental clearance process on November 30, 2021 and the scoping period will extend from November 30, 2021 through February 11, 2022.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
This Board Action will facilitate the technical work needed to further define environmental impacts. The environmental clearance of the project should be conducted by a single environmental contractor team to ensure consistency in the level of environmental review across all alternatives. The recommended Board Action would also avoid any delays associated with procuring a separate contractor to environmentally clear the three additional alternatives.
Expanding the number of alternatives studied ensures that the agency is rigorously exploring and objectively evaluating a reasonable range of alternatives to identify a transportation solution that meets the project’s purpose and need. Adding additional alternatives will result in detailed descriptions of environmental impacts for each of the alternatives and allow the Board and the public to consider their comparative merits.
Existing Contract No. AE67085000 with HTA Partners was effective September 21, 2020. The execution of Contract Modification No. 2 will allow the contractor to conduct environmental review for the six alternatives.
As described in the Notice of Preparation for the Draft Environmental Impact Report, the six alternatives entering the environmental review process are as follows:
• Alternative 1: monorail with aerial alignment in I-405 corridor and electric bus connection to UCLA
• Alternative 2: monorail with aerial alignment in I-405 corridor and aerial automated people mover connection to UCLA
• Alternative 3: monorail with aerial alignment in I-405 corridor and underground alignment between Getty Center and Wilshire Bl
• Alternative 4: heavy rail with underground alignment south of Ventura Bl and aerial alignment generally along Sepulveda Bl in the San Fernando Valley
• Alternative 5: heavy rail with underground alignment including along Sepulveda Bl in the San Fernando Valley
• Alternative 6: heavy rail with entirely underground alignment including along Van Nuys Bl in the San Fernando Valley and southern terminus station on Bundy Dr
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The environmental study and design phase will not impact the safety of our customers and/or employees.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The FY 2021-2022 budget includes $14,135,573 in Cost Center 4360 (Mobility Corridors Team 3), Project 460305 to support environmental clearance, ACE, and associated outreach. Since this is a multi-year program, the Cost Center Manager and Chief Planning Officer will be responsible for budgeting in future years.
Impact to Budget
The sources of funds are Measure R 35% and Measure M 35% Transit Construction funds. These funds are not eligible for bus and/or rail operating expenses.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
HTA has made, and would continue to make through Modification No. 2, a 20.61% Small Business Enterprise Program (SBE) commitment and a 3.02% Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) commitment. Difference between percentage committed and current participation reflects early stages of work completion and does not suggest a shortfall.
The project team will continue to listen to community input and concerns and collect stakeholder feedback to inform the project. As public health guidelines evolve, the outreach team (inclusive of the outreach contractor) will build from successful strategies from the Feasibility Study and develop a broad range of activities, including booths at community events, outreach at transit stations and stops, bilingual online surveys and webinars, collaboration with community-based and faith-based organizations, and coordination with elected officials representing the communities throughout the project area. Efforts will be targeted to Equity Focus Communities within and beyond the study area, to veterans and students accessing the West LA Veterans Affairs Medical Center and UCLA campuses and to current and potential future transit riders.
During the public scoping period, the project aims to achieve the following engagement goals: (1) comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements for public engagement; (2) execute a robust engagement program in accordance with Metro’s 2019 Public Participation Plan, Title VI, and ADA compliance requirements; (3) increase project awareness along the project study area, regionally and within nearby Equity Focus Communities; (4) encourage the public to provide formal comments on the scope of the environmental document during the 74-day public comment period in writing, via the project comment form, project email, US mail, providing an oral comment during public scoping meetings, or by calling the project helpline; and (5) increase participation of Equity Focus Communities, transit riders and individuals with disabilities and/or limited English proficiency speakers by engaging them at community events, organization briefings, targeted social and traditional media outlets, and bilingual (English/Spanish) collateral materials.
Metro Community Relations is committed to providing an extensive summary of engagement and marketing metrics. Engagement efforts will be summarized as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Report.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project will support the first goal of the Vision 2028 Metro Strategic Plan by providing high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling. Travel times for the Feasibility Study alternatives are less than 30 minutes Valley-Westside (from the Ventura County Metrolink Line in the north to the E Line (Expo) in the south), and less than 40 minutes for Valley-Westside-LAX (from Metrolink to the future Airport Metro Connector station). This performance is highly competitive with travel by car on the I-405 freeway.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could choose not to approve the recommendation. This would interrupt work on the project and delay the schedule.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon Board approval, staff will execute Contract Modification No. 2 to Contract No. AE67085000 with HTA Partners to provide environmental clearance on three additional alternatives for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - General Alignments of the Alternatives
Attachment B - Procurement Summary
Attachment C - Contract Modification/Change Order Log
Attachment D - DEOD Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Jacqueline Su, Sr Transportation Planner, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 547-4282
Peter Carter, Senior Director, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-7480
Cory Zelmer, DEO, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-1079 Allison Yoh, EO, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-7510 David Mieger, SEO, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 922-3040
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: James de la Loza, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-2920
Debra Avila, Deputy Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 418-3051
