Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
JANUARY 20, 2022
Subject
SUBJECT: STATUS UPDATE MOTION 42 “2028 MOBILITY CONCEPT PLAN”
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE the progress report for Motion 42, and
RECEIVE AND FILE the preliminary draft 2028 Mobility Concept Plan Project List for stakeholder review and input.
Issue
ISSUE
This is the second biannual progress report to the Metro Board of Directors regarding efforts to develop a Mobility Concept Plan (MCP) in anticipation of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (“the Games”) and pursue state and federal funds to support the transportation infrastructure needed for the Games and beyond.
Background
BACKGROUND
At its December 3, 2020 meeting, the Metro Board of Directors approved Motion 42: “2028 Mobility Concept Plan” (Attachment A) and directed staff to work with regional partners to assign staff resources and proceed with the development of a regional investment plan to include a federal engagement strategy and funding proposal to implement transportation improvements that would provide permanent, long-term benefits to the people of Los Angeles County.
Metro’s goals for the Games include:
• leave a lasting, positive legacy by leveraging existing and planned infrastructure investments;
• create a coalition of public and private sector partners that would focus on investments in mobility and operational improvements that provide benefits during the Games and can continue yielding benefits afterward;
• enable all ticketed spectators to travel to competition venues by public transport, walking, or cycling; and
• ensure accessibility for all, including welcoming Games stakeholders and visitors with specific mobility needs.
Motion 42 described six actions, two of which directed staff to report back to the Board to keep Directors apprised of the progress. This is the second progress report.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Mobility Concept Plan (Motion 42, Parts A, B, and C)
The development of the MCP will be framed around major elements: identification of regional partners, alignment of resources, identification of areas of opportunity, and development of a federal funding and policy strategy. The following were accomplished during this reporting period (June - December 2021):
Identify Regional Partners
Staff has continued monthly meetings with the LA28 mobility team to ensure Metro’s internal planning efforts align with regional planning related to the Games. In addition, Metro staff has participated in several “working group” meetings led by LA28 to share information relevant to the proposed Sports Parks and to develop preliminary ideas about the Games Route Network (GRN) needed to transport the wide variety of Games constituents, including athletes, media, spectators, and workforce.
Metro, along with Caltrans, Metrolink, and the City of Los Angeles, constitute LA28’s Games Mobility Executives (GMEs), a group of executives of the mission critical public transportation agencies for the planning and delivery of the transportation operation for the 2028 Games. The key roles and responsibilities of the GMEs are to:
• provide direction and decision-making around the public services and infrastructure aspects of the transportation planning process and operations delivery for the 2028 Games
• set the priorities for the integrated transportation plans for the 2028 Games
• coordinate requests for federal support.
At its November 4 meeting, the GMEs discussed parameters/criteria for projects needing funding, continued collaboration on planning efforts for the Games, and the need for a joint legislative strategy. Metro provided significant input into developing funding parameters/criteria for public agencies seeking funding for projects related to the Games. The draft 2028 Games Transport Funding Parameters (Attachment B) provides guidance for public transportation agencies pursuing funding opportunities associated with the Games and demonstrates alignment of relevant projects, programs, and initiatives that LA28 believes are beneficial for effective delivery of the Games, and as such, endorses their eligibility for available funding. The parameters outline proposed funding eligibility criteria that would guide interested public partners to ensure alignment with the 2028 Games and legacy-oriented investments. The document does not outline what LA28 intends to fund. There will be a set of key projects and programs that LA28 requires for essential operations of the Games that will be outlined and requested separately. The parameters will be updated and refined based on input by key stakeholders, along with additional priorities that emerge and/or refine Games planning in the coming years.
One of Metro’s goals for the Games is to create a coalition of public and private sector partners that would focus on investments in mobility and operational improvements that provide benefits during the Games and can continue yielding benefits afterward. In addition to direct coordination between Metro and LA28, staff intends to engage the relevant bureaus at the City of Los Angeles, the municipal transit operators in the County, and Metrolink, along with Southern California transit operators, to identify other projects of common interest for enhancing mobility initiatives leading up to 2028. Staff will also engage a broad group of stakeholders, including employers, technology firms, business, labor, environmental and trade organizations, among others, to identify and build support for the MCP and its intended result: sustainable, equitable mobility improvements beyond 2028 Games.
To continue supporting this coordination and the development of the MCP, an internal Task Force (Attachment C) was constituted by the CEO in October 2021.
The Task Force has continually met on a bi-weekly basis since October 2021. In the next 12 months, the Task Force will continue to work on a comprehensive needs assessment (based on travel demand projections for the Games) to validate and or supplement the project/program list as part of the MCP. The Task Force will also support analysis of state/federal programs that could expedite projects and programs that would need to be fully funded in advance of the Games.
In the mid to long term, the Task Force will: 1) support Metro’s engagement and leadership in pro-active and continuous Games planning efforts with regional partners; 2) endeavor to secure federal funding to advance Board approved project/program list; and 3) work to ensure Metro is ready to provide transit services to the LA28 Games venues and ensure that our plan is integrated into the Olympic Transportation Plan.
Moreover, to support the work of the Task Force, the development of the MCP, and to help Metro prepare for its role as a key delivery partner for the 2028 Games, staff procured the services of a qualified consultant team, led by Jacobs Engineering, with extensive experience in planning for Olympic/Paralympic Games and similar events, including World Expos, World Cups, and Summer/Winter Olympics Games, as well as Commonwealth and PanAm Games. This experience includes organizational and infrastructure planning, funding, implementation strategy, design, and delivery of transportation infrastructure. The consultant team’s project manager has worked on London 2012 Olympics, Rio 2016 Olympics, Dubai 2020 Expo, and Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The consultant team has already begun working with Metro staff to identify key projects aligned with LA28 Games transport goals to help Metro accommodate and manage demand for residents and visitors’ travel during the Games. The timeframe for the development of the MCP is 12 months.
Identify areas of opportunity (Draft Initial Project List)
LA28 has an audacious goal for the Games: all ticketed spectators to access competition venues by public transit, walking, or cycling only. To ensure Metro provides a world-class user experience for residents and visitors, the core system must expand and improve to enhance speed, reliability, and connectivity. Projects that would achieve this goal include, but are not limited to:
• Adding capacity at key transit stations and transit system bottlenecks
• Expanding bus-only lanes on major arterial streets countywide
• Investments in zero-emission charging infrastructure
• Optimizing access to major venues and activity centers
• Planning and design activities for these projects
An initial list of over 200 projects was created by the Metro Task Force, starting with the projects listed in Motion 42 (including 28 by 28) and building on: 1) the draft 2028 Games Transport Funding Parameters; 2) a review of existing plans/programs as well as operational, capacity and safety needs to reveal areas of opportunity for enhancing mobility leading up to and during the Games and; 3) best practices from other World Games events. The initial draft list included operational improvements, such as bus stops, bus lanes, transfer centers, mobility hubs, communications and security equipment, and system reliability investments; state of good repair and maintenance work; and optimized customer experience improvements, such as wayfinding, digital information, and payment technology.
As a first effort towards screening and prioritizing this draft initial project list, the Task Force conducted an initial evaluation using a three-step screening methodology. For the first step, each project was evaluated to determine whether it could be completed in time to be operational by the 2028 Games assuming full funding was provided. The second step includes three criteria: 1) Provides permanent/legacy benefits after the Games per Motion 42; 2) provides potential benefits during the 2028 Games; and 3) serves the needs of and enhances the quality of life for disadvantaged communities.
As part of the evaluation, a two-part multiplicative scale was used to indicate how well the project met the criteria times the magnitude to which the project met the criteria. For criterion 1 the magnitude is scored based on whether impacts are regional/local and temporary/permanent. For criterion 2, the magnitude is scored based on anticipated trips to and from venues that are served by the project. Criterion 3 was developed based on goals/metrics from Metro’s Equity Platform and discussions with staff from Office of Equity and Race. The magnitude for criterion 3 is scored based on the Equity Focused Community (EFC) population within the project area.
As a last step in the evaluation, the projects were categorized into three tiers based on the preliminary scoring results of the screening. The first tier comprises projects with the highest scores. Projects in the second tier received average scores and the third tier includes projects with the lowest scores.
The draft initial project list is attached as Attachment D. Important highlights regarding the project list include:
• Projects that did not pass the first test (project readiness) were still scored and included in the list for information.
• The exact ranking of each project is not presented at this time because additional refinements will need to be completed over the next 2-3 months.
• Identified the funding status for each project.
• Identified projects that may require acceleration (i.e., expedited environmental clearance, funding availability and allocation, project delivery).
• Identified potential project leads for each project (e.g., first/last mile).
• More than half of Tier 1 projects are rail and congestion reduction
• Two-thirds of Tier 2 projects are First/Last Mile, Active Transportation, Rail and Bus projects
Important disclaimers regarding the initial project list include:
• It was prepared by Metro only and is the initial compilation of projects for consideration in Metro’s Mobility Concept Plan.
• It is based on our current list of 2028 Game venues which is subject to change.
• Scoring was completed by members of Metro’s internal Task Force team and Metro’s consultant team.
• Cost analysis was not conducted at this time to preserve a project’s ability for potential consideration of funding. Cost and funding analysis will be completed in the next update.
• A safety/security assessment aligning with National Special Security Event requirements was not conducted at this time. This assessment will be completed in the next update.
The initial project list is a starting point for future analysis and stakeholder coordination. As part of the development of the MCP, the draft initial project list will continue to be evaluated and refined over the next 2-3 months and ultimately submitted to the Metro Board for final approval. The next steps to enhance and develop a comprehensive project list include the following:
• Seek stakeholder feedback, including transit operators and COGs on the weights and projects;
• Refine criteria and measurement scales (e.g., supplement criterion #3 with LA County equity data to assess more accurately impacts/benefits)
• Gather more detailed data to evaluate projects
• Coordinate with LA28 on travel demand model assumptions
• Identify potential for bundling projects
• Focus on funding and costs
A key component of the Plan will be using new tools (e.g., big data) to inform our understanding of travel needs, operational resources and constraints surrounding key corridors, venues and surrounding areas. Another key consideration will be aligning the need for improvements with Metro’s overall objective to advance equity in the region and to consider the impacts and benefits to disadvantaged communities in the short and long term. The Plan will integrate a broad range of solutions to help us achieve one of the most important transport goals for the Games: to enable all ticketed spectators to safely travel to competition venues by public transit, walking or cycling. This will require innovative technological solutions that help integrate the transit system with much-needed first and last-mile improvements and other transit-supportive investments. Venues and activity centers should be tied together with permanent facilities that connect and benefit Angelenos for the future. Residents and visitors should continue to benefit from these facilities long after the games, leaving a lasting legacy of increased access and opportunity for all LA County residents.
Develop federal funding and policy strategy
State Advocacy Strategy
The Metro Board of Directors recently transmitted a letter to the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation proposing the Golden Opportunity budget package. California is experiencing a historic budget surplus of at least $31 billion. This surplus could provide significant funding for Metro's key projects and programs. Funding for the Games has been identified as one of the key priorities of the Golden Opportunity Package. Specifically, the Board recommends that the State allocate $2.5 billion for projects that support the Games. These funds could be allocated through the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP). The Board further recommends that these funds be subject to controlling criteria separate from the regular TIRCP and consistent with the draft 2028 Games Transport Funding Parameters.
Our advocacy team in Sacramento is actively engaged in an aggressive advocacy effort to include this proposal in the final budget agreement.
Federal Advocacy Strategy
Metro staff carefully reviewed “The Olympic Games: Preliminary Information on Federal Funding and Support” document published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 1999 that provided detailed information on how the Federal Government supported the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia and the support planned for the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Given the past practice of the Federal Government with Olympic Games held in the United States, Metro’s Government Relations team concluded that it was reasonable to proactively petition the Federal Government - well in advance of the 2028 Games - to provide robust funding for mobility enhancing projects in Los Angeles County.
For the 2002 Olympic Winter Games held in Salt Lake City, Utah - a White House Task Force was created to “coordinate the extensive federal activities involved in the planning and operation of the Salt Lake City Winter Games.” Clear and consistent cooperation between local, state, and federal authorities, facilitated by the White House Task Force, resulted in effective and efficient mobility afforded to athletes and guests from across the United States and the world. The U.S. Department of Transportation played an essential role in providing resources to complete a number of highway and transit projects in advance of the Olympic Games. Metro Government Relations continue to engage in productive and positive dialogue with LA28 to ensure that mobility is enhanced in Los Angeles County prior the 2028 Games through maximized support by the Federal Government. The shared dialogue with LA28 includes a conversation regarding the establishment of a White House Task Force to facilitate and encourage the flow of robust federal transportation dollars to our region for projects and programs directly related to the Games and to ensure that Congress, through relevant appropriations and authorization measures, prioritizes mobility enhancing projects and programs in Los Angeles County well in advance of the 2028 Games, similar to past practice by the Federal Government in cities/regions that hosted previous Olympic games.
With the congressional passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L.117-58) and President Biden signing this historic infrastructure measure into law on November 15, 2021, new federal funding has become available that could be directed to provide funding for mobility enhancing projects and programs in Los Angeles County ahead of the Games. The new law dramatically increases federal resources available for new transit projects, bus and bus facilities, state of good repair programs, among many other grant and formula programs. Metro, in cooperation with LA28, is actively and aggressively working with federal stakeholders, including but not limited to, members of the House and Senate and the U.S. Department of Transportation, to identify the existing and new funding programs that can be used to direct significant funds to Metro projects in advance of the Games. Specifically, in 2022 this engagement will involve a shared dialogue with the White House, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator, members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) and other key congressional committee leaders - especially those serving on the House and Senate Committee on Appropriations.
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The proposed actions have no adverse impact on the safety of Metro’s patrons, employees, or users of these facilities.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Metro’s 2028 MCP will develop a roadmap and strategy for the agency, focused on identifying projects and programs that will ensure Metro can achieve the mobility goals set for the Games. For the preliminary screening of programs and projects, the Task Force worked with the Office and Equity and Race to evaluate each project and program in relation to how it could serve the needs of and enhance the quality of life for disadvantaged communities. Moving forward, staff will use Metro’s Equity Planning and Evaluation Tool as guidance to ensure the screening criteria includes an equitable approach and that disadvantaged communities and Equity Focused Communities (EFCs) receive their fair share of beneficial outcomes and are protected from a disproportionate amount of adverse impacts. The goal will be to link the project list to other social benefits and policy goals beyond mobility for the Games and ensure that underserved and heavy transit user communities are able to realize those benefits. Within disadvantaged communities and EFCs, staff will work with local stakeholders to ensure an inclusive and accessible engagement process. A plan for this engagement process will be developed over the next month with input from Community Relations and the Office of Equity and Race.
Metro commits to transparent, multilingual communication with stakeholders to build consensus and trust moving forward and hopefully strengthen the communities’ support for the needed improvements.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The development of the MCP supports strategic goals #1 “Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling, #2 “Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system,” and #4 “Transform LA County through regional collaboration and national leadership” by providing a roadmap and strategy to deliver permanent transit and transit-supportive projects and programs that can help serve the 2028 Games.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
In the near-term (2-3 months), staff will be seeking input from stakeholders, including municipal operators, LA28, City of Los Angeles, Caltrans, Metrolink and councils of governments, in order to refine and enhance the scoring criteria/process and to validate/increase/reduce the draft initial project list. After completing the additional analysis and refinements/prioritization, a final project list will be brough back to the Board for review and approval.Staff will also continue to coordinate with LA28 to develop and implement a legislative funding strategy. In the mid-to-long term (6-10 months), staff will develop a detailed implementation plan and prepare a draft final MCP report.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Motion 42: 2028 Mobility Concept Plan
Attachment B - Draft 2028 Games Transport Funding Parameters
Attachment C - LA 2028 Games Task Force
Attachment D - Draft Initial Project List
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Ernesto Chaves, Deputy Executive Officer, Countywide Planning and Development, (213) 547-4362
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Jim de la Loza, Chief, Countywide Planning and Development, (213) 922-2920
Nicole Englund, Chief of Staff, (213) 922-7950
