Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
JUNE 23, 2022
Subject
SUBJECT: I-710 SOUTH CORRIDOR TASK FORCE
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS
Heading
RECOMMENDATIONS
Title
CONSIDER:
A. RECEIVING AND FILING report on the I-710 South Clean Truck Program (I-710 South Corridor Zero Emission Truck Program) in response to Board Motion 16; and
B. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer to execute Modification No. 28 to Contract No. PS4340-1939, I-710 South Corridor Project EIR/EIS, with URS Corporation (an AECOM Entity) to fund the close out of the EIR/EIS and the new 710 South Corridor Investment Plan in the not-to-exceed (NTE) amount of $6,276,216.18, increasing the total contract value from $58,173,718 to $64,449,934.18.
Issue
ISSUE
Motion 9 by Directors Hahn, Solis, Mitchell, and Dutra (Attachment A) set forth directives to guide the work of the Task Force and the development of the I-710 South Corridor Investment Plan (710 IP). Staff requests Board consideration of the recommendations related to developing the 710 IP presented in this report.
Background
BACKGROUND
Metro and Caltrans established the I-710 South Task Force in September 2021 to re-engage stakeholders that depend upon, and are impacted by, the movement of people and goods within the Interstate 710 (I-710) South Corridor between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and State Route 60 (Attachment B - 710 Task Force Study Area).
Last month the Board acted on a request from Caltrans to rescind the LPA 5C and, in its place, approve Alternative 1, the “No Build” alternative, as the new LPA for the I-710 South Corridor Project Final Environmental Document (File #2022-0100). This action effectively concluded the prior environmental process. It cleared the path forward for the Task Force to provide a new set of projects, programs, and legislative recommendations as part of the 710 IP for Board consideration to deliver much-needed investment for the communities directly impacted by the movement of people and goods through the I-710 South Corridor.
Following the adoption of Motion 16 by Directors Hahn and Dutra (Attachment C), the staff initiated a Zero Emission (ZE) Truck Working Group as part of the Task Force’s engagement process. The Working Group is charged with developing the 710 ZE Truck Program under the guidance of the ZE technology parameters adopted by the Board.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
I-710 South Corridor Zero Emission (ZE) Truck Program
The ZE Truck Working Group held seven meetings (November 2021 and monthly from January to June of 2022) in which Task Force members and key partners reviewed and discussed the following topics:
• The goals and objectives for the 710 ZE Truck Program in the context of Motion 16 (Directors Hahn and Dutra)
• Industry perspectives and the role of stakeholders in the 710 Task Force
• Air quality and environmental justice challenges and opportunities for the I-710 South Corridor, as presented by the EPA
• Air quality context from the SCAQMD and the challenges in meeting upcoming federal air quality attainment deadlines due to the slow rollout and scaling of ZE truck technology and infrastructure to displace the large volume of diesel trucks moving goods in the region.
• The state of clean truck technology and efforts to accelerate the commercialization of the ZE Class 8 heavy-duty trucks
• Governor Newsom’s FY2022 budget and the prospects for ZE trucks and infrastructure funding opportunities
• Federal funding opportunities and collaboration with USDOT representatives
• Community engagement needs and strategies to ensure proper community participation in key planning decisions made regarding ZE Infrastructure siting.
• Strategies to best leverage Metro’s $50 million in seed funding with the state and federal governments’ existing and future resources while exploring partnerships with organizations already funding incentives to deploy ZE truck technology and infrastructure, such as the Ports of LA and Long Beach, CARB and SCAQMD.
Since the last report to the Board in March 2022 (File #2022-0037), the ZE Truck Working Group has met three times as it seeks to finalize its scope and strategies to leverage the $50 million programmed for this effort by the Board.
The working group favors public ZE truck electric charging/hydrogen fueling infrastructure as the overwhelming focus of how to invest the $50 million. At its May 2022 meeting, an informal poll found that 38% of members could “support this proposal” while the other 62% of members could “live with the proposal” but required more information on elements of the scope to be able to support the overall proposal. To ensure the Working Group moved forward with consensus, staff determined that more information and opportunities for discussion would be needed to allow more members to become comfortable enough with the proposal to support it formally.
To address this information need, staff conducted breakout sessions with the Working Group members that focused on these five main topics:
• Equity considerations, community engagement and benefits, and ZE infrastructure siting
• Strategic partnerships and funding opportunities
• Legislative and policy initiatives
• Truck subsidies
• Environmental impacts and mitigation strategies
The Working Group requested additional breakout rooms for the June 2022 meeting to address additional topics, including workforce development, electrifying freight trains, investigating parcels of land for potential siting of public ZE infrastructure, and developing effective community engagement strategies at the regional level for planning purposes and at the local level for site-specific proposals. Staff also worked with the working group members to identify more near-term opportunities for discretionary grant funding for projects and planning needs for the I-710 South Corridor and will report back to the Board at a future date with more details of this funding strategy once completed.
Request for Contract Modification
To develop the 710 IP, staff conducts extensive stakeholder and community engagement on a monthly basis through meetings with the Task Force and its subgroups that require a great deal of coordination and preparation from Metro staff and its consultant team. Funding to complete the 710 IP, which will be developed through this engagement and consultant technical support, was not included in the original I-710 EIR/EIS contract budget. Additional funding in the amount of $6,276,216.18 is needed going forward because the scope and the level of effort necessary to close out the environmental document and develop the 710 IP is greater than what can be funded by the remaining contract amount for the I-710 EIR/EIS.
A summary of the work plan for the requested contract modification to close out the Final EIR/EIS effort and complete the 710 IP is provided below.
Work Element #1 - Final EIR/EIS and Project Report, No Build
Completion of responses to comments and preparation of the final environmental document, preparation of the Project Report (PR) which documents Caltrans’ approval of the Project, and preparation of the Administrative Record.
Schedule: July 2022 - January 2023
Work Element #2 - I-710 South Corridor Investment Plan: Stakeholder and Community Engagement & Technical Analysis and Development
Below is a breakdown of the projected costs, by task, for the work elements described above in more detail.
|
Contract Modification Task Breakdown |
Budget |
|
Project Management |
$498,900 |
|
Completion of the Final Environmental Document |
$918,028.86 |
|
I-710 South Corridor Investment Plan - Technical Analysis & Development, Stakeholder and Community Engagement |
$4,859,287.94 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
$6,276,216.18 |
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The proposed contract modification will have no negative impact on the safety of Metro’s patrons or employees. The ultimate 710 IP developed with input from the Task Force will include safety as a goal that will help guide the creation of a safer, more community-supportive approach to moving people through the I-710 South Corridor and its communities.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The amount of $500,000 is included in the FY23 Adopted budget under the I-710 South Early Action Project 460316, Account 50316 (Services Professional/Technical), Task 14.01. Since the development of the FY23 Budget, additional effort was identified in pursuit of the goals and objectives of the Task force. No additional budget is needed at this time. Staff will reassess the approved FY23 budget and make necessary adjustments to fund the Task Force efforts needed during the fiscal year.
Since this is a multi-year project, the Project Manager, the Cost Center Manager, the interim Senior Executive Officer for Countywide Planning and Development-Roads & Highways, and the Chief Planning Officer will continue to be responsible for budgeting any remaining costs in future fiscal years.
Impact to Budget
The source of funds for this project will be Measure R Highway Capital (20%) Funds from the I-710 South and/or Early Action Projects. This fund source is not eligible for Bus and Rail Operations or Capital Expenditures.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Staff is engaging stakeholders, including those most likely to be impacted by potential improvements in the corridor, to provide input on the development of an Investment Plan for the I-710 South Corridor collaboratively. The CLC is composed entirely of residents from the communities along the corridor, meetings are facilitated in English and Spanish. In the last few months, the CLC has participated in orientations and several business meetings of the CLC as well as in meetings of the Equity Working Group (EWG) and ZE Truck Working Group. Through their participation, the CLC reviews proposals and develops recommendations for consideration by the Task Force.
The EWG, which includes Task Force and CLC members, meets regularly to ensure that all aspects of the Task Force’s work and recommendations consider historic and current inequities and discuss solutions and decisions that will maximize equitable outcomes.
The 710 ZE Truck Program, which is intended to be a new process, is currently being developed by the ZE Truck Working Group and will be assessed for its ability to support equitable outcomes. Developing the 710 ZE Truck Program will directly address the pollution, air quality, and public health impacts caused by the operation of thousands of diesel trucks daily within the I-710 South Corridor. In response to input from community representatives, Metro will continue to engage and include members of the CLC in the development of the ZE Truck Working Group recommendations and receive the CLC’s review of the recommendations prior to finalization.
With this action, the 710 Task Force and its attendant working groups and CLC will continue to promote community-driven conversations to ensure an equitable decision-making process as the Task Force provides input on multimodal strategies and input on priority projects and programs for the I-710 South Corridor for consideration by the the Metro Board.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Collaboration among the I-710 South Corridor communities, impacted residents and stakeholders through 710 Task Force meetings and its attendant committees and public outreach forums, such as the ZE Truck Working Group, is consistent with the following goals of the Metro Vision 2028 Strategic Plan:
Goal 1: Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling.
Goal 4: Transform LA County through regional collaboration and national leadership.
Goal 5: Provide responsive, accountable, and trustworthy governance within the Metro organization.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
The Task Force will continue the Vision Statement and Goals discussion at its July 11, 2022, meeting and approve a recommendation for the Vision Statement, Guiding Principles and Goals to be brought forward for the Board’s consideration in August.
Staff will also initiate the next phase of the Task Force process - the development of the Multimodal Strategies, Projects, and Programs to be evaluated for inclusion in the 710 IP - and include a report back on this progress at the August 2022 meeting.
The ZE Truck Working Group will continue to meet monthly to define the 710 ZE Truck Program and its associated investment and implementation plan to accelerate the deployment of the ZE Heavy-Duty Class 8 trucks and infrastructure along the I-710 South Corridor.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A -Motion by Directors Hahn, Solis, Mitchell, and Dutra, May 2022
(Item 9, File #2022-0355)
Attachment B - 710 Task Force Study Area
Attachment C - Substitute Motion by Directors Hahn and Dutra, October 2021
(Item 16, Legistar # 2021-0708)
Attachment D - Procurement Summary
Attachment E - Contract Modification/Change Order Log
Attachment F - DEOD Summary
Prepared_by
Prepared by:
Michael Cano, EO (Interim), Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3010
Ernesto Chaves, SEO (Interim), Countywide Planning & Development-Roads & Highways (213) 922-7343
Laurie Lombardi, SEO, Countywide Planning & Development, (213) 418-3251
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by:
James de la Loza, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 922-2920
Debra Avila, Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 418-3051
