Revised: October 2 1996

TO: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FROM:

SUBJECT: Los Angeles County COMMUNITY ISSUES Metropolitan Transportation Authority RECOMMENDATION

Approvethe staff report for the PasadenaBlue Line (PBL)regarding resolution OneGateway Plaza outstanding communityissues which conformto the recommendedfinal budget of Los Angeles,CA $803.9million.. 90012 ORGANIZATIONAL IMPACT 213.922.6000 Adoptionof the staffrecommendationwill movethis important project forward, Mailing Address: helping achieve the TAs goal of~ncreasmgmobility in this corridor and meeting RO.Box ~94 the direction mandatedby the Boardin June, 1996. Los Angeles,CA 90053 BUDGET IMPACT

Adoptionof the staff recommendationwill not have an impact on the MTAbudget since the recommendationdoes not propose a budget increase.

ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

Noalternatives were considered since the Boarddirected at its June, 1996 meeting that this workbe conducted.

BACKGROUNDAND/OR DISCUSSION

At the June meeting, the Board approved freezing the PasadenaBlue Line (PBL) scope of work with a report back in 60 days on resolution of outstanding communityissues and adoption of the final budget. Over the past three months, MTAstaff has met with local elected officials, communitygroups and city staff membersrepresenting the five communitiesalong the PBLalignment. A list of identified issues raised at these meetings, along with any previously unresolved items are listed in Attachment1. Staffworkedwithin the limitations of the previously defined construction budget to resolve manyof these issues.

A total of four meetings were held with Chinatownrepresentatives addressing station issues, including pedestrian connectionsto various locations within the communityand the enhancementof the public plaza adjacent to the station (Attachment2). Staffregularly attended and participated in the HighlandPark Historic Preservation OverlayZone Association meetings to resolve issues such as the configuration of MarmionWay. MTA staffmet with elected officials and staff from both the Cities of South Pasadena and Pasadena and progressed on a number of issues including station design and station area planning. In addition, the current station canopyprocess has been concludedwith four of the affected communities (Attachment3). Attachment3 refers to two possible approaches to the shared station canopydesign. Oneuses a solid roof and the other (preferred by the communitiesalong the alignment) includes a lighted skylight. Staff will bid both options as part of the station construction contract. If the communitypreferred option is not significantly more,staffwill approvethis design as part of the project.

A draft outline of the ConstructionMitigation Plan for the PBLhas been prepared and included per Board request (Attachment4).

Since the June Boardmeeting, staffreview indicates that the previously recommendedbudget should be maintained. Staff will continue to technically refine the project during the design process and to workwith all impacted communities.

DBE PARTICIPATION

This Boardreport does not involve the awardof a contract and therefore does not directly impact DBEParticipation with the MTA.Staff will continue all current MTAprograms to ensure DBEparticipation throughout the design and construction process of the PasadenaBlue Line.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Matrix showingcommunity issues resolved and still in progress. 2. List of ImprovementsRequested By Chinatown Committees. 3. Standardized Station Canopy. 4. Draft PasadenaBlue Line Construction Mitigation Plan.

Prepared by: Joint Effort of Rail Construction and Regional Transportation Planning and DevelopmentStaff

J.JAMESL-~-.-~e la LOZA Executive Officer ~ ~rans~lanning & Development STANLEY PHERNAMBUCQ Executive Officer Construction

boardrpt diskhrtsword\pasblpfdbr2 Metro PasadenaBlue Line Project Community Issues AttachmentI

Lincoln Heiqhts Historicqualities, feelings, ethnicity NortheastLinkages Study will addressthis issue. Resolved/ongoing community Avenue26 - Crucial consultation MTAstaff will producea bus-rail interfacestudy for the entire Resolved ¯ ServesLincoln Heights, CypressPark project prior to revenueoperations. ¯ Shouldprovide bus-rail interface - Designedinterface point. FrenchAve. NortheastLinkages Study will addressthis issue. Sensitiveresidential area. Increased traffic, pollution, etc. Resolved/ongoing community Street closure at FrenchAvenue Station consultation FrenchAvenue to remainopen. Avenue37 to remainclosed. Resolved CanFrench Avenue Station be movedto Welchsite? Not possiblebecause of site contamination. Station Ramps Resolved Rampsare no longer being consideredfor the stations at Resolved ¯ Peoplegenerally don’t like to walk up or downramps. Chinatown,Lake Avenue, Allen Avenueand Sierra MadreVilla. Needto be sensitiveabout night lighting. NortheastLinkages Study will addressthis issue. Resolved/ongoing community consultation Highland Park Joint developmentre: MarmionWay/Figueroa. Potential to be evaluatedas part of NortheastLinkage study. Resolved/ongoing community Will propertyacquisitions be re-appraised?Has time limit of consultation MTAReal Estate staff to review. original appraisalslapsed? Active Evaluateeconomic development opportunity at Ave. 57 station. Evaluationof developmentpotential within NortheastLinkages Resolved/ongoing Studyand Los AngelesNeighborhood Initiative (LANI). community Re-evaluateproperty acquisitions. consultation Reevaluationhas beencompleted and identifies a significant Resolved/ongoing reductionin propertyacquisitions, community consultation

Los AngelesCounty Metropofitan Transportation Authority October1, 1996 PageI Metro PasadenaBlue Line Project Community Issues AttachmentI

MarmionWay Corridor Design A subconsultantis undercontract with the MTAto facilitate the Active preliminary engineeringfor the MarmionWay corridor. Communityparticipation will be solicited to reachconsensus. The processbegan in mid-Septemberand is anticipated that this processwill be completedin November.

South Pasadena Station Design TheCity agreesthat the revisedstation designwill includethe Resolved/ongoing standard"Arroyo" canopy;the designmeetings were completed community in September. Whathappens to plaza adjacentto Meridianat station. consultation TheProject’s budgetdoes not providefor enhancementsto the Resolved/ongoing vacatedportions of MeridianAvenue adjacent to the Mission community Street Station. However,this issue will be addressedwithin the consultation pedestrianlinkage study to be conductedby MTAstaff for the stations within SouthPasadena and Pasadena. The study will also identify outsidefunding sources for the implementationof any such enhancement. Traction PowerSub Stations The numberof Traction PowerSub Stations (TPSS)located Resolved/ongoing within South Pasadenahas beenreduced from two to one as a community result of cost containment.The design of the TPSSto be consultation locatedat the "Neo-Life"site, alongwith adjacentlandscaping, is yet to befinalized. TheMTA will workclosely with the City to resolve any remainingTPSS related issues. Street Closures MTAis currentlyworking with the City to finalize plans. Locationof NoiseWall Active Final locationsstill to be determinedby the MTAwith input from Active theCity.

Pasadena Johnsonand Johnson building is a countylandmark. TheMTA and the City of Pasadenawill jointly conductan Resolved/ongoing economicfeasibility andmarketing study to identify the highest community andbest future use of the Johnsonand Johnson site. consultation Field survey of MTAR-O-W. MTAwill workwith the City. Traffic signal preemption- coordination. Active MTAwill workwith the City. Active Los AngelesCounty Metropolitan Transportation Authority October1, 1996 Page2 Metro PasadenaBlue Line Project CommunityIssues AttachmentI

~uee[ crossing I[ems MTAwill workwith the City. Traction PowerSub Stations Active Numberreduced along the entire project from 15 to 10, and Active from five to three within Pasadena.Two of thesestations will be movedto newlocations Station Designs Active ¯ Entry Ways Stationentrances will be clearly marked.Issues pertaining to secondaryaccess to the Sierra MadreVilla station (whichis not currentlywithin the Project’sbudget or scope) remainsto be resolvedby the City. ¯ Aesthetics Final station designswill includevarious aesthetic elements Resolved/ongoing dependingon the station. Further pedestrianaccess issues community to be addressedwithin a pedestrianlinkage studyto be consultation conductedby the MTAwith the cooperationof the City. Field survey of MTAR-O-W. MTAwill workwith the City. Traffic signal preemption- coordination. Active MTAwill workwith the City. Active Street crossingitems MTAwill workwith the City. TransportationCenter design. Active The DevelopmentMOU between the MTAand the City of Active Pasadenawas adopted by the MTABoard at its August meeting.Pasadena’s City Council is scheduledto approvethe MOUin October.

Los AnqelesCounty Metropofitan Transportation Authoritv October1, 1996 Page 3 Metro PasadenaBlue Line Project Chinatown Community Issues Attachment 2C

4A SecondElevator MTAwill constructa secondelevator. Costwithin existing Resolved constructionbudget. meva[ea~laza ~+19’ al3ove Alameda Stationplans will reflect the 19foot plazathat will preserve Resolved St.) Extendingunder the guideway the option to connectto east, west, north andsouth andstation platformwith an elevated destinations. Thepreferred pedestrian connection is pedestrianwalk along Collegeto directly to Broadwayacross Little Joe’s. Alternatively, Broadway provision for a connectionacross Alamedato MTAowned 5.2 acre parcel will remain.Design and choice of the connection(s)will be part of the proposednegotiations with the adjacentproperty owner. Not Applicable ArtJlandscape Theproject will include Chineseand other art andheritage Resolved elementswhich may include the proposedI-Ching art elementat the station platformand at plazalevel below the platform. Thedesign Team will revisit art integrated into the newelevated plaza designwith communityinput throughoutthe process. Not Applicable Canopy Communityhas approvedprocess to insure involvement. Resolved Staff will retain canopydesign integrated with art element. Not Applicable Platform Finishes Communityhas approvedprocess to insure involvement. Resolved Finish to be determinein consultationwith the community, artist andDesign Team consistent with all safety requirements. Not Applicable Lighting Lightingwill be integratedwith art andcanopy design. Resolved Not Applicable Handrails Communityhas approvedprocess to insure involvement. Resolved Designwill be determinedand integrated with art element. Not Applicable EncourageJoint Development Joint Developmentopportunities will be pursuedto Resolved enhancethe plaza and supportpedestrian linkages along CollegeStreet, AlamedaStreet, Spring Street, Broadway andtheir connectingcross streets.

1A Gatewayidentifying the location of the Integrate with proposeddevelopment on Little Joe’s site. station from Broadway/College. Nofunding $300,000- Preservingthis option will be requestedas part of the identified ~1 lmilllnn LOSAnqeles Countv Transportation Authorih/ September24, 1996 PageI Metro PasadenaBlue Line Project Chinatown Community Issues Attachment2C

negotiationswith the adjacentproperty owner.

2A BroadwayPedestrian Connection Staff will negotiatewith adjacentproperty owner to provide directly to the stationacross Little Outstanding $300,000 connectionthrough proposeddevelopment. Estimate Active Joe’s property. doesnot include land cost. 3A CollegeStreet Pedestrian Staff will engineerand design plaza to preservethe option Bridge/Extension.This would Nofunding $1.5Million of future constructionof bridge connectionacross College has been increasethe plaza structure across to NorthSpring street. Collegeand land on NorthSpring St. identified. 5A Contribution of MTA5.2 Acres. The Staff will pursuejoint developmentof the MTA5.2 acre Resolved $5.7Million communityis requestingthe parcel. Valueis grossestimate based on the sale of contributionof MTAproperty to a non- similarly zonedindustrial property.Staff doesnot profit communityorganization to recommendcontributing the property. developthe property. 6A AlamedaPedestrian Bridge Staff will engineerand design mezzanine to preservethe Nofunding $1.2Million option of future constructionof bridgeconnection across has been Alamedato the MTA5.2 acre parcel (5A). identified COSTOF OUTSTANDINGISSUES TOTAL $9.8 Million

The $9.8 million includes the estimatedcost of the MTA’s5.2 acre parcel. Subtracting the $5.7 million estimate leaves $4.1 million as the estimatedcost of constructingthe remainingrequested improvements.

Attachmentdisk\ctncomword

Los AngelesCounty Transt~ortation Authorit;, September24,1996 Page2 NO. BROADWAY

LITTLE JOE’S

m

THE SHOP EMPORIUM

_/

PBL GRIDWAY ABOVE

ALAMEDA STREET

ChinatownStation Pedestrian Connection ~ Plaza @ 19’-0" / Current Proposed / MTASite Plan / NO. 8ROADWAy 1A Gateway

~BANK OF AMERICA Pedestrian / Linkage to Bro~

LITTLEJOE’S

PEDESTRIAN LINK

CAP!TC.LMILL!NG THE SHOP EMPORIUM

~3A Bridge Crossing ,

EXIT OOWN

PBL GRIDWAY ABOVE

6A Bridge Crossing to 5.2 Acres Across Alameda

ALAMEDASTREET 5A 5.2 Acres Across Alameda

Chinatown Station Pedestrian Connection __ Plaza @ 19’-0" Pla.za .with Property Owner Participation Attachment 3 Standardized Station Canopy Design

A standardized canopydesign and a skylight variation has been developedthrough a series of meetingswith communityrepresentatives. A standard design is to be implemented,as previously agreed upon by the communitiesalong the project’s alignment, at five stations (Avenue26, French Avenue, Avenue57, Mission Street, and Del Mar Boulevard). subconsultant has been under contract with the MTAas facilitator to workwith a committeeconsisting of two representatives from the communitiesof Lincoln Heights and HighlandPark, and the Cities of South Pasadena, and Pasadenain the design of the standardized canopy.At the date of the preparation of this item, the canopydesigns are nearing completion, and are expected to be completedby late September.

The skylight variation of the standard design is strongly desired by the community representatives but does not fit within the budget. That design variation will be bid as an alternative, with a decision madewhen the actual bids can be comparedwith the budget.

Attaclunent diskMsword~,canopies Attachment 4 October 1, 1996 METRO PASADENA BLUE LINE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION PLAN

This constructionmitigation plan is intended to outline the activities that will be conductedby Public Affairs in providing communityrelations and public outreach to the communitiesimpacted by the MetroPasadena Blue Line Light Rail Project during pre-construction and construction.

GOALS

The goal of the ConstructionMitigation Plan is to describe methodsby whichthe public will be involved in and informedabout the decisions and progress of this light rail project. This objective will include the followingtype of communityrelations strategies:

o Mitigate the construction process through communityparticipation and acceptance. o Communicateconstruction information on a consistent basis and in a timely manner. o Minimizeconstruction impact on people wholive, work, and operate businesses along the alignment. o Helpmaintain the identity of the residential neighborhoodsand economicviability of the business districts along the alignmentthroughout construction. o Heighteninterest and promotemass transit to future riders. o Strive to instill a sense of pride andownership for the light rail project to the communitiesalong the alignment.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Membersof the public to be targeted by this plan include:

General Public Individual property owners/tenants Business and civic organizations Neighborhoodorganizations Communityleaders Media Schoolsand other educational institutions

APPROACH

The public information componentof this plan is crucial to keeping the general public and neighborhoodsadjacent to construction areas appraised of construction activity. Elementsof this outreachwill include: o Communicateconstruction/mitigation plan to local residents, communityorganizations, churches, schools and businesses along the alignment. o Educate the communitiesalong the alignment about the Metro Pasadena Blue Line construction process. o Provide an arena for the communityto voice issues and concerns. o Informpublic officials, communityleaders and organizations on a regular basis about the project status, to enable them to keep current on the construction process, successes and problemsin a realistic way. o Proactively develop resolutions to address communityconcerns.

,COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

The Metro PasadenaBlue Line will run 13.6 miles from Union Station into Pasadena, terminating at Sierra MadreVilla Station. The alignment will run through the communitiesof Chinatown, Lincoln Heights, HighlandPark, the City of South Pasadenaand the City of Pasadena. Constructionof the MetroPasadena Blue Line will be in five major separate contracts ( Line SegmentsI-V). Themost likely contract to begin first, in late 1997, will initially impactSouth Pasadenaand southern portion of Pasadena. The communitiesalong the alignment are ethnically diverse, politically active and supportive about the MetroBlue Line cominginto their neighborhoods.The following is a general breakdownof those areas:

CITY OF LOS ANGELES Union Station This is a majortransportation hub, that includes a multiple bus line transfer point, juncture for Metrolink communterlines serving five counties, The Metro Red Line subway, and Amtrack Trains.

CHINATOWN, CITY OF LOS ANGELES Chinatownstation, Chinatownaerial. (This section runs from north of Union sation to south of L.A. River Bridge) The communityof Chinatown,in addition to being adjacent within commercialindustrial area and residential neighborhoodis a major tourist attraction. Asian/Pacific Islanders comprise approximately70% of the total population in the greater Chinatownarea. And86% within the redevelopmentarea. Of the Asian/Pacific populations within the redevelopmentarea, 75%is of Chinese descent, 5%are Vietnameseand 4%are Cambodian.An additional 10%of the population is Latino. Nearly 12%of the population is 65 years and older, higher than the citywide average of 10%(1990census). However,within the redevelopmentarea, the 65 years and older group represents morethan 20%of the total population. The station is eagerly awaited by the communityand is an essential element to the future growth and developmentof the area.

HIGHLAND PARK, Stations: Avenue 26, French Ave, Southwest Museumstation and Avenue57. ( Line from north end of L.A. River Bridge to ArroyoSeco Bridge). The Avenue26 and French Avenuestations are located in Lincoln Heights, a largely Latino area with a high percentage of Spanish speaking residents. The Southwest Museumand Avenue57 stations are in HighlandPark, a neighborhoodof Latinos, Anglosand Asians, socially and economically diverse. The Highland Park community,especially along the MarmionWay corridor betweenAvenue 50 and Avenue60, will be heavily impacted during light rail construction. These communitieshave separate identities and need separate programsto reach Spanish-speaking residents, the historic preservation community,museum supporters and other interested groups in both Lincoln Heights and Highland Park. The surrounding areas of Mr. Washingtonand Montecito Heights will draw ridership to the SouthwestMuseum and Avenue26 stations respectively and they will have to be included in timely construction updates and progress as it relates to traffic closures,etc.

CITY OF SOUTH PASADENA Mission Street Station ( Line from Arroyo VerdeDr. to south side of Del Mar Blvd.) The City of South Pasadenawill have one station, located near historic structures and the business district. Thecity is diverse with respect to age, ethnic and economicbackgrounds and has a very strong sense of communityinvolvement.

CITY OF PASADENA Stations: Fillmore, Del MarMemorial Park Pasadenais one of the oldest and most diverse communitiesin Southern California. This area of the line contains a mix of very high incomeresidents, with both middle and lower incomeAnglo and Latino residents. Becauseof its proximity to the HuntingtonHospital, Fillmorewill be a bio- medical communitystop almost exclusively. Whereasthe will be a special challengebecause it is to be the site of the city’s evolvingtransportation center and is also to be a joint developmentwith the private sector.

MemorialPark station is to be located in "Old Pasadena,"in the heart of the city. The area aroundthis station consists of restaurants, businesses, small shops, as well as the PasadenaCivic center. Thepopularity of the area puts a strain on parkingfacilities and has a serious traffic problem. The Metro Pasadena Blue Line will run sub-grade along the existing ROWthrough a majority of this area (and north of Del Marstation), requiring "cut and cover" construction resulting in temporarystreet closures. MemorialPark will also serve the dynamicAfrican Americancommunity in NorthwestPasadena, the area of the greatest transit dependencyin the city.

Stations: LakeAvenue, Allen Avenueand Sierra MadreVilla. These stations will be constructed along the medianof the 210 .North of the freeway consists of moderateto low incomefamilies, while south of the freeway are moderateto high incomeresidents. Lake Avenueis the major north-south corridor &the city and that station will also serve the African-Americancommunity in NorthwestPasadena. The will serve the two colleges: PasadenaCity College and Caltech with their large student populations. Sierra MadreVilla is in the center of an Anglomiddle/upper middle class communityand is the terminusfor the line.

CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION: OVERVIEW AND APPROACH

The MetroPasadena Blue Line plan is committedto involve, educate and respond to the communitiesthroughout the construction phases of the project. The focus of the plan is to develop a proactive communitypartnership program.Pre-construction activity will consist of meeting with residents and business ownersalong the right of way to open a dialogue, continuing through the construction process.

CONTRACT/SCOPE OF WORK AGREEMENTS

Constructionmitigation will be written into the appropriate construction contract. Specific languagewill be developedand incorporated into each contract based on specific needs caused by construction activities. Thecontract scope will be verified with the latest contract package.The following types of construction mitigation measureswill be addressed and appropriate language written into each appropriate contract: o EmergencyResponse Program--similar to Metro Red Line (currently under review) o Staging of trucks, including haul routes and other construction related equipment. o Cleaning and maintenanceof sidewalks, walkways,alleys within and immediately adjacent to constructionactivities. o Managementof noise and vibration issues. o Monitoringand control of dust. o Establishmentof traffic requirementsincluding: lane and street closures, access to emergencyservices, access to businesses and access to residences. o Provisions of parking for construction workforceand control of parking intrusion into residential neighborhoods,including the providing of supplementalparking access adjacent to impactedbusinesses. o Identification of safety and security measuresat constructionsites. o Establishmentof workingdays, hours, especially for night time operations and workon Saturdayand Sundays,as well as workrestriction criteria whennear hospitals, churches, schools, and homes. o Storage of equipmentand materials within and outside the MTAworksite area. o Process for obtaining approvals during construction fromresponsible jurisdictions for worksitetraffic control; lane and street closures; detours; etc. o Notification process of construction impactsto public services (i.e. mail delivery, trash pick up, LAPD,LAFD). COMMUNITY OUTREACH: I. Communicationof construction program,status and progress. o Attend communitymeetings during active construction period. o Host project status communitymeetings. o Attend local civic group meetingsto give project updates. o Provide information to local communitiesonce construction begins via flyers/ mailers/phonecalls/personal visits. o Assist in providingbriefings to local elected officials and mediarepresentatives. o Provide venues for communityto resolve issues and complaints. o Prepare newsletters, fact sheets, door hangers, postcards to inform property owners/residents of construction progress/disruption o Prepare informational materials in Chineseand Spanish. II. Educate communityregarding construction processes. o Provide project tours to local community. o Prepare quarterly newsletters once construction begins. o Developeducational safety programsto present to the communityand schools. o Participate in local communityevents, transportation fairs, etc. o Participate in and provide exhibits for communityevents and festivals. o Provideinformational materials on the project (video tape, renderings, etc). o Workwith Metro ARTProject to develop partnerships with the communityfor art projects. llI. Addressconcerns of residents, property ownersand businesses affected by construction. A. Residents and property owners. o Conductquarterly neighborhoodmeetings and provide updates during pre-construction and construction. o Advisepublic of bus detours or traffic conditions related to construction. o Provide bulletin board for notices of MTAemployment opportunities at Field Office. o Partcipate in local neighborhoodwatch group meetings to disseminate information on safety andsecurity. B. Businesses o Conductregular meetings to provide updates during pre-construction and construction. o Develop EmergencyResponse TeamPlan. o Coordinating workshopsfor vendor relations and developingdiscussions with local businesses. o Coordinate with local Chambersand business organizations to provide project updates. o Assist local merchantswith signage, banners or advertising during construction.

IV. Response to Complaintsand Inquires During Construction. o Public Affairs will maintaina 620-rail hotline to receive and return calls from concernedcitizens in a timely manner. (24 hour on-call emergencyresponse from Public Affairs staffwill be established). o Personal visits, will be madeto residents and businesses as requested and during pre- construction and construction to build and foster workingrelationships with the community. o Claimresolution will be reviewedthrough an established process.

IV. School Safety

Public Affairs will work with the MTASchool Transit Safety Programcoordinators to provide current schedule of construction activity and assist in coordinating safety events and outreach in the schools identified along the PasadenaBlue Line alignment (one and-one-half mile each side of the alignment).