Transportation Committee Agenda
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2 Motion by Directors Bonin, O'Connor, Fasana and Ridley-Thomas Developing an Active Transportation Finance Strategy Planning &Programming Committee July 16, 2014 Metro is considering adopting a 10-year Short Range Transportation Plan (SRTP)that reiterates its commitment from the 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)to invest in a rapid expansion of fixed-guideway transit and modernization of our freeway system. The SRTP provides an investment strategy for all revenues controlled by Metro, including Propositions A and C, Measure R, and state and federal funds, to ensure the timely delivery of transportation projects throughout the county. The Highway and Transit programs in the SRTP undergo a rigorous planning and needs assessment process that aid Metro in defining both the projects and the resources necessary to meet identified needs. However, the same process is not applied to the active transportation program. Metro plans to spend close to a billion dollars on walk/bike projects in the next ten years absent a comprehensive planning process or an assessment of countywide needs. Further, the draft SRTP does not adequately reflect MTA's Countywide Sustainability Planning Policy and joint work program with SCAG to expedite active transportation funding and implement the recently adopted First-Last Mile Strategic Plan. While the SRTP does integrate sustainable principles and practices into planning activities using an evolving set of performance metrics, critical sustainability metrics, including safety and accessibility measures for walking and biking are not included in the plan. The SRTP as drafted demonstrates shortcomings in countywide walk and bike planning that Metro should address to ensure that the full range of sustainable mobility options are incorporated into countywide planning efforts. THEREFORE MOVE that the MTA Board direct the CEO to: A. Develop an Active Transportation Finance Strategy for Los Angeles County by January 2015 that: 1. Defines performance metrics to measure improvements for walking and biking, including: access to walking and biking infrastructure, access to education and encouragement programs, rates of Metro customers walking and biking to transit, collision and injury/fatality rates and greenhouse gas reductions from active transportation 2. Sets benchmarks based on the developed performance metrics and identifies what level of annual investment is necessary to meet those goals 3. Inventories available funding sources to meet the investment need 4. Recommends possible changes to Metro, state, and federal policies to increase access fio existing fiunding sources if the need exceeds available funding, including but not limited to an analysis of the funding priorities of Metro's Call for Projects and the state Active Transportation Program. B. Report back in October on what steps are necessary to incorporate walking and biking in Metro's travel demand model, with an assessment of best practices by other regional transportation agencies for accounting for active transportation with interim off-model approaches, and expanding data sets to include all trips not just commute data. Motion by: Councilmember Paul Krekorian, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Supervisor Zev Yaroslaysky, Director John Fasana and Director Ara Najarian San Fernando/San Gabriel Valley High Capacity Transit Corridor July 16, 2014 The Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit(BRT) has been a tremendous success, with ridership approaching 30,000 aday —far reaching original projections. With its popularity and based on its current capacity, it is time to look at how we can enhance service, performance and ridership. Some options include signal prioritization, enhanced grade separations, as well as conversion to rail. While the Orange Line serves an important role in connecting riders across the Valley to transit, there is a need to look at the possibility of expanding and connecting our network to Burbank, Glendale, Eagle Rock and Pasadena in order to have a continuous link between the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys. Additionally, with recent completion of the Regional Intermodal Transit Center (RITC) and enhanced Metrolink service to Bob Hope Airport, one of the most critical remaining missing links of the current system is a more direct connection between North Hollywood Station and the Bob Hope Airport. Such a line could not only meet the substantial transit needs of that corridor, but could also service the Bob Hope Airport and create a vital train-to-plane link that would be transformational for the entire region. In advance of a potential ballot measure and the passage of AB 577 (Nazarian) into law which allows for the construction of Light Rail in the Southeast San Fernando Valley THEREFORE MOVE that the Board instruct the CEO to report back to the Board at the next board meeting with recommendations for: A. To develop and fund a feasibility study — including construction and engineering concepts, ridership and environmental estimates — to examine options for enhancing service and ridership on the Orange Line to decrease travel time and reduce traffic interruption, including: 1. BRT upgrades assessment — in addition more articulated buses 2. BRT to low/high floor Light Rail Vehicle (LRT) Conversion Assessment 3. Signal prioritization for the current BRT; 4. Grade separations and options 5. Cost-Effectiveness of Improvements 6. Potential Implementation Strategies which include adding this corridor into the strategic portion of MTA's Long Range Transit Plan (LRTP) B. To develop and fund a feasibility study — including construction and engineering concepts, ridership and environmental estimates — of a San Fernando/San Gabriel Valley High Capacity Transit Corridor which would examine: 1. Connecting the Gold Line Foothill Extension with planned service to the San Bernardino County Line to the RITC at the Bob Hope Airport, to the Red/Orange Line in North Hollywood and on through to the Orange Line ending in Warner Center in one rail transit line. 2. Connecting North Hollywood Station and Bob Hope Airport, including rail and bus options that could include the extension of the Orange Line and/or the Red Line to the Bob Hope Airport. 3. Build on existing MTA staff and others feasibility studies and take next steps toward implementing a BRT through this corridor 4. Cost-Effectiveness of Improvements 5. Potential Implementation Strategies which include adding this corridor into the strategic portion of MTA's Long Range Transit Plan (LRTP) FURTHER MOVE that the Board direct the CEO to work with the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments (SFVCOG), the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG)and affected jurisdictions including the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, City of Los Angeles, City of Glendale, City of Burbank, and City of Pasadena to achieve these goals. FURTHER MOVE that the Board direct the CEO to identify possible funding for all these aforementioned studies. ### The LRTP Update vs. Ballot Initiative Dilemma July 16, 2014 Amendment to the SFV/SGV High Capacity Transit Corridor Motion By Directors O'Connor, Dubois and Knabe The motion before us today clearly makes the case for the need to address the growing Orange Line ridership. The lifting of the ban on at-grade light rail in this corridor makes it only logical that Metro should seek to undertake a feasibility study for the conversion of the Orange Line BRT to a light rail project at some point in time. The fact remains, however, that feasibility studies will not provide funding commitments until the project is included in an updated LRTP. The question then becomes: (a) under what process should feasibility studies such as those described in the Motion be conducted, and (b) where do they belong in the existing queue of Metro Long Range Transportation Plan budgeted and approved transit project studies? Meanwhile, Metro staff is bringing before us this month updates of the Short Range Transportation Plan (SRTP), staff is undertaking the Board directed subregional Mobility Matrix Studies, and concurrently proceeding with Ballot Initiative "outreach" efforts with the TAC Working Group and establishing an Executive Committee with the COGS, Caltrans and Metrolink as part of an effort to draft a potential new Transportation sales tax Ballot Initiative that could possibly go before the voters as early as 2016. Within that context, this Motion brings into focus questions as to the efficacy of undertaking the preparation of any new sales tax Ballot Initiative outside the Long Range Transportation Plan Update planning process. It is questionable how a new Ballot Initiative can balance the need to complete the regional investments approved in Measure R, bring forward the projects identified in the 2009 LRTP Strategic Plan in Tiers 1 and 2, manage to incorporate "new" projects seeking feasibility study-funding without running the risk of becoming a de facto subregional-centric "shopping cart" of projects that fails to reflect Metro's commitment to developing sustainable mobility programs such as the Active Transportation Agenda and Comp/ete Streets that address local and subregional congestion issues, and integrating State mandated sustainability strategies? The challenges listed above coupled with those of developing new funding sources and re-balancing transportation priorities and funding need to be developed through a transparent, inclusive and innovative Long Range Plan planning process from which a new sales tax Ballot Initiative