MEETING NOTICE AND AGENDA LOSSAN RAIL CORRIDOR AGENCY TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (TAC) The LOSSAN TAC may take action on any item appearing on this agenda. Thursday December 1, 2011 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. LA Metro Union Station Room – 3rd Floor One Gateway Plaza Los Angeles, CA Staff Contact: Danny Veeh (619) 699-7317 [email protected] AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS • LOSSAN STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN BUSINESS CASE AND GOVERNANCE CONCEPTS UPDATE • RAIL 2 RAIL FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION • HIGH-SPEED RAIL BUSINESS PLAN UPDATE To request this document or related reports in an alternative format, please call (619) 699-1900, (619) 699-1904 (TTY), or fax (619) 699-1905. MEETING LOCATION The main location for this meeting is at Metro in Los Angeles, CA. Several LOSSAN member agencies will be attending this meeting via teleconference from the following locations: SANDAG, 401 B Street, 8th Floor, San Diego, CA Amtrak, 530 Water Street, Oakland, CA HNTB, 610 Crescent Executive Court, Suite 400, Lake Mary, FL The public is welcome to attend and testify at any of the LOSSAN member agency locations listed above, all of which are accessible to the public. For more information, please contact LOSSAN staff at (619) 699-7317 or e-mail [email protected] for specific meeting room locations at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. Otherwise, conference calling is available. 2 LOSSAN RAIL CORRIDOR AGENCY TAC MEETING Thursday, December 1, 2011 ITEM # RECOMMENDATION 1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS 2. PUBLIC COMMENT/COMMUNICATIONS Speakers are limited to three minutes each. +3. MEETING SUMMARY OF NOVEMBER 3, 2011 (Danny Veeh, SANDAG) APPROVE The LOSSAN TAC is asked to approve the meeting summary from the LOSSAN TAC’s last meeting. 4. LOSSAN STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN BUSINESS CASE AND DISCUSSION GOVERNANCE CONCEPTS UPDATE (Linda Culp, SANDAG; Michael Litschi, Orange County Transportation Authority) Work continues on the LOSSAN Corridorwide Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP). Staff will verbally update the group on the SIP Business Case, including results from the operations and ridership modeling, and the recent progress on the SIP Governance Concepts. +5. STATUS REPORT ON LOSSAN CORRIDORWIDE SHORT-TERM DISCUSSION IMPROVEMENTS (Gene Skoropowski, HNTB) An update on the progress of completing the 24 short-term service improvements is provided. 6. RAIL 2 RAIL FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION (Jonathan Hutchison, Amtrak; DISCUSSION Mark Waier, Metrolink) The Rail 2 Rail program allows Metrolink monthly pass holders to ride Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains within Metrolink territory. Amtrak conducted a standee survey to document overcrowding issues due to the success of the Rail 2 Rail program. Caltrans and Amtrak have been in negotiations with Metrolink for several months considering different proposals for a new Rail 2 Rail agreement. The LOSSAN Board requested that the TAC discuss and comment on the various proposals. 3 +7. JANUARY 9, 2011, CORRIDORWIDE SCHEDULE CHANGE (Alan Miller, INFORMATION Caltrans; Mark Waier, Metrolink; Lane Fernandes, North County Transit District) The Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink, and COASTER schedules will be concurrently changed on January 9, 2011. Staff from each operator will discuss the major changes in the schedule. 8. HIGH-SPEED RAIL BUSINESS PLAN UPDATE (Jose Martinez and INFORMATION Valerie Martinez, California High-Speed Rail Authority) The California High-Speed Rail Authority released a new business plan on November 1, 2011. The new business plan describes a phased approach to construction that will allow the California High-Speed Rail Authority to adapt to changing financial conditions as it moves forward, segment by segment. The plan also updates cost estimates, ridership figures, and funding expectations to reflect current economic realities. 9. CALIFORNIA STATE RAIL PLAN UPDATE (Lea Simpson, Caltrans) INFORMATION Caltrans Division of Rail prepares the California State Rail Plan every two years as an examination of passenger and freight rail transportation in the state of California. Caltrans will discuss the schedule, process, and stakeholder involvement for the next update to the California State Rail Plan. 10. LOSSAN NORTH PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT/ INFORMATION ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (Lea Simpson, Caltrans) The Caltrans Division of Rail is working collaboratively with Caltrans District 5 to prepare a program-level environmental document and a service development plan (SDP). Project scoping meetings were held in January and the draft document is expected to be released in October. The Federal Railroad Administration requires rail corridors to have a programmatic Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement and a SDP in order to receive federal funding for capital projects. +11. REVIEW DECEMBER 14, 2011, DRAFT BOARD OF DIRECTORS AGENDA REVIEW/COMMENT (Linda Culp, SANDAG) The LOSSAN TAC will review the draft agenda for the LOSSAN Board of Directors’ November 14, 2011, meeting. +12. PROPOSED 2012 LOSSAN MEETING SCHEDULE (Danny Veeh, SANDAG) APPROVE The LOSSAN TAC will review the 2012 LOSSAN TAC meeting calendar. 4 13. LOSSAN TAC MEMBER UPDATES INFORMATION 14. NEXT MEETING APPROVE The next LOSSAN TAC meeting is scheduled for January 12, 2011, at 11:30 a.m. in Los Angeles. + next to an item indicates an attachment 5 Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE December 1, 2011 AGENDA ITEM NO.: 3 ACTION REQUESTED: APPROVE MEETING SUMMARY OF NOVEMBER 3, 2011 The LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency Technical Advisory Committee met on November 3, 2011, in Los Angeles, CA. In attendance were: Linda Culp, SANDAG Meghan Taylor, OCTA Gabriela Fernandez, SANDAG Manny Leon, OCTA Gene Skoropowski, HNTB Mary Travis, VCTC Emily Kuhnel, NCTD Jay Fuhrman, Metro Rachel Dye Francis, Amtrak Kirk Schneider, Caltrans Jonathan Hutchinson, Amtrak Joe Valdez, Caltrans Steve McDowell, Amtrak James Campbell, PB Eric Smith, Amtrak Gray Crary, Metrolink Lea Simpson, Caltrans Mark Waier, Metrolink Sheldon Peterson, RCTC Karen Sakoda, Metrolink Peter Rogers, SLOCOG Jose Martinez, CHSRA Scott Spaulding, SBCAG Gary Hewitt, City of Irvine Michael Litschi, OCTA WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS Linda Culp, SANDAG, welcomed all members and began the meeting. PUBLIC COMMENT/COMMUNICATIONS There were no public comments. OCTOBER 13, 2011, TAC MEETING MINUTES There were no changes to the meeting minutes. LOSSAN STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN STATUS REPORT ON SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENTS Gene Skoropowski, HNTB, provided an update on the status of several short-term improvements. The freeway changeable message signs are about 60 percent complete as the pilot project is set to launch in Orange County. Caltrans is looking for feedback on the sign format to address what 6 information to display on the sign and when. Amtrak and Metrolink should be consulted on this decision. The San Diego Station Signage short-term improvement project, which is underway by the North County Transit District (NCTD) at the Oceanside Transit Center, has progressed to 70 percent completion and should be fully complete by January 2012. LOSSAN STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN BUSINESS CASE AND GOVERNANCE CONCEPTS UPDATE Michael Litschi, Orange County Transit Authority, provided a brief update on the Strategic Implementation Plan Business Case, including results from the operations and ridership modeling. Ms. Culp noted the consultant team is focusing on the 2030 long-term scenario and the results will be taken to the project working group, and then to the Board of Directors at its November meeting. A letter of request to the California High-Speed Rail Authority has been prepared to ask for their assistance in conducting operations modeling for the two versions of the long-term scenarios that include high-speed rail. Ms. Culp noted that the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) continue to discuss details related to the potential for a local authority to manage the Surfliner service, and plan to meet before the November Board meeting to review the initial components of the business financial case, although that meeting still needs to be scheduled. Sheldon Peterson, Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC), questioned whether there has been any active discussion on the governance issues in relation to the RCTC voting status. Ms. Culp noted that the Board recently agreed with a CEO recommendation to begin discussions on board framework with the existing LOSSAN Board structure, of which RCTC is an Ex-Officio member. RAIL 2 RAIL FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION Jonathan Hutchison (Amtrak) and Mark Waier (Metrolink) discussed the latest issues with Rail 2 Rail. Caltrans, Amtrak, and Metrolink are considering at least five different proposals for continuation of the program, including asking passengers to pay for the program, adjusting schedules to replace three Surfliner trips during the peak period with Metrolink service, Amtrak reservation system, and termination of the program altogether. TAC members inquired about the potential impacts of the schedule change currently under evaluation, particularly on the north and south ends of the corridor, as well as how Metrolink riders would be accommodated under a reservation system. Mr. Waier noted that the schedule change is still under evaluation and noted along with Mr. Hutchison that discussions are continuing. Ms. Culp noted that the LOSSAN Board requested an item on their November meeting agenda on the program. AMTRAK eTICKETING UPDATE Mr. Hutchison provided an update on