4. Metro Report Information (Fulgene Asuncion) 5 min. 6. State and Federal Legislative Update (Written Report to be Provided in Lieu of Oral Report)

Transcription

1 Thursday, July 14, :30 a.m. Agenda Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Streets and Freeways Subcommittee Union Station Conference Room, 3 rd Floor 1. Call to Order Action (Nicole Rizzo) 1 min 2. Approval of Minutes Action (Subcommittee) Attachment 1: Draft May 19, 2011 and June 16, 2011 Minutes Attachment 2: Sign in Sheet/Attendance Sheet Attachment 3: 90-Day Rolling Agenda 1 min 3. Chairperson Report Information (Nicole Rizzo) 5 min 4. Metro Report Information (Fulgene Asuncion) 5 min 5. Caltrans Report Information (Kirk Cessna) 5 min 6. State and Federal Legislative Update (Written Report to be Provided in Lieu of Oral Report) 7. CTC Update Information (Patricia Chen) 5 min 8. ITS Implementation Plan for Goods Movement Information (Jon Grace) 10 min Program Update Information (Anne Janda) 10 min

2 10. Capital Reserve Accounts for Local Jurisdictions Information (Susan Richan) 10 min Recertification and Deobligation Information (Fanny Pan) Attachment 4: Recertification List Attachment 5: Deobligation List Attachment 6: Extension List Attachment 7: Results of TAC Appeals Process 15 min Call for Projects Update Information (Rena Lum) Attachment 8: TAC Appeals Protocol Attachment 9: TAC Appeals Fact Sheet 5 min Call for Projects Preliminary Action Funding Recommendations (Rena Lum/Modal Leads) 40 min 13. New Business Discussion (Subcommittee) 5 min 14. Adjournment Action (Subcommittee) 1 min The next meeting of the Streets and Freeways Subcommittee will be held on August 18, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. on the 15 th Floor, Windsor Conference Room. Please contact Fulgene Asuncion at (213) should you have any questions or comments regarding this or future agendas. Agendas can be accessed online at: 2

3 Attachment 1 May 19, 2011 and June 16, 2011Streets and Freeways Meeting Minutes 3

4 Thursday, May 19, :30 AM Meeting Minutes Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Streets and Freeways Subcommittee Windsor Conference Room, 3 rd Floor Members & Alternates Present: Allan Abramson (A), Fulgene Asuncion (M), John Asuncion (ex-officio), Robert Brager (A), Kirk Cessna (M), LaDonna DiCamillo (ex-officio), Steve Forster (M), Sumi Gant (M), Steve Huang (M), Bahman Janka (M), Ken Johnson (M), Marianne Kim (M), Michelle Mowery (M), Sharon Perlstein (M), Nicole Rizzo (Chair). 1. Call to Order (Nicole Rizzo, Chair) Ms. Rizzo called the meeting to order at 9:30 AM. 2. Approval of the April 21, 2011 Minutes (Subcommittee) Steve Forster (League of Cities, Gateway Cities) made a motion to approve the April 21, 2011 minutes, which was seconded by Sharon Perlstein (League of Cities, Westside Cities). Ms. Rizzo abstained. The minutes were approved with no objections. 3. Chairperson Report (Nicole Rizzo, Chair) Ms. Rizzo reported that she will meet with Doug Failing (Metro) next week to discuss ways to improve the Subcommittee meetings. Anyone with ideas or concerns for the meetings can reach her at nrizzo@cityoflancasterca.org or She will provide a report of their discussion during the June Streets and Freeways meeting. Mr. Forster stated that he would like Mr. Failing to attend the meetings. Ms. Rizzo responded that she would pass the request along to Mr. Failing. 4. Metro Report (Fulgene Asuncion, MTA) Ms. Asuncion reported that at its meeting on April 28 th, the Board: Approved on Consent Calendar: o The Life of Project (LOP) budget of four freeway soundwall projects: Package #5: The I-405 Freeway from Devonshire to Mission Boulevard in the City of Los Angeles; Package #6: The I-405 Freeway from the San Gabriel River to Atherton Street in the City of Long Beach; Package #7: The SR-134 Freeway from Cahuenga Boulevard to Riverside Drive in the Cities of Los Angeles and Burbank; and Package #8: The I-605 Freeway from north of Slauson Avenue to south of Obregon Street in the City of Whittier and unincorporated County area; o $14.1 million in Measure R Funds for design and construction of (noncapacity) roadway improvements adjacent to the I-5 South (Orange County Line to I-605) project; Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes May 19,

5 Approved as Amended: o The updated Los Angeles County Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) priorities for use in programming funds for fiscal year (FY) to FY ; Authorize the CEO, to assign or reassign, when necessary, federal, state and local funds to support Board-approved projects and programs, so long as the priorities of the MTA Board approved Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) and this report are not changed by the assignment or reassignment; and Amendment: Directed staff to report back to the Board when transfers occur; and Approved as amended under reconsideration: o Director O Connor s motion on Health and Active Transportation. MTA will create an Active Transportation agenda by November 2011 which will include a description of existing programs and short and long-term strategies for leveraging urban design, partnerships and project development to create environments that promote walking and biking, transit use and public health; Amendment: Promote through the Call for Projects resource allocation to achieve these goals; and Directed staff to seek input from sub-regions and cities on best practices 5. Caltrans Report (Kirk Cessna, Caltrans) Mr. Cessna reported that: Cycle 3 Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Call for Projects (Call) applications are due by July 15, This Call is a two-year cycle with a pot of $42 million statewide (approximately 25% of that amount for District 7); Damage Assessment Forms (DAFs) for the December 2010 storms are due by Friday, May 20 th. Agencies should include as much detail as possible, including photos, if any; The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will be conducting Cost Allocation training on June 22 nd in their district office. The all-day training event will cover preparing direct and indirect cost proposals; Applications for FHWA s Discretionary Program are due next week; and Caltrans recently posted a new online Project Delivery Report on their website at The intent of this tool is to allow city, county and regional agencies (with projects receiving federal or state funds through the Division of Local Assistance) to quickly identify projects either at risk or currently out-of compliance and the corrective action that should be taken. This tool is still a work in progress, so agencies should contact Caltrans staff to bring any errors to their attention. Allan Abramson (County of Los Angeles) asked for information regarding setting priorities for Indirect Cost Rate Proposal (ICRP) approval. Mr. Cessna responded that Caltrans staff is currently backlogged on the ICRP s and is working with their Accounting Department to obtain approval so that agencies can begin to invoice against their indirect costs. Mr. Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, May 19,

6 Abramson asked what will happen to agencies with projects that are inactive due to the backlog of ICRP s. Mr. Cessna responded that for normal projects, the backlog can be used as justification for an extension. 6. State and Federal Legislative Update (Michael Turner and Raffi Hamparian, MTA) Mr. Turner and Mr. Hamparian did not report. 7. CTC Update (Patricia Chen, MTA) Ms. Chen reported that at the May th CTC meeting: A discussion was held on Proposition 1B. Currently, the State has $5 billion in Prop 1B funds with $6.5 billion in allocated projects. Those numbers are misleading however, because a large number of the allocated projects have not been drawing down funds. In order for a strong argument to be made that there is a need to sell more bonds (to obtain more Prop 1B funds), agencies need to accelerate invoicing. The State will soon contact agencies with Prop 1B allocated projects to ensure that they are implementing projects and invoicing in a timely manner; Transportation Enhancement (TE) allocations were approved for Culver City and the City of Rolling Hills Estates; and State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Amendments from around the County were noticed and will likely be on the consent calendar in June. 8. Call for Projects Update (Rena Lum, MTA) Ms. Lum reported that MTA staff is currently evaluating applications for the 2011 Call and anticipate taking the preliminary recommendations to the Board for approval in June. A special Streets & Freeways meeting will be held on July 14 th and TAC appeals are scheduled for July 26 th 28 th. Board adoption is scheduled in September. The TAC Subcommittee responsible for updating/revising the protocol for the appeals process has met and will bring their recommendations to the full TAC at the July 6 th meeting. Ms. Rizzo asked what revisions to the appeals protocol is the Subcommittee going to recommend. Alan Patashnick (MTA) responded that the revisions include better defining the protocol for who can speak before the, restrictions on who can make a motion, etc. Steve Huang (League of Cities, South Bay Cities COG) asked how much is in the reserve fund. Ms. Lum responded $2.85 million. Mr. Forster asked when the Rainbow Report will be released. Ms. Lum responded that it will be released at least 72 hours before the item goes before the Board on June 23 rd. 9. SR-126/Commerce Center Drive Interchange Improvement Project STP-L Exchange Update (Maria Lopez, MTA) Ms. Lopez reported that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (LACDPW) has requested an exchange of up to $41 million in federal Surface Transportation Program-Local (STP-L) funds for unrestricted, non-federal local funds which MTA would make available to local agencies for STP-L eligible projects. The benefit of the exchange is that it eliminates the difficult process associated with federal funds. The exchange was approved on May 18 th by the MTA Planning and Programming Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, May 19,

7 and it will be presented to the full Board for approval on May 26 th. The process for the recommended exchange will be identical to the previously Board approved STP-L Exchange of $20.6 million for the I-5/Hasley Canyon Road Interchange project with LACDPW on January In addition to that exchange, the Board also approved a program whereby 54 eligible local agencies could avail themselves of the exchanged funds from the County of Los Angeles. MTA has currently exchanged $14.7 million of federal STP-L funds with non-federal funds with 41 of the 54 eligible local agencies. The exchange has been successful because of the flexibility it has provided local agencies. Ms. Gant asked how the 54 local agencies were chosen. Ms. Lopez responded that the agencies were chosen by population (smallest to largest). Sumi Gant (City of Long Beach) stated that it would also be a good idea to use the exchanged funds for small Transportation Demand Management (TDM) projects. Michelle Mowery (Bicycle Coordination) stated that exchanging the money for TDM projects is a good idea because they are small projects and it is difficult to use federal money for small projects. 10. Fiscal Responsibility Policy for Measure R (Monika Suarez, MTA) Ms. Suarez distributed Attachment A of the Measure R Ordinance. She reported that the Capital Project Contingency for Transit Projects totals $3.27 billion (Line 18) and the Capital Project Contingency for Highway Projects totals $2.57 billion (Line 39). These contingencies were originally intended to be an allowance for the inflation that will occur between now and when the projects are actually constructed. The Measure R Ordinance also listed additional uses for the Contingency Funds, including: additional funding for any of the Capital Projects listed in Attachment A, debt service expenses (excluding principal), offsetting the costs of inflation and any other purpose that is approved by the MTA Board. Because of the broad language that was used in the Measure R Ordinance, the Board asked MTA staff to draft specific guidelines for the contingency funds. The goal of the recommended Fiscal Responsibility Policy for Measure R Capital Project Contingency Funds (Policy) is to ensure that all Measure R capital projects can be completed as scheduled in the 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). Ms. Suarez reported that the primary highlight of the Policy calls for the Measure R debt service being capped at the same level included in the April 2010 update to the model. The April 2010 financial model assumes $1.4 billion of interest costs for Transit and $500 million for Highway for a total of $1.9 billion. Since that model was completed, the MTA has issued a series of Build America Bonds, which will use approximately $430 million of interest. MTA is also in the process of applying for a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor project which will add another $240 million of interest costs. This results in approximately $1.2 billion of contingency funds remaining for future debt issuances. If a project needs additional interest than is assumed in the financial model, it must be approved by the Board. Another highlight of the Policy is that any Measure R project that has cost savings will be required to reimburse the contingency funds for any interest costs that were expended. The final highlight of the Policy is that if Measure R projects are accelerated as compared to their schedule in the updated financial model (i.e. implementation of the 30/10 Initiative), any debt that is required above what is incorporated in the financial model must be borne by the project. Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, May 19,

8 11. I-5 from I-605 to Orange County Line Update (Jon Grace, MTA) Mr. Grace reported that in October 2010, Caltrans requested that the project be split into five segments and also requested approval to spread Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA) funds from the entire corridor to three specific segments. Those segments were selected based on having the least amount of risk and the highest probability of meeting the CMIA program requirement that projects begin construction by November Mr. Grace reported on the five segments and the Carmenita Road Interchange project: Caltrans advertised the Carmenita Road Interchange in March 2011, and opened bids for construction on May 12, Eight bids were received with the lowest bid approximately 10% lower than the estimated cost of construction. One risk for this segment is that Right of Way (ROW) has not been completed and Metro is unsure of the cost; Alondra Avenue (Segment 1) is scheduled to start construction in November There are still a number of small ROW parcels left to acquire; Valley View Road Interchange (Segment 2) is scheduled to begin construction in June There are a number of risks associated with this segment, such as a large number of contaminated properties, business relocation issues, etc; Shoemaker, Rosecrans and Bloomfield Bridges (Segment 3) is currently 60% complete with ROW acquisition and Metro staff is confident that they can acquire the necessary ROW before the November 2012 CMIA deadline; Imperial Highway (Segment 4) is scheduled to start construction in August Meeting this scheduled date may be a challenge due to the large number of remaining acquisitions; and Florence Avenue (Segment 5) is scheduled to start construction in June There are some utility relocation coordination issues to resolve and a significant amount of residential properties to look at. Mr. Grace stated that the main risks for this corridor are the required start date for the CMIA-funded segments and the ROW issues. Caltrans has taken a number of pro-active actions to mitigate ROW efforts, such as utilizing staff from other districts. Concurrently, MTA has assigned staff from their Real Estate Department to help with ROW acquisition. CMIA funding is based on bond sales and the State needs to sell bonds in the Fall in order to cover its CMIA-funded commitments. If the State does not sell bonds, Caltrans cannot award the projects and it may be necessary for MTA to issue a Letter of No Prejudice (LONP). Ms. Gant asked if the project will extend the existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane. Mr. Grace responded that the project extends the existing HOV lane by nearly seven miles. 12. Los Angeles County Public Works Traffic Forum Projects (Randy Lamm, MTA) Mr. Lamm did not report. Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, May 19,

9 13. I-710 Early Action Projects Soundwall Feasibility Study (Adrian Alvarez, MTA) Mr. Alvarez reported that MTA has been working with the I-710 Technical Advisory and I-710 Project to prioritize Measure R-funded Early Action Projects on the I-710. Both s are developing a list of projects that can be constructed ahead of the larger I-710 project because they have an independent utility, require minimum environmental clearance and are compatible with the ultimate footprint of the project. A final list of projects is expected by the end of the year. In the meantime, the I-710 Technical Advisory recommended that soundwall projects be prioritized because of their low cost and because they would fulfill an immediate need in certain parts of the corridor. In order to avoid building throw-away projects, a feasibility study will be conducted to determine which soundwalls can be built in a way compatible with the larger I-710 project. MTA will consider soundwall projects that do not have significant environmental clearance and will prepare 30% design with an option towards completing final design on those projects deemed feasible. MTA is looking to release the Request for Proposal (RFP) in the next couple of weeks and hopes to have a contract finalized by September. The feasibility study is expected to be completed by September Ms. Mowery asked if the soundwalls being considered will be constructed into the existing Caltrans Right of Way not being used as part of the freeway. Mr. Alvarez responded that the feasibility study will examine if the proposed soundwall will fit into the footprint of available land. 14. New Business (Subcommittee) Ms. Gant stated that she will be retiring, effective June 2, Adjournment (Subcommittee) The meeting was adjourned at 10:35 AM. The next meeting of the Streets and Freeways Subcommittee will be held on June 16, 2011 at 9:30 AM in the 15 th Floor Windsor Conference Room. Please contact Fulgene Asuncion at (213) or by asuncionf@metro.net should you have any questions or comments regarding this or future agendas, or wish to place an item on the agenda. Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, May 19,

10 Thursday, June 16, :30 AM Meeting Minutes Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Streets and Freeways Subcommittee Gateway Conference Room, 3 rd Floor Members & Alternates Present: Allan Abramson (A), Ramiro Adeva (M), Courtney Aguirre (M), Fulgene Asuncion (M), John Asuncion (ex-officio), Spencer Badal (A), Kirk Cessna (M), Steve Forster (M), Steve Huang (M), Bahman Janka (M), Elaine Jeng (A), Ken Johnson (M), Michelle Mowery (M), Carlos Rios (A), Nicole Rizzo (Chair), Fred Zohrehvand (M). 1. Call to Order (Nicole Rizzo, Chair) Ms. Rizzo called the meeting to order at 9:35 AM. 2. Approval of the May 19, 2011 Minutes (Subcommittee) This item will be carried over to the July 14, 2011 meeting. 3. Chairperson Report (Nicole Rizzo, Chair) Ms. Rizzo reported that Supervisor Antonovich holds a quarterly transportation summit in the Antelope Valley for discussion on transportation issues in North Los Angeles County. 4. Metro Report (Fulgene Asuncion, MTA) Ms. Asuncion reported that at the June 15 th Planning and Programming, the recommended approval of the preliminary recommendations for the 2011 Call for Projects (Call). The 2011 Call recommendations are scheduled for Board approval on June 23 rd. Ms. Asuncion reported that in a public hearing held before the MTA Regular Board Meeting on May 26 th, the Board approved the FY 12 Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies (SAFE) budget for approximately $15.97 million, which includes $4 million for Transponders over a two-year period for the ExpressLanes project. Ms. Asuncion reported that during its regularly scheduled meeting on May 26 th, the Board: Approved: o Directors Villaraigosa, DuBois and Wilson motion to further analyze and begin an environmental review of High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes in Los Angeles County north of the I-405/I-605 Interchange; and o Directors Villaraigosa, Antonovich, Najarian and Katz motion to provide $6 million in Measure R 3% funds to the Doran Street Crossing project in the City of Glendale; Approved on Consent: Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes June 16,

11 o Authorizing the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to execute an agreement with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to provide field officer and administrative support to the Metro Freeway Service Patrol and Big Rig Service Patrol programs during FY 12; o An exchange of up to $41 million in federal Surface Transportation Program- Local(STP-L) funds between Metro and the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works (LACDPW) for the State Route 126/Commerce Center Drive Interchange Improvement Project; o Authorizing the CEO to award and execute a contract with Cambridge Systematics, Inc, to provide professional services to conduct a feasibility study for the Gateway Cities Council of Governments ITS Implementation Plan for Goods Movement; and o $1.47 billion in FY 2012 Transit Fund Allocations; Approved on Discussion: o The proposed FY 12 budget in the amount of $4.1 billion; and o The Fiscal Responsibility Policy for Measure R Capital Project Contingency Funds. Doug Failing (MTA) introduced Frank Quon (MTA), Executive Officer (EO) of the MTA Highway Program to the Subcommittee. He reported that on Monday, June 20 th MTA will bring another new EO to the Highway Program, Lan Saadatnejadi. Ms. Rizzo requested that Ms. Saadatnejadi attend the July Streets & Freeways meeting. Mr. Failing responded that she would attend in July. 5. LACMTA Green Construction Policy (Cris Liban, MTA) Mr. Liban reported that MTA s Green Construction Policy (Policy) was advanced from a motion by Director Katz in December 2010 to develop a green construction policy for any MTA funded project. MTA staff developed a draft Policy in March 2011 and guidance was given by the MTA Board of Directors to ensure the development of a comprehensive policy consistent with Director Katz motion. Since March, MTA staff has conducted significant outreach with various stakeholders including non-profit environmental organizations, construction contractors, manufacturers of retrofit equipment, etc. Outreach was not conducted to individual municipalities however; and MTA staff is in the process of conducting additional outreach to local jurisdictions. Mr. Liban reported that upon adoption, the Policy will be effective and enforceable for all new construction projects, but it will not be retroactive for existing projects. The Policy has provisions for both on-road and off-road equipment, as well as for generators. Provisions for on-road and off-road construction equipment include Best Management Practices (BMPs) when feasible and idling prohibitions which will be phased in over three periods to Regarding provisions for generators, when feasible, every effort shall be made to utilize grid-based electric power at any construction site. When access to the power grid is not available, on-site generators must meet regulatory requirements as well as Particulate Matter (PM) emissions. Based on comments received during public outreach, four exemptions to the Policy were developed: 1. If the Contractor has attempted in good faith and due diligence to lease the vehicle or equipment that would comply with the Policy, but there is no equipment available within 200 miles of the project site, the project is exempt; 2. If the Contractor has been awarded funding to provide some or all of the cost to retrofit, re-power or purchase a piece of equipment or vehicle, but the funding has Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, June 16,

12 not been provided, and the Contractor has attempted in good faith to lease the equipment, the project is exempt; 3. If the Contractor has ordered a piece of equipment or vehicle to be used on the construction project in compliance with the Policy at least 60 days before that equipment or vehicle is needed at the project site, but that equipment or vehicle has not arrived due to circumstances beyond the Contractor s control, the project is exempt; and 4. If construction related diesel equipment or vehicle will be used on a MTA project or MTA funded construction project site for fewer than 10 calendar days per calendar year, the project is exempt. In any of the exemptions described above, the Contractor shall provide the next cleanest piece of equipment or vehicle as provided by the step down schedule included in the Policy. In addition to equipment requirements, the Policy includes a list of 12 BMPs. Regarding notification, Contractors of construction activities that are located within 1,000 feet of sensitive receptors shall notify each of those sites in writing at least 30 days before construction activities begin. Ms. Rizzo asked how the Policy will be enforced. Mr. Liban responded that the Contractor will be asked to certify in advance what equipment will be used for the project. During the course of construction, MTA and Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) staff may conduct inspections. Steve Huang (League of Cities, South Bay Cities) asked if MTA calculated the impact that the Policy will have on cost. Mr. Liban responded yes, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has been implementing similar clean construction requirements in their construction activities and the cost to implement those clean construction requirements is approximately.03% for projects $150 million or more. A discussion on the financial impacts is included on page 3 of the Policy. Ms. Rizzo asked if the MTA Board has considered exempting local agencies from the Policy. Mr. Liban responded that MTA staff has considered that option. Ms. Rizzo stated that the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District Board will recommend that the policy be rejected because of the administrative burden. She stated the she spoke with Sharon Perlstein (League of Cities, Westside Cities) regarding the Policy and her recommendation is that further outreach should be conducted to the COGs before it is approved. Steve Forster (League of Cities, Gateway Cities) concurred with that recommendation. He stated that BMPs are often ambiguous and any list of BMPs should be vetted before inclusion in the policy. He added that certain matters in the Policy are already being regulated by other governmental agencies, such as the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Air Quality Management District (AQMD). Mr. Liban responded that the list of BMPs in the Policy is routed in regulatory and contractor requirements. Mr. Forster stated that BMPs are typically broader in nature and that the list better exemplifies a list of regulatory requirements. Ms. Rizzo concurred with Mr. Forster. Mr. Liban responded that MTA included language such as where feasible for instances when the BMPs do not pertain to an individual project. Mr. Forster stated that feasible is an ambiguous term and may not be interpreted the same by everyone. Mr. Huang asked if MTA has plans to discuss the Policy with all 88 cities in the County. Mr. Liban responded that MTA staff has scheduled a meeting with the City of Commerce Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, June 16,

13 but does not have plans for additional outreach to other jurisdictions at this time. Bahman Janka (League of Cities, San Gabriel Valley) stated that it would be beneficial to meet with the COGs and review the policy with them. The COGs can reach out to their respective local jurisdictions. Mike Bohlke (Deputy to Director Pam O Connor) stated that Director Katz is eager to push the policy through TAC to the Board in July. Ken Husting (City of Los Angeles) stated that it may not be practical to impose this policy on small grants. He suggested either exempting local agencies from the Policy or incorporating a financial threshold. He added that BMP number eight (on page 11 of the Policy) should specify congested residential streets. Steve Lantz (South Bay Cities COG Transportation Consultant) stated that the Policy will be unenforceable and ineffective and a burden to the administrative process. Mr. Liban responded that a number of exemptions exist that make the Policy less of a burden. Mr. Lantz responded that the administrative process to grant an exemption will itself be burden. Mr. Failing stated that the Subcommittee has an opportunity to make a recommendation and give their feedback to TAC before it goes before the on July 6 th. Mr. Forster stated that while this is a good opportunity to forward a recommendation to TAC, the Subcommittee has had little chance to review the Policy and it would be premature to make any recommendation. Mr. Janka stated that the Subcommittee should recommend that further outreach be conducted to local agencies or the COGs before it goes to the MTA Board for approval. Mr. Failing suggested that any motion recommending to further vet the policy would be better received if it contained a specific time frame. Mr. Polke stated that the Policy could be passed in July as it pertains to MTA and bifurcated as it pertains to local agencies to allow more outreach to the cities. Motion Ms. Rizzo made a motion to recommend that TAC support the LACMTA Green Construction Policy as it applies to Metro, but to recommend more time for further outreach to be conducted to the COG s before the local agencies portion of the policy is approved by the MTA Board. The motion was seconded by Mr. Huang and was passed with no objections or abstentions. 6. LACMTA Renewable Energy Policy (Draft) (Cris Liban, MTA) Mr. Liban reported that the Renewable Energy Policy was drafted in response to the motion by Directors O Connor and Ridley-Thomas in March This policy will apply immediately to new construction projects. For existing infrastructure, this policy will apply only after the infrastructure has been retrofitted to make it more energy efficient. MTA will consider the feasibility, selection and implementation of applicable renewable energy technologies at any of its facilities, Right of Ways (ROWs) and capital project sites based on the following criteria: cost, environmental benefit, land use efficiency, peak shaving benefit, hedging benefit and local content use. The Renewable Energy Policy encourages innovative financing strategies between MTA and third-party jurisdictions. Ms. Rizzo asked if the policy will apply only to MTA projects. Mr. Liban responded yes. 7. Review of Subcommittee By-laws and Discussion of Member and Metro Priorities (Nicole Rizzo, Chair and Doug Failing, MTA) Ms. Rizzo reported that she recently met with Mr. Failing to discuss ways to improve the Subcommittee meetings. She stated that she would like to see more opportunities for the Subcommittee to provide advice and policy recommendations to TAC as opposed to Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, June 16,

14 scheduling only informational items. Mr. Failing stated that he agrees with Ms. Rizzo regarding the direction of the Subcommittee. He stated that he will attend the meetings when no scheduling conflicts exist with other Board meetings and that he looks forward to working with the Subcommittee to make it more efficient. Mr. Janka stated that while the function of the Subcommittee is to provide advice and/or recommendations to the TAC, the feeling of the Subcommittee is that they have not historically had the chance to do so. For example, the Call is put on the agenda as an informational item only and over the past two years the Subcommittee has not had the opportunity to provide input in the Call process. Mr. Forster stated that he concurs with Mr. Janka and that he appreciates Mr. Failing s willingness to work with the Subcommittee. Ms. Rizzo concurred with Mr. Janka. She asked to what extent is the MTA willing to involve TAC s Subcommittees in the development of its policies. Mr. Failing responded that he is still new to MTA, but while he is a part of the Highways Program, he is committed to listen and work with the Subcommittee to make the process effective. Ms. Rizzo stated that the onus is on Subcommittee members to be active in taking a roll in the development of the agendas. Mr. Failing stated that he would be willing to work with Ms. Rizzo to hear Subcommittee members top five comments/concerns about Metro processes to begin to tackle those issues. Members can submit their thoughts to Ms. Rizzo via at nrizzo@cityoflancasterca.org. Ms. Rizzo stated that she will work with Ms. Asuncion to include more presentations at Subcommittee meetings regarding MTA policies. Elaine Jeng (League of Cities, Westside Cities) stated that attention should also be placed on the actions that the Subcommittee takes. The bylaws do not discuss the process of how the Subcommittee shall take actions. She asked what the function of the Subcommittee is as it relates to taking action on items and/or making recommendations to TAC. Ms. Rizzo responded that the Subcommittee can choose to take action to make an amendment on an item or forward a recommendation to TAC. Michelle Mowery (Bicycle Coordination) suggested that the Subcommittee add a pedestrian representative to the roster as a voting member. Pedestrian issues are included in the bylaws, yet there is no one on the Subcommittee who specializes in pedestrian planning and design. Mr. Janka suggested that it would be beneficial to add someone with complete streets experience. Mr. Mowery responded that pedestrian interests are very specific and it would be valuable for the Subcommittee to have someone representing pedestrian specific interests. Motion Ms. Mowery made a motion to add a Pedestrian representative as a voting member to the Streets and Freeways Subcommittee. The motion was seconded by Ms. Rizzo and was passed with no objections or abstentions. 8. Caltrans Report (Kirk Cessna, Caltrans) Mr. Cessna reported that: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reported that for all noninfrastructure projects, ROW Certification is not required; Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, June 16,

15 Caltrans is working with the FHWA to refine the ROW Certification form to develop a short-form for projects such as rehab projects where the ROW impacts are contained within an agency s ROW; and Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Cycle 3 Call applications are due July 15, Agencies with a continuing project from a previous cycle have been red-flagged and will need to resolve that before they are eligible for funding in the current cycle. A list containing red-flagged projects will be forwarded to Subcommittee members ( containing list of red-flagged projects was transmitted to Subcommittee members on June 17 th ). Carlos Rios (City of Los Angeles) asked how recent the list of red-flagged SRTS projects is. Mr. Cessna reported that it should be no more than a week old. Mr. Husting asked when the next South Tehachapi meeting will be held. Mr. Cessna reported that it will likely be held in August. Ms. Rizzo asked what the South Tehachapi meeting is. Mr. Cessna responded that it is a meeting for agencies in Caltrans southern districts (everything south of the Tehachapi Mountains) to ask questions and give feedback to Denix Anbiah (Chief of Caltrans Division of Local Assistance). Ms. Rizzo asked who is invited to the meetings. Mr. Cessna responded that there is a small distribution list and that he will send notification to Subcommittee members for the next meeting. 9. State and Federal Legislative Update (Michael Turner and Raffi Hamparian, MTA) State Mr. Turner reported that the Governor plans to veto the budget that was adopted by the legislature on June 15 th. There are a few components in that budget which concern Los Angeles County. One important component is the allocation of the bonds. Caltrans has approximately $2.5 billion in previously sold bonds that they can use to keep projects funded through the end of the year. There will be a Spring bond sale which will help projects that are currently in construction; however, there are questions about funding for projects that will go to construction in the future, such as improvements to I-5 South. MTA will be working with Caltrans Department of Finance and others to manage the funding of those projects. Another important component is the gas tax / sales tax swap and the funds that were made available from the highway account to debt service. There were various loans from that program that are being extended which will effect how much money is available for the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Also regarding the gas tax / sales tax swap, there were funds set aside from the sales tax on diesel for public transit operations that was in the last package that legislature adopted. There are a lot of bills going through the legislature for issues surrounding High Speed Rail, disclosure and oversight (stemming from the issues surrounding the City of Bell), etc. Ms. Rizzo asked for the bill numbers regarding the City of Bell. Mr. Turner responded that he will send out the list of bills to the Subcommittee ( containing a list of bills was sent to Subcommittee members on June 21, 2011). Federal Ms. Yeager reported that progress is being made on the Surface Transportation Bill. As of June 15 th, House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Chairman John Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, June 16,

16 Mica indicated that he will be introducing a bill (rumored to be a two-year bill) the week of July 4 th. A mark-up is expected within the House T&I on July 12 th. It is hoped that the mark-up and bill will go before the House Board prior to the Summer recess. Senator Boxer and colleagues have indicated that she will formally address her bill the week of June 27 th. Regarding the FY 2012 appropriations cycle, it is expected that the House T&I Subcommittee will be marking up its spending bill on July 14 th. One concern regarding this bill is that it will only be $47 billion ($55 million less than provided in the previous year). Other concerns include efforts on New Starts and Non- New Starts projects relating to the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery 3 (TIGER 3) Program and Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program. The TIGGER program will be significantly less than in previous years ($49.9 million available nationwide). Ms. Rizzo asked if MTA is conducting its own advocacy related to divisions of the transportation bill. Ms. Yeager responded yes, MTA has a Board approved legislative program. Ms. Rizzo asked if MTA staff will submit monthly written reports to the Subcommittee. Mr. Turner responded that they will submit written reports when they cannot attend the meetings. 10. Call for Projects Update (Rena Lum, MTA) Ms. Lum stated that all suggestions/comments/concerns raised during the Subcommittee meetings are passed on to MTA management staff after every meeting. She added that she is often guided in the response that she can give the Subcommittee regarding those suggestions/comments/concerns. In the past, she has suggested that agencies with unsuccessful projects listed in the Rainbow Report should contact the modal lead to review ways that they can improve their applications for the next Call. As the current Call goes before the Board for approval in September, agencies with unsuccessful projects should reach out to the modal leads in October. Regarding the Call process, she stated that she reports to TAC and its Subcommittees once the Call is underway and continues to do so until the Board takes action on the Call. She then typically does not report back until the following summer when staff begins work on the next Call; however, for future Calls she is willing to come back to TAC and the Subcommittees starting in October (after the Board takes action on the current Call) to address any concerns/comments regarding the application. Ms. Rizzo asked if changes to the application in the current Call were made under advisement from TAC and the Subcommittees. Ms. Lum responded that MTA staff met with TAC and its Subcommittees to receive feedback regarding the application. Based on those meetings, changes were made to the application as a result of feedback given from the Streets and Freeways Subcommittee (i.e., bicycle paths remained eligible projects and the funding cap was lowered in that mode). Ms. Mowery stated that in the past, Subcommittee members have requested that a minimum level of funding be set for certain types of projects. For example, federal funds should not be awarded to projects under $500,000. Mr. Failing responded that this type of issue would be good to discuss in October for the next Call process. Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, June 16,

17 Ms. Lum reported that a link to Item 3 of the June 15 th Planning and Programming (P&P) recommending approval of the preliminary project funding strategy for the 2011 Call was ed to Subcommittee members. The item was approved by the P&P and will go before the Board on June 23 rd. If approved by the Board, the Rainbow Report will be released and ed to Subcommittee members in early July and MTA staff will present the Rainbow Report to each Subcommittee the week of July 11 th and to TAC on July 19 th. Because the July Board meeting has been moved to August 4 th, TAC appeals (originally scheduled for July 26 th 28 th ) have been rescheduled for August 9 th 11 th. One of the Board agenda items is the 2011 Deobligation/Recertification/Extensions in which a portion of funds will potentially be deobligated and added to the 2011 Call reserve fund (TAC has discretion over the allocation of the reserve fund). Ms. Mowery stated that the appeals can be held at the Caltrans building if need be. Mr. Janka asked if the Subcommittee will meet to review the preliminary recommendations on July 14 th. Ms. Asuncion responded yes, the regular monthly meeting has been combined with that meeting. Veronica Aguas (Consultant for Avant-Garde, Inc.) asked for more information on how the reserve fund will be handled by TAC. Ms. Lum responded that agencies with projects below the funding line are welcome to schedule a TAC appeal. After all of the appeals, TAC members will vote on which projects to allocate the reserve funds to. Currently, the reserve funds ($3.3 million) do not have any associated color of money; however, the money coming from the deobligated projects can only be reallocated to projects in the same mode. Ms. Aguas asked if agencies who wish to appeal have to schedule an appeal. Alan Patashnick (Metro) responded yes. Ms. Lum stated that the Cover Letter to the Rainbow Report will include who to contact to schedule an appeal. A standardized appeals form will also be sent out for agencies who wish to appeal. 11. I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project (Kasey Shuda, MTA) Ms. Shuda reported that the I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements project will add a carpool lane on the northbound I-405 from the I-10 to the US-101. In order to do this, several bridges must be demolished and reconstructed. Sunset and Skirball bridges have been half-removed and do not require extensive closures. Unlike those bridges, Mulholland Bridge spans the entire freeway and is much higher, requiring that both sides of the freeways are closed at the same time. The demolition will take place over a 53 hour period. Closures will begin at on-ramps between the I-10 and US-101 at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 15 th. Full freeway closure will begin at midnight on Saturday, July 16 th. Reconstruction of the south half of the bridge will last approximately 11 months and another 53 hour demolition period will take place for the north half of the bridge thereafter. For the northbound I-405, the freeway closure will begin at the I-10 in order to divert traffic from city streets. Sepulveda Boulevard will be open for local access only; however, there will be no enforcement. Closure on the southbound I-405 will begin from the US-101 for the same reason. Full closure of the I-405 freeway is required to protect the public during bridge demolition. An Incident Command Unit (comprised of fire, police, California Highway Patrol, Caltrans and Los Angeles Department of Transportation) will be on-hand to conduct emergency response and resource coordination. If need be, they can open portions of the I-405 to divert traffic in case of an emergency. MTA has conducted a local, regional, state and national outreach campaign, including a weekly blast to 6,000 contacts and digital messages on freeway signs. Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, June 16,

18 Coordination with service agencies such as airports, ports, delivery services, businesses, etc. was conducted before the closure dates were chosen to minimize impacts. Other outreach efforts include public announcements, MTA website notifications, presentations to community groups, etc. Ken Johnson (Arterial ITS Configuration Management Group) asked what the likelihood is that the freeway will be closed longer than originally planned. Ms. Shuda responded that it is not very likely the 53 hour timeframe has a lot of cushion time Program Update (Anne Janda, MTA) Due to time constraints, this item was deferred to the July 14, 2011 meeting. 13. FY 2012 Budget Update (Frank Shapiro, MTA) Mr. Shapiro reported on the five changes to the proposed FY 2012 budget that the Board adopted in May: 1. Amend the proposed budget to increase expenditures by $199,100 for closed captioning and electronic transcript services. These funds are required to integrate a closed captioning feature into the computer displays mounted on the dais for each member in the boardroom. Proposition A, C and Transportation Development Act (TDA) administration will fund this project; 2. Amend the proposed budget by re-aligning two Full Time Employees (FTEs) requested in Community Relations and Countywide Planning to Measure R project support in Real Estate. Replace the proposed additions of one Senior Community Relations Representative and one Transportation Planning Manager V with two Senior Real Estate Officer Positions to be filled according to project support schedule in Regional Connector and Westside Subway extension. The two Real Estate positions are time phased to one FTE in FY 12. The change to labor expense is minimal and will be absorbed in the proposed budget; 3. Amend the proposed budget to lower day passes from $6 to $5 for 12 months beginning July 1, 2011; 4. Amend the proposed budget to add $500,000 to analyze and begin environmental review of HOT lanes in Los Angeles County north of the I-405/I-605. The $500,000 to be funded by High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) fines; and 5. Amend the proposed budget to add $6.6 million for Doran Street intersection safety improvements. The $6.6 million to be funded by Measure R 3% Metrolink Capital. Ms. Rizzo asked if the FY 12 budget was adopted. Mr. Shapiro responded yes, it was adopted with the five changes in May. The presentation on the FY 12 budget that was given to TAC can be found online at Capital Reserve Accounts for Local Jurisdictions (Susan Richan, MTA) Due to time constraints, this item was deferred to the July 14, 2011 meeting. 15. New Business (Subcommittee) No new business was reported. 16. Adjournment (Subcommittee) The meeting was adjourned at 11:35 AM. The next meeting of the Streets and Freeways Subcommittee will be held on July 14, 2011 at 9:30 AM in the 3 rd Floor Union Station Conference Room. Please contact Fulgene Asuncion at (213) or by Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, June 16,

19 should you have any questions or comments regarding this or future agendas, or wish to place an item on the agenda. Draft Streets and Freeways Minutes, June 16,

20 Attachment 2 Sign In Sheet/Attendance Sheet 20

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23 STREETS AND FREEWAYS SUBCOMMITTEE Attendance Record MEMBERS AND ALTERNATES 2011 Name Agency Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Marianne Kim Automobile Club X X X X X Steve Finnegan (A) Automobile Club Kirk Cessna Caltrans X X X X X X X X Alberto Angelini (A) Caltrans Jennifer Connolly California Highway Patrol X X Spencer Badal (A) California Highway Patrol X X X X Paul Maselbas County of Los Angeles Allan Abramson (A) County of Los Angeles X X X X X Steve Huang League of Cities (South Bay Cities COG) X X X X X X X Victor Rollinger (A) League of Cities (South Bay Cities COG) Nicole Rizzo (Chair) League of Cities (No. County Trans Coalition) X X X X X X Debbie O' Leary (A) League of Cities (No. County Trans Coalition) X Sharon Perlstein League of Cities (Westside Cities) X X X X X X X Elaine Jeng (A) League of Cities (Westside Cities) X Fred Zohrehvand League of Cities (Arroyo Verdugo Cities) X X X X X Jano Baghdanian (A) League of Cities (Arroyo Verdugo Cities) Bahman Janka (Vice-Chair) League of Cities(San Gabriel Valley COG) X X X X X X X Craig Bradshaw (A) League of Cities(San Gabriel Valley COG) Steve Forster League of Cities (Gateway Cities/South East) X X X X X X X Charlie Honeycutt (A) League of Cities (Gateway Cities/South East) Robert Brager (A) League of Cities (Los Virgenes/Malibu) X X Ramiro Adeva League of Cities (Los Virgenes/Malibu) X X X X X Fulgene Asuncion Metro X X X X X X X X Alan Patashnick (A) Metro Ken Husting City of Los Angeles X X Carlos Rios (A) City of Los Angeles X X X X Mark Cristoffels (A) Long Beach Courtney Aguirre Long Beach X X Warning! X X X Ken Johnson Arterial ITS Working Group Warning! X X X X X Phill Wray (A) Arterial ITS Working Group Michelle Mowery Bicycle Coordination X X X X X X X X LaDonna DiCamillo (ex-officio) Goods Movement X X X Lupe Valdez (A) (ex-officio) Goods Movement X X John Asuncion (ex-officio) SCAG X X X X X X X Pablo Gutierrez(A) (ex-officio) SCAG X Vacant TDM/AQ Subcommittee 23