2. PURPOSE AND NEED This chapter characterizes the transportation and mobility problems and identifies project goals, objectives, and evaluation criteria to improve these problems for the Green Line Extension to Torrance Project Area (Project Area) shown in Figure 2.1. The Project Area follows the Metro-owned Harbor Subdivision railroad right-of-way (Metro ROW) along a 4.5-mile north-south corridor from the existing Redondo Beach (Marine) Metro Green Line Station to the Torrance Transit Park and Ride Regional Terminal (referred to as the Torrance Transit Center (TC) in this report, which is a separate project being constructed by the City of Torrance.) The Project Area includes portions of the cities of Lawndale, Redondo Beach, and Torrance. The boundaries of the Project Area form roughly a one-mile buffer around the Metro ROW, with the borders generally following city limits and/or major roadways. A one-mile buffer is generally the size of area in which potential benefits, effects, and ridership of a major transportation project are likely to be focused. The planned South Bay Regional Intermodal Transit Center (referred to as the Redondo Beach TC in this report) is also located within the Project Area in Redondo Beach. The Redondo Beach TC is a separate project being planned by the City of Redondo Beach. The Project Area currently faces a number of interrelated land use and transportation issues. Major arterial roadways are congested throughout much of the day. Consequently, bus routes in the South Bay experience slow travel speeds and a high variation in travel times. There are numerous transit operators in the Project Area, but poor connections between local and regional systems. Additionally, there is a lack of high-quality, frequent transit services that connect to key destinations and employment centers locally and outside the Project Area. A more convenient and reliable connection between the Metro rail system and South Bay communities would reduce transit travel times and provide a viable alternative to driving. The main purpose of the proposed improvements is to provide a reliable, high-frequency transit service and improve mobility in southwestern Los Angeles County by enhancing the regional transit network in the South Bay. Metro aims to provide more direct connections to regional destinations and between key transit hubs/routes; provide an alternative mode of transportation for commuters who currently use congested arterial roadways and freeways; improve transit accessibility and connectivity for residents of communities along the corridor; and encourage a mode shift to transit, reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Page 2-1
Figure 2.1. Project Area Source: STV, Metro, 2018 Page 2-2
2.1. PROJECT HISTORY Metro purchased the Harbor Subdivision from the precursor to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway in the early 1990s. It currently carries limited freight traffic through the Project Area. A number of studies have been completed over the past 30 years examining the potential for transit service along all or portions of the Harbor Subdivision. The most recent studies are described below. Chapter 3 describes the development of alternatives from 2009 to present in greater detail. Metro Harbor Subdivision Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis (AA) Study (2009) Metro completed an AA study evaluating various transit options for the Harbor Subdivision in 2009. The study included alignment options utilizing the 26-mile Metroowned Harbor Subdivision right-of-way (Metro ROW) between downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as various modal options such as LRT, bus rapid transit (BRT), self-propelled railcar, electric multiple unit vehicles, and commuter rail transit. More details about other modes and alternatives examined in the AA are found in Appendix A. The Green Line Extension to the Torrance TC emerged as the highest-priority project, with LRT as the preferred mode. In December 2009, the Metro Board of Directors approved the preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project. South Bay Metro Green Line Extension Draft EIS/EIR (2010 to 2014) Metro held scoping meetings for the South Bay Metro Green Line Extension EIS/EIR in 2010, and began conducting environmental analysis on the alternatives recommended in the 2009 AA. Several alternatives and alignment options were considered during the preparation of the Draft EIS/EIR, but they were rejected from further study for a number of reasons. Alternatives and options rejected from further study included the Freight Track Alternative, several LRT alignment options, and several maintenance facility options. Refer to Appendix A for more details. After the failure of Measure J in November 2012, the project was put on hold because of uncertainty over funding. SAA (Spring 2017 to Present) Measure M was passed in November 2016, which provided an additional source of funding for the project. In spring 2017, Metro reinitiated the project with this SAA, which renamed the project as the Project. With the elimination of the Freight Track Alternative in 2011, the Project Area was reduced to focus on the area potentially affected by the LRT Alternative. The revised Project Area boundaries focus on the 4.5-mile segment of the Metro ROW from the existing Redondo Beach (Marine) Station to the proposed Torrance TC. This SAA study focuses on soliciting feedback from corridor cities and stakeholders to refine and update alternatives previously identified in the 2009 AA and 2010-2014 Draft EIS/EIR. Its goal is to gain consensus on revised alternatives for the Proposed Project, ultimately leading to presentation to and approval by the Metro Board of a path forward. Page 2-3
2.2. PROJECT AREA OVERVIEW 2.2.1. Metro ROW Characteristics The majority of the Metro ROW is between 70 and 100 feet wide in the Project Area, which would accommodate the construction of two new LRT tracks in addition to the existing freight tracks. In the south end of the Project Area in Torrance, from approximately 190 th Street to Crenshaw Boulevard, the Metro-owned ROW is only approximately 15 feet wide. Within the Project Area, the Metro ROW crosses multiple streets, with eight existing at-grade railroad crossings (shown in Figure 2.2), located at Inglewood Avenue, Manhattan Beach Boulevard, 159 th Street, 160 th Street, 161 st Street, 162 nd Street, 170 th Street, and 182 nd Street. The remaining street crossings are grade separated from the existing railroad tracks in the Metro ROW. Page 2-4
Figure 2.2. Existing At-Grade Crossings in Project Area Source: STV, Metro, 2018 Page 2-5
2.2.2. Project Area Freeways / Arterials The Project Area is served by extensive freeway and arterial roadway systems, as shown in Figure 2.1. Interstate 405 (I-405) runs north-south through the entire Project Area east of the Metro ROW, State Route (SR) 91 bisects the Project Area in an east-west direction along Artesia Boulevard, and SR-107 (Hawthorne Boulevard) runs north-south through the Project Area in Lawndale and Torrance. Major arterial roadways in the Project Area are generally located one mile apart and include the following: East-West Rosecrans Avenue Manhattan Beach Boulevard Artesia Boulevard 190 th Street Del Amo Boulevard Torrance Boulevard North-South Aviation Boulevard Inglewood Avenue Anza Avenue Hawthorne Boulevard Prairie Avenue Madrona Avenue Crenshaw Boulevard Van Ness Avenue 2.2.3. Project Area Transit Network Local bus service is the predominant form of transit in the Project Area, with some express and rapid buses offering limited service throughout the Project Area. Transit service providers within the Project Area include Metro and five municipal bus operators: Beach Cities Transit, Torrance Transit, Lawndale BEAT, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), and Gardena Transit (GTrans). Figure 2.3 shows the existing transit service network in the Project Area, and Table 2.1 describes the routes. Page 2-6
Figure 2.3. Project Area Existing Transit Network Source: STV, Metro, Municipal Bus Operators, 2018 Page 2-7
Table 2.1. AM Peak Period Average Transit Speeds Key Project Area Transit Lines Operator and Route Route Peak Hour Headways Metro Green Line Redondo Beach (Marine) Station to Norwalk Station, via Metro ROW 15 min Metro 710 South Bay Galleria to Wilshire/Western Station, via Redondo Beach Boulevard 15 min Metro 740 South Bay Galleria to Expo Crenshaw Station, via Hawthorne Boulevard 21 min Metro 40 South Bay Galleria to Downtown Los Angeles, via Hawthorne Boulevard 17 min Metro 125 Plaza El Segundo to Norwalk Station, via Rosecrans Avenue 32 min Metro 126 Hawthorne Station to Manhattan Beach, via Manhattan Boulevard 65 min Metro 130 South Bay Galleria to Cerritos, via Artesia Boulevard 42 min Metro 210 South Bay Galleria to Hollywood/Vine Station, via Crenshaw Boulevard 20 min Metro 211/215 Redondo Beach (Marine) Station to South Bay Galleria, via Prairie Avenue 41 min Metro 344 Harbor Gateway Center to Palos Verdes, via Hawthorne Boulevard 36 min Beach Cities Transit 102 GTrans 1X GTrans 3 Redondo Beach (Marine) Station to Redondo Beach Pier, via Hawthorne Boulevard Redondo Beach (Marine) Station to Downtown Los Angeles, via Manhattan Beach Boulevard South Bay Galleria to Martin Luther King, Jr. Transit Center at Compton Station, via Redondo Beach Boulevard 30 min 40 min 20 min GTrans 4 Lawndale to Harbor Gateway Transit Center, via Hawthorne Boulevard 52 min Lawndale BEAT Express LADOT Commuter Express 574 Redondo Beach (Marine) Station to South Bay Galleria, via Prairie Avenue Space Park/Aviation to Sylmar Metrolink Station, via Aviation Blvd 40 min 60 min Torrance 1 Del Amo Fashion Center to Harbor Freeway Station, via Torrance Boulevard 41 min Torrance 2 Del Amo Fashion Center to Harbor Freeway Station, via Anza Avenue 65 min Torrance 3 Redondo Beach Pier to Downtown Long Beach, via Carson Street 24 min Torrance Rapid 3 Redondo Beach Pier to Downtown Long Beach, via Carson Street 47 min Torrance 4 Torrance to Downtown Los Angeles, via Torrance Boulevard 95 min Torrance 5 Torrance Airport to Crenshaw Station, via Van Ness Avenue 57 min Torrance 6 Del Amo Fashion Center to Artesia Station, via Torrance Boulevard 46 min Torrance 8 Del Amo Mall to LAX Transit Center, via Aviation Boulevard 30 min Torrance 10 Torrance Airport to Crenshaw Station, via Crenshaw Boulevard 56 min Source: STV, Metro, Municipal Bus Operators, 2018 Page 2-8
Related projects within and near the Project Area include: Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project: a new light rail line opening in 2019 which would link the South Bay to LAX, destinations in Inglewood, and Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles via the Metro Expo Line. Airport Metro Connector 96th Street Transit Center Project (AMC): a planned station on the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project, opening in 2023, which would allow for transfers between Metro Rail and the APM. LAWA Automated People Mover (APM): Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) is constructing an APM, scheduled to open in 2023, which would connect Metro Rail to terminals and other airport facilities. Redondo Beach TC: a transit center planned by the City of Redondo Beach, which would serve as a regional bus hub and potentially connect to the Proposed Project. Torrance TC: a transit center under-construction by the City of Torrance. It would link Metro Rail to points beyond its proposed terminus via bus lines. These projects as well as other related projects within the region are shown in Figure 2.4. Figure 2.4. Related Projects Source: STV, Metro, 2018 Page 2-9
2.3. POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT Table 2.2 and Table 2.3 shows the population and employment for 2012 (actual) and 2040 (projected) for the Project Area and urban Los Angeles County (excluding the County s sparsely developed mountainous western and northern areas). Figure 2.5 and Figure 2.6 show the population and employment density, respectively. As shown in the table, the Project Area has high concentrations of both housing and jobs, with over 101,000 residents and over 58,000 jobs in 2012. Within the Project Area, Lawndale and Redondo Beach have 50% more residents than jobs, with jobs mostly clustered around the Redondo Beach (Marine) Station and South Bay Galleria areas. Torrance has about the same number of residents as jobs throughout the Project Area, with employment concentrated around the Del Amo Fashion Center and Old Town Torrance areas. According to the 2016 Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)/ Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS), population and employment within the Project Area are projected to grow by 8% and 21%, respectively, by 2040. The residential and employment densities are currently higher than those of urban Los Angeles County. This, combined with projected rates of growth in the Project Area, suggest an increasing need for mobility options to meet future transportation demand. Area Area (mi 2 ) Table 2.2. Project Area Population 2012 and 2040 Population Year 2012 Year 2040 Density (People/ mi 2 ) Population Density (People/mi 2 ) % Change Project Area 10.8 101,606 9,391 109,946 10,161 8% Urban LA County 1,283 9,173,616 7,150 10,431,500 8,130 14% Source: STV, AECOM, Metro, Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), 2018 Area Area (mi 2 ) Table 2.3. Project Area Employment 2012 and 2040 Employment Year 2012 Year 2040 Density (Jobs/mi 2 ) Employment Density (Jobs/mi 2 ) % Change Project Area 10.8 58,442 5,401 70,681 6,532 21% Urban LA County 1,283 3,994,721 3,114 4,865,508 3,793 22% Source: STV, AECOM, Metro, SCAG, 2018 Page 2-10
Figure 2.5. Population Density 2012 Source: STV, Metro, AECOM, 2018 Page 2-11
Figure 2.6. Employment Density 2012 Source: STV, Metro, AECOM, 2018 Page 2-12
2.4. LAND USES AND ACTIVITY CENTERS Existing land uses for the Project Area are described in Table 2.4 and shown in Figure 2.7. As shown in Table 2.4, residential uses comprise nearly one-half of the Project Area, with about 30% of the Project Area containing single-family residences. These are mostly concentrated within the cities of Lawndale and Redondo Beach, with residential neighborhoods directly abutting the existing Metro ROW. There are some medium- to high-density residences, mostly located in Redondo Beach. Commercial uses comprise approximately 14% of the Project Area, and are concentrated at the north end of the Project Area near the Redondo Beach (Marine) Station, around the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach, and along the length of Hawthorne Boulevard. A quarter of the Project Area is industrial, most of which is located within Torrance, with the largest use being the Torrance Refinery, which is directly adjacent to the existing Metro ROW. Table 2.4. Existing Land Uses within Project Area Land Use Low-Density Residential High-Density Residential Commercial Industrial Public Facilities / Institutions Transportation / Utilities Mixed Use Open Space / Recreation Vacant Other Percent of 29% 15% 14% 25% 7% 4% 1% 3% 1% 1% Project Area Source: STV, SCAG, 2018 There are multiple major activity centers within and adjacent to the Project Area. They include, from north to south: LAX, employment centers in El Segundo and Inglewood, the South Bay Galleria and Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center in Redondo Beach, and the Del Amo Fashion Center, Old Town Torrance, and other commercial and industrial centers in Torrance. Overall, the presence of major regional commercial and industrial centers along with projected population growth indicate opportunities for providing high-capacity and more reliable transit service within the Project Area. Page 2-13
Figure 2.7. Land Uses Source: STV, Metro, SCAG, 2018 Page 2-14
2.5. TRAVEL MARKETS There are four major travel markets in and around the Project Area based on an analysis of travel patterns: I-405 Corridor Travel Market This regional travel market includes medium to long distance commute trips within the South Bay, to other regions in Los Angeles County, and to Orange County. Between LAX and Long Beach, the Metro ROW generally parallels the I- 405 freeway, where there is currently no regional transit service between the south end of the Project Area and LAX. South Bay North-South Local Travel Market This local north-south travel market generally serves trips between Torrance and LAX. This travel market overlaps with the I- 405 Corridor, but it is treated separately because the trips use major north-south arterial roadways instead of the freeway. These local trip distances are shorter compared to trips using I-405. South Bay Regional Travel Market This regional travel market includes trips between the South Bay, downtown Los Angeles, and points further to the north and east. LAX Travel Market This travel market includes trips to and from LAX throughout the Los Angeles Basin. According to LAWA, LAX served over 80 million passengers in 2017, and is home to tens of thousands of jobs. The number of passengers is expected to increase by up to 100 million annual passengers by 2040, according to SCAG. The majority of passengers access the airport via automobile, as there are currently gaps in local and regional transit connections to LAX. A preliminary travel market analysis was conducted, showing that existing travel patterns suggest a strong demand for transit service in the Project Area. The analysis showed there are approximately 500,000 trips that start from within the Project Area in the morning peak period. Only one-third of these trips stay within the Project Area, with more people traveling towards the southern part of the Project Area during the morning peak period. This is likely due to the higher concentration of jobs in the central and southern Project Area around the South Bay Galleria, Del Amo Fashion Center, and commercial and industrial areas of Torrance. Out of the total number of trips that start within the Project Area, the majority (over 310,000) are destined for locations outside of the Project Area throughout the rest of Los Angeles County. Additionally, nearly 400,000 trips enter the Project Area during the morning peak period. Overall, this indicates a robust regional trip market. Evening peak period trips are typically the reverse of morning trips, as travelers head home after work. Page 2-15
2.6. TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Highway and Arterial System Performance For years, the Los Angeles metropolitan area has been ranked among the most traffic congested areas in the country; according to the most recent Texas Transportation Institute in 2015 Urban Mobility Report, the Los Angeles area was ranked second worst in the country for congestion. The freeways and arterial roadways within the Project Area are no exception to the region s congested conditions. The I-405 freeway experiences high traffic volumes not only during peak commute periods (as shown in Figure 2.8), but also throughout the day, as it provides access to LAX and other regional destinations with large amounts of activity during non-traditional peak travel hours. Major arterial roadways in the Project Area also experience heavy peak period traffic and congestion (as shown in Figure 2.8). Table 2.5 shows the projected changes in PM peak period congestion and speed from 2012 to 2040 for the I-405 freeway and key arterials in the study area (evening roadway performance is typically worse than in the morning). Travel time is projected to increase on the major arterials within the Project Area, with the greatest deterioration occurring on the I-405 freeway; the change in PM peak period speeds is shown in Table 2.5. Figure 2.8. Peak Period Congestion in Project Area Left: I-405 looking north (Lawndale) Right: Manhattan Beach Boulevard looking west towards Inglewood Avenue (Lawndale) Source: STV, 2018 Page 2-16
Table 2.5. PM Peak Period Performance of Key Project Area Roadways 2012 and 2040 Roadway Segment Direction I-405 Century Blvd to Western Ave Travel Time (Min:Sec) 2012 2040 % Change Speed (mph) Travel Time (Min:Sec) Speed (mph) Travel Time Speed EB 14:27 32 16:12 29 12.1% -10.8% WB 16:48 28 17:51 27 6.2% -5.9% Sepulveda Blvd Aviation Blvd Inglewood Ave Hawthorne Blvd Crenshaw Blvd Rosecrans Ave Artesia Blvd Lincoln Blvd to Artesia Blvd Rosecrans Ave to Pacific Coast Hwy Century Blvd to 190th St Century Blvd to Sepulveda Blvd I-405 to Sepulveda Blvd Sepulveda Ave to I-405 Sepulveda Blvd to I-405 NB 16:34 20 16:42 20 0.8% -0.8% SB 17:12 19 17:29 19 1.7% -1.7% NB 08:44 19 08:45 19 0.1% -0.1% SB 08:55 18 08:56 18 0.2% -0.2% NB 16:33 18 16:42 18 0.9% -0.9% SB 16:48 18 16:50 18 0.1% -0.1% NB 23:58 21 24:20 20 1.5% -1.5% SB 23:47 21 24:05 21 1.2% -1.2% NB 09:26 19 09:33 18 1.2% -1.2% SB 09:23 19 09:27 19 0.8% -0.8% EB 05:19 16 05:19 16 0.1% -0.1% WB 04:51 18 04:53 18 0.6% -0.6% EB 08:31 21 08:42 21 2.1% -2.0% WB 08:39 21 08:39 21 0.0% 0.0% 190th St Prospect Ave to Western Ave Source: STV, AECOM, Metro, 2018 EB 12:28 21 12:44 21 2.2% -2.2% WB 11:56 22 12:12 21 2.2% -2.2% Increased congestion and reduced speeds will increase the vehicle delay throughout the Project Area. The performance of roadway segments can be described based on level-ofservice (LOS), which is a measurement of how much traffic the street is carrying versus what the street is designed to accommodate. A letter ranging from A (free-flow operations) to F (congested operations) is assigned to the resulting LOS. Many arterial roadways within the Project Area currently operate at LOS E or F, and they are also expected to operate at the same poor levels of E or F by 2040, shown in Figure 2.9. Some of the roadway segments that are projected to operate at LOS E or F in 2040 include I-405 throughout the entire Project Area, and portions of Inglewood Avenue, Artesia Boulevard, Redondo Beach Boulevard, and Hawthorne Boulevard. Page 2-17
Figure 2.9. Roadways with PM Peak LOS E or F (2040) Source: STV, AECOM, Metro, 2018 Page 2-18
Transit System Performance The Redondo Beach (Marine) Station, which is the current southern terminus of the Metro Green Line, has over 2,200 daily combined boardings and alightings. There are several Metro bus routes with high ridership in the Project Area, such as Metro Route 40 on Hawthorne Boulevard, which carries an average of over 20,000 riders daily. However, the rest of the Project Area is served by municipal transit systems, many of which offer connections to the Redondo Beach (Marine) Station, but serve smaller service areas. Table 2.1 shows the existing peak hour headways and travel times of major bus routes throughout the Project Area. The municipal bus systems within the Project Area typically operate only within and/or just outside city limits, although some Torrance Transit lines provide limited express service to destinations such as downtown Los Angeles. Additionally, the municipal systems in the Project Area tend to have long headways of 30 to 45 minutes (e.g., Beach Cities Transit) or run limited peak hour service during weekdays. Some municipal transit routes provide services throughout the day on weekends only (e.g. Lawndale BEAT). Because of the limited coverage and operating hours of municipal transit systems within the Project Area, transfers between lines are necessary, as well as difficult, for riders who are traversing multiple South Bay communities. Table 2.6 displays travel times by transit and by driving between six sample origin and destination points within the Project Area and to other regional destinations. Origin Bartlett Senior Citizens Center (Torrance) Torrance City Hall Del Amo Fashion Center South Bay Galleria Lawndale City Hall Table 2.6. Existing Transit Travel Times for Select Trips in the Project Area Destination LAX City Bus Center Space Park/Aviation Redondo Beach City Hall Old Town Torrance Del Amo Fashion Center Distance (miles) Required Transfers Transit Travel Time (min) Driving Travel Time (min) Difference Between Transit and Driving (min) Difference Between Transit and Driving (%) 11 1 79 22 57 260 % 6 1 63 15 +23 to 49 320% 4 1 42 12 +33 to 44 250% 5 1 39 14 +16 to 39 178% 4 1 31 15 +9 to 32 107% LAX City Bus Lawndale 7 1 56 15 +5 to 28 260% Center Source: Google Maps, 2018 Long transit travel times make transit a less favorable mode of travel, and the projected increase in congestion will further exacerbate this mobility issue. Page 2-19
2.7. PROJECT NEED The Project Area currently faces a number of interrelated land use and transportation issues. Due to highly congested traffic conditions on many of the arterial roadways during peak hours, bus routes in the South Bay experience slow travel speeds and variable travel times. There is a lack of connectivity between local bus routes in the Project Area to the regional transit system and to major activity centers. Multiple transfers are often necessary between local and regional bus routes, which creates a poor rider experience and increases overall trip time. For most riders traveling from within the Project Area to regional destinations such as LAX or downtown Los Angeles, transit is simply not an efficient or reliable mode. The transportation problem in the Project Area is summarized below. Heavy Traffic Congestion In the Project Area and much of the rest of Los Angeles County, growth in traffic volumes has outpaced available roadway capacity. While High Occupancy Vehicle lanes on the I-405 freeway provide reduced travel times for carpools, mainline freeway lanes are subject to congestion throughout the day. The Project Area arterial roadways also perform poorly during the morning and evening commute peak hours. According to the 2016 SCAG RTC/SCS, the regional average daily person-hours of delay on arterials, freeways, expressways and high occupancy vehicle lanes in SCAG counties is expected to increase by more than 50 percent from 3.6 to 5.4 million hours between 2012 and 2040. Poor Transit Travel Times and Schedule Reliability Limited coverage of bus routes and infrequent service increase travel times and often necessitate transfers between lines, adding additional challenges for riders. While this issue could be addressed by improving frequency of service, bus travel speeds are ultimately constrained by prevailing roadway traffic conditions in the Project Area. With local arterial roadway and freeway performance expected to deteriorate in the future, transit travel times are expected to increase through 2040 and transit on-time performance is anticipated to be less reliable through 2040. Poor Regional Transit Connections There are six transit operators serving the Project Area, but many of the municipal routes operate with limited frequency or are community circulators, and they do not serve the demand for regional transit service. Transferring between the multiple municipal services can also be challenging and confusing for riders, because of poor schedule coordination and differences in fares. Poor Transit Connections to Major Activity Centers Several major activity centers are located in the Project Area, including regional commercial destinations such as the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. These activity centers attract trips from communities within the Project Area as well as the broader region, but transit accessibility to these centers is poor. Page 2-20
2.8. PROJECT PURPOSE, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The previous 2009 AA Study defined objectives for the project, with a focus on mobility improvements. This SAA builds upon and refines the previous study s objectives and evaluation criteria. The goals, objectives, and evaluation criteria are shown in Table 2.7. 1. Improve Mobility Table 2.7. Project Goals, Objectives and Evaluation Criteria Project Goals Project Objective Evaluation Criteria 2. Minimize Environmental Impacts 3. Ensure Cost Effectiveness and Financial Feasibility 4. Support Local and Regional Land Use Plans and Policies 5. Ensure Equity Introduce high-frequency transit service options Enhance and connect with the regional transit network Provide an alternative mode of transportation for commuters, and serve local and regional trips Encourage a mode shift to transit Improve transit accessibility for residents of communities along the corridor Minimize negative environmental and community effects Provide environmental and community benefits Ensure costs are financially feasible Provide a cost-effective project Serve major activity centers and regional destinations Support and is consistent with local and regional plans Support and encourage opportunities for local economic development, projects, plans, and jobs Provide benefits to transit-dependent and minority populations Travel Time/Reliability System Connectivity Ridership Change in VMT Accessibility Environmental topics Environmental topics Capital Costs Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Costs Financial Feasibility Cost Per Rider Accessibility Land Use Consistency Economic and Fiscal Effects Environmental Justice Page 2-21