Date: February 21,2013 CTY OF LOS ANGELES NTER-DEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM To: From: Subject: Honorable City Council c/o City Clerk, Room 395, City Hall Attention: Honorable Bill Rosendahl, Chair, Transportation Committee Jaime de la Vega, General Manager" J 'J\_. Department of Transportation " U- EAST SAN FERNANDO VALLEY T NST CORRDOR UPDATE SUMMARY This report describes the status of the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor project being developed by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) in partnership with the City of Los Angeles. RECOMMENDATON That the Transportation Committee RECEVE AND FLE this report. DSCUSSON Preface Many of the items discussed in this report are under the purview of the Metro Board of Directors and not the City Councilor Mayor. However, they are identified so that the City Council has a more complete picture of the issues. Furthermore, by state law, the Mayor of Los Angeles and at least one Councilmember appointed by the Mayor always serve on the Metro Board and have dual policy making roles. t is also consistent with past practices that the City Council receive regular updates on projects such as this that are planned to operate on City streets. Status Metro is initiating the draft environmental impact statement/report (DES/DER) for the East San Fernando VaUey Transit Corridor ("project"). Metro previously completed an "Alternatives Analysis" (planning study) for the project, which was received by the Metro Board of Directors in January 2013. A federal DES is being completed to ensure that the project is eligible for future federal funding.
East SFV Transit Corridor - 2 - February 21, 2013 Final project adoption will occur at the Metro Board. The City Council also will need to take action since the project is in city right-of-way. Project implementation however will require the concurrence of the City Council and Mayor. City officials, including staff from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) and Bureau of Engineering, will continue to work with Metro on project development, including submitting formal comments to the DES/DER. Project Alternatives Note that the project has been renamed. Two modal options (transit service) identified in the Alternatives Analysis are being studied in the DES/DER (Attachments 1-2): Bus rapid transit (BRT), similar to the Metro Orange Line Light rail transit (LRT), similar to the Gold Line Eastside Extension A streetcar option is no longer being considered. BRT Alternative The BRT alternative being studied would operate largely in a dedicated median lane with the possibility for portions operating in mixed flow traffic. There are three at-grade route options: Option 1 would operate on San Fernando Road from the Sylmar Metrolink station in. mixed-flow traffic and then in a fully dedicated lane on Van Nuys Boulevard to the Metro Orange Line (MOL) Van Nuys station in the south (map shows this as Van Nuys station). There is an option for this route to continue south on Van Nuys Boulevard in mixed flow traffic to Ventura Boulevard where it could turn to reach Ventura and Sepulveda. Option 2 is identical to Option 1 but from the Metro Orange Line Van Nuys Station, would continue west on the MOL to the Sepulveda Station Option 3 is identical to Option 2 but from the MOL Sepulveda would continue south on Sepulveda Boulevard to Ventura Boulevard in either a dedicated lane or in mixed flow traffic. All of these alternatives contain the possibility of continuing either directly or with a transfer to bus service over the Sepulveda Pass to Westwood. As the Orange Line has demonstrated, a BRT (busway) system can offer service levels comparable (ridership) or even better (service frequency) than light rail.
East SFV Transit Corridor -3- February 21,2013 LRT Alternative The LRT alternative would run at-grade in the median from the Sylmar Metrolink Station on Van Nuys Boulevard/San Fernando Road to either the Orange Line Van Nuys Station or Ventura Boulevard. This would be the first LRT in the San Fernando Valley and would therefore require approximately 10 acres for a storage and maintenance yard near the alignment., Bikeways All alternatives envision integrating bicycle facilities as part of the final project. Technical Work LADOT has worked closely with Metro to evaluate the alternatives various community meetings. and attended the LADOT has reviewed the roadway alignment options and preliminary traffic engineering reports and data. As the Draft ES/ER proceeds, Metro and its consultants will be providing additional information to LADOT regarding potential benefits and impacts such as ridership, travel time, lane reductions, parking utilization, intersection queue lengths and levels of service, pedestrian and bicycle amenities, traffic signal reductions, right-ofway needs, etc. Metro and LADOT will be working together to study the data as it is developed and minimize impacts while providing a high level of transit service. Schedule The project is scheduled to open for service in fiscal year 2018. FSCAL MPACT Metro mpact Metro's 2009 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) allocates $170.1 million in year of expenditure dollars. The project is partially funded ($68.5 million) by Measure R revenue (the half cent sales tax approved by voters in November 2008). The Council should note that the Alternatives Analysis estimated that the various BRT and LRT options range from $280 million - $2.3 billion, more than the amount provided in the LRTP. These are very preliminary numbers and will be further refined as the environmental analysis proceeds. Metro may decide to pursue other sources of funds in the future and a final environmental impact statement is required to make the project eligible for federal funds.,
East SFV Transit Corridor -4- February 21, 2013 City mpact There is no fiscal impact at this time and no new funds are required. The LRTP assumes that the City Council and Mayor will use city controlled revenue to pay for 3% of construction costs. Based on the LRTP funding level of $170.1 million, this would be $5.0 million. This amount could change as the project cost information become more defined through the environmental analysis. A separate LADOT report making this recommendation already has been submitted to the Office of the Mayor and is expected to be forwarded to the City Council in the near future. c: Borja Leon, Deputy Mayor for Transportation Nat Gale, Office.of the Mayor Attachments 1-2: Alternatives Map
East SFV Transit Corridor -6- February 21, 2013 ATT ACHMENT.1 East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Bus Rapid Transit Alternative for Fu rther Study '>:,,... / tfllull11t Q./t'iZ' d-'+ "' PORUR RANtH Qlll,1"o\!Qi!h'-' GRANADA lulls MSSON HLLS S!!'! RKr...""frMilfA.reia SHAOOW HilLS NORTHRDGE ",, q,llfdmig ' 5roM-Ji! o Un/,wn/V rj""ifli1" SPlrd.tG.im flfru""'ow"n 1J.\illk'-a... i ll1mn:l'l!yll---... Mis:llof'l Cwrl'm"'il Hili,!'?,,,, Parraronl!l H.i.h-SJ.':2 P,,/.srrilppJ"e./P::RAMA CTY ". ov,',",1 ' "rrko M!d-Vi/a't S"lmjM o- rqlrlb(:-m',, ihrllj!l.\h f g YANNUYS i' V"!W Va(ljj,! v..rj NY;!p;,G.r;n1 H'i-h!"1J'1 j"..., t urnrlacjon...!!'" ii" -, 0! ii!., G u i... StlhHpr A{,fN'" fbu-1 f,... 1..ll, i '!la1' \; liort" D[L'lWOOD 0 ENCltill -0:- t.4l!'doraonl>&s{111 t-lk>rdu'&s.;d.n t hlrolrjoulunoa. ', 0-... AmlrikjHelr..:.Un!c&Stilicr. De-dlntd u.sw.a o!"!!!! nlbl& MlxlB-d F(,,0plrallorl CD P"llnll.1508-.n P"hmll.Sh.n dsllllo o ;8 e O'plon1TolormL!!!!!!!!._ SPJlc!ln CorrlCldr Metro
East SFV Transit Corridor -7- February 21, 2013 ATTACHMENT 2 East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Light Rail Transit Alternative for Further Study MSSON HillS.H'il.hDiJm Rv'rUM,;1 Ani 0 1'A!lHE!!!A NORTH HillS f ARlETA - f>,a!lo!lf'1'!j MO,J-... M/J!!Ofr mq!lni! H(lp!llj l'oilo'moi'...htgh..l PlamSh.oppl.rlg /P::RAMA CTY f t U...rtliFf!:tt,N. S..rl M':J/D/J""- "'T'eelY 0 i M{d.V1.ecji 5:i'ltlDt r"cl/qmt :;.it<h 11: t VAHNUS g 1'."m,... 1 YrlN J VtliJN' VAllEY ii CM,'C.a HlghS"drooJ 10K GLN t!i.4lpm 1m,."'Ar1l'ii' too...,... N ENCNO -0-- NllrDOr'ar\g.D.un.!,Slalon N'lroR;dLlnl!,S;Gr' NllfOLCl-tlLl1.-0' -,.AmlJfjM..!ro1J!1jc&Sn o (i) Dld!ulltill-ul-cl,Qowa 11l!la!SUon P.l)ll'llill'Shlr"dStQn 5"ulnl:liPnli,CorrltJor 51l1JJt1 t ell.:! L' L!"!,.t. J P. ' SHERMAN OAKS ------------------- \ HOLlYWOOD l Metro