City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the City Manager to submit
applications for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(Metro) 2011 Call for Projects for the following five projects: 1) Adaptive Traffic
Control System (PWD), 2) Overland Avenue Bicycle Improvements (PWD), 3)
Jefferson Boulevard Traffic Signal and Other Pedestrian and Bicycle
Improvements (PWD), 4) Articulated-Bus Maintenance Facility and Bus Stop
Enhancements (TRANS), and 5) Expo Light Rail Feeder Shuttle Service Vehicles
(TRANS).
BACKGROUND:
Metro is responsible for allocating local, state, and federal discretionary
transportation funds through the preparation of a Transportation Improvement
Program (TIP) for Los Angeles County. A key component of the TIP is Metro’s
Call for Projects grant program.
Approximately every other year Metro accepts Call for Projects applications in a
variety of modal categories. Currently, these categories include: Regional
Surface Transportation; Goods Movement Improvements; Signal Synchronization
& Bus Speed Improvements; Transportation Demand Management; Bikeway
Improvements; Pedestrian Improvements; Transit Capital; and Transportation
Enhancement Activities.
Meeting Date: 01/10/2011 Item Number: A-1
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Approval of the Submission of Applications
for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority 2011 Call for
Projects.
Contact Person/Dept.:
Helen Kerstein/PW;
Diana Chang / Transportation
Phone Number:
(310) 253-5618;
(310) 253-6566
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: ________________
Public Notification: (E-mail) Agenda and Meetings – City Council (01/05/2011)
Department Approval:
Charles D. Herbertson (12/29/10)
Art Ida (12/23/10)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (01/03/11)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by K. Marsden) (01/05/11)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (01/05/11) City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Local jurisdictions, transit operators, and other eligible public agencies may
submit applications proposing projects for funding. Applications must include a
Project Study Report Equivalent (PSRE), which is a conceptual engineering
project report that includes detailed cost estimates and a financial plan, a project
timeline, a project description and background, discussion of feasible
alternatives, discussion for the need of the project, and identification of
environmental or other conditions that need to be addressed.
The 2011 Metro Call for Projects applications are due on January 28, 2011. The
2011 Metro Call is smaller than previous Metro Calls. Roughly $100 million are
anticipated to be distributed through this cycle, compared to more than $330
million in the 2009 Metro Call. Furthermore, the timeline for receiving funding
through this Call is lengthy, with funds not anticipated to be distributed until FY
2016/2017.
Despite the reduced size and extended timeline for this Metro Call for Projects
cycle, the Metro Call still represents one of the most important funding sources
for transportation related projects, and one that the City has been successful in
pursuing in the past. In the 2009 cycle, the City’s Transportation and Public
Works Departments applied for and received awards totaling $9.5 million for the
following four projects: Culver Boulevard Realignment, Bus Signal Priority, Traffic
Monitoring and Surveillance System Gap Closure Project, and Real-Time Bus
Arrival lnformation System. Since 1997, other City projects that have been
funded through the Metro Call include: Sepulveda Boulevard Pedestrian
Enhancement Project (between Braddock Drive and the southerly city limits
adjacent to the Culver City Ice Rink), Jefferson Boulevard Traffic Synchronization
Project, Citywide Traffic Video Surveillance Project, Fox Hills Traffic
Synchronization and Citywide Traffic Control System Project, and Sepulveda
Boulevard Widening Project (note: there was no Call for Projects in 2005).
DISCUSSION:
Staff is proposing to apply for the following five capital projects:
Adaptive Traffic Control System
Presently, there are 102 traffic signals maintained and operated within the City of
Culver City. All of the signalized intersections are connected to a KITS distributed
Traffic Control System (TCS) installed by Kimley-Horn and Associates in 2009 as
a replacement for the City’s prior participation in the Automated Traffic
Surveillance and Control (ATSAC) System with the Los Angeles Department of
Transportation (LADOT).
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
The KITS distributed TCS has shown improvements to traffic operations.
However, to further improve traffic movement, the City is seeking to install an
Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS). ATCS operates signals based on real
time traffic volumes by automatically and instantaneously adjusting signal timing
parameters. This is in contrast to a distributed TCS, which operates signals
based on time of day plans (pre-set parameters) using historic traffic volumes.
As a result of serving real time demand, ATCS limits inefficient signal operations.
The application for ATCS will be submitted under the Signal Synchronization &
Bus Speed Improvements category.
Overland Avenue Bicycle Improvements
In the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan process, Overland Avenue was
identified as a priority project. Overland Avenue provides an important north-
south route through the City and connects major activity centers, including
Sony Studios, the Senior Center, Vets, the Library, Culver City High and
Middle Schools, Farragut Elementary School, Ballona Creek and West LA
College. The proposed application will include the installation of bicycle
facilities on Overland Avenue. The application will be submitted under the
Bikeway Improvements category.
Jefferson Boulevard Traffic Signal and Other Pedestrian and Bicycle
Improvements
Since the opening of the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in 2009, park visitors
have flocked to the area near the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and
Hetzler Road. Many of these visitors park their vehicles on Jefferson
Boulevard and then walk to the Overlook entrance to use the climbing stairs
for exercise or to enjoy the impressive view from the top of the hill. Currently,
this stretch of Jefferson Boulevard lacks sidewalks or a nearby traffic signal
controlled intersection, so many visitors navigate the busy street without these
improvements, which led to safety concerns.
The proposed grant application will likely include the construction of sidewalks
and bike lanes along the north and south sides of Jefferson Boulevard and a
crosswalk and a full traffic signal at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard
and Hetzler Road. It may also include pedestrian improvements at another
nearby intersection or intersections along Jefferson Boulevard. The
application will be submitted under the Pedestrian Improvements and/or
Bicycle Improvements categories. The City also recently submitted a
Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant application for a similar
project.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Articulated-Bus Maintenance Facility and Bus Stop Enhancements
Through the 2007 Metro Call for Projects, staff has obtained funding to
purchase 6 articulated buses to be used to enhance the bus rapid transit
service on Sepulveda Boulevard (Rapid 6 Line). In order to implement the
articulated bus project, additional maintenance equipment is needed, and
maintenance facility and bus stop enhancements need to be done prior to
putting the articulated buses in service. The proposed grant application will
include the purchase of additional equipment necessary to maintain the
articulated buses, construction of enhancements of the maintenance facility,
and Rapid 6 Line bus stop enhancements. The application will be submitted
under the Transit Capital category.
Expo Light Rail Feeder Shuttle Service Vehicles
In anticipation of the higher demand for transit feeder service resulting from
the Exposition Light Rail Project operation, staff is looking into providing a
shuttle service that will connect the Expo Light Rail Culver City Station with
downtown Culver City and the Hayden Tract employment centers. The
proposed grant application will include the purchase of vehicles required to
provide such feeder service. The application will be submitted under the
Transit Capital category.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Public Works Department Projects
The PSRE and grant application for the Adaptive Traffic Control System will
be prepared by Advantec, a Traffic Engineering consultant, using West Los
Angeles College Mitigation Funds. Alta Planning and Design will prepare the
PSREs and grant applications for the Overland and Jefferson projects as part
of Term III of the PLACE grant (which also funded the Bicycle and Pedestrian
Master Plan).
If the grant applications are approved by Metro, the City will need to provide
20 percent in local matching funds for these projects. If and when that
occurs, staff anticipates returning to the City Council either separately or as
part of the budget process to request the appropriate budget allocations. The
project costs are still being evaluated but are currently anticipated to be
roughly $1.3 million for the Adaptive Traffic Control System and $1.1 million
for the Overland and Jefferson projects, and thus $480,000 in matching funds
will be required if all three proposed Public Works projects are approved.
Staff anticipates that these matching funds will come from some combination
of West Los Angeles College Mitigation Funds, Playa Vista Funds, New
Development Impact Fees, and Gas Taxes. As funding is not anticipated until City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
2016, staff anticipates that there will be sufficient time to plan for the
allocation of the necessary funds.
Transportation Department Projects
The grant application and required PSRE for the Articulated-Bus Maintenance
Facility and Bus Stop Enhancement Project and the Expo Light Rail Feeder
Service Vehicles Project will be done by staff.
If the grant applications are approved by Metro, the City will need to provide
20 percent in local matching funds for these projects. The project cost for the
Articulated-Bus Maintenance Facility and Bus Stop Enhancements Project is
being evaluated at this point, and staff anticipates that the matching funds for
this project will come from local transportation funds. The project cost for the
Expo Light Rail Feeder Shuttle Service Vehicles Project is anticipated to be
approximately $360,000 and thus $72,000 in matching funds will be required.
Staff anticipates that the matching fund for this project will come from City
funds. Staff is currently evaluating the feasibility of an assessment district as
a funding source for the local match.
MOTIONS:
That the City Council
1. Approve the submittal of the applications for the 2011 Metro Call for
Projects for the projects outlined in the staff report; and,
2, Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary
documents; and,
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf
of the City.