City of Culver City, California
Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Culver City Redevelopment Agency (Agency) authorize
amending the agreement with Johnson Fain in order to fund preparation of a Traffic
Model for the Washington/National Transit Area Specific Plan and Environmental
Impact Report and to appropriate $62,000 from the Redevelopment 2002 Bond Fund
to Account No. 55392620.619800, Washington/National Sites Other Contractual
Services.
BACKGROUND:
In September 2005, the City Council and Agency authorized transmittal of a Request
for Proposals (RFP) for the preparation of Specific Plans and supporting California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) assessments for three areas within the City. The
three areas were identified as the Washington/National Transit area, the Jefferson
Boulevard Corridor and the south side of the Washington/Centinela intersection. On
January 17, 2006, the Agency at staff’s recommendation limited the scope of the
project to the Washington/National Transit area and awarded the contract for
preparation of the Specific Plan/CEQA assessment to Johnson Fain, in the amount
not to exceed $647,000.
The Washington/National Transit Area Specific Plan (Specific Plan) will include
details for development, including specific land uses, circulation, development
standards (i.e. height, setbacks, density, parking), design elements, and project
Meeting Date: 08/21/06 Item Number: A-3
AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of a Contract Amendment with Johnson Fain for
Preparation of a Traffic Model Associated with the Preparation of the
Washington/National Transit Area Specific Plan and CEQA Analysis and
Consideration of Budget Appropriation to Fund Preparation of the Traffic Model
Contact Person/Dept.: Susan Yun / CDD,
Barry Kurtz, Traffic Consultant / PWD,
and Todd Tipton / CDD
Phone Number: (310) 253-5755, (310)
253-5625, and (310) 253-5783
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Consent Item: [] Attachments: []
Public Notification: Notification to Johnson Fain (08/08/06); Master Notification List
(08/16/06).
Department Approval:
Susan Evans 08/07/06
Executive Director Approval:
Jerry Fulwood 08/16/06
City Controller Approval:
Marlee Chang 08/16/06City of Culver City, California
Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
processing. The Specific Plan would provide for integrated, complementary
development of adjacent parcels within the Specific Plan area, which is a critical
consideration at major intersections such as Washington and National Boulevards.
As stated above, the Specific Plan process includes the preparation of an
environmental assessment, Environmental Impact Report. As originally envisioned,
the project work scope included the evaluation of the Specific Plan area using a
traditional traffic study with a single build-out scenario. As work on the Specific Plan
progressed it became apparent to the City traffic engineering staff and Katz, Okitsu
and Associates, Specific Plan Traffic consultant, that because of the complexity of
the Specific Plan, the existing levels of congestion and the potential impact of the
related projects, the scope of the analysis should be expanded to apply a more
comprehensive approach to the traffic analysis using a state-of-the-art traffic model.
The traffic model tends to reduce subjectivity from the traffic impact analysis, and
thereby reduces disagreements between developers and City traffic engineering
staff, and therefore lead to more efficient and timely reviews of the traffic study.
DISCUSSION:
The Specific Plan is a large, complex project. Currently, staff has identified 38
intersections to be analyzed for potential impacts and mitigation measures in two
horizon years, 2012 and 2020. The near term (2012) captures the first phase of the
Exposition Light Rail project and related Specific Plan development. The second
phase (2020) captures the extension of the Exposition Light Rail project, and full
build-out of the Specific Plan which is envisioned for operation by approximately
2020.
Traditional traffic studies, without the use of traffic models, work well for most small
to medium sized and some less complex large developments with a near-term build-
out year. The cost and time to construct a model usually make it impractical for all
but large, complex developments. For developments with the complexity and scope
of the Specific Plan with long-term build-out year scenarios, the use of a traffic
model is the appropriate tool to determine trip generation, to distribute traffic from
the subject project and to assess traffic impacts. The traditional traffic analysis is a
static method using a layered approach. The first layer is existing traffic, and added
to that are layers of ambient growth, related projects, and the subject project. The
traffic consultant must assume percentages of directional distributions of the related
projects and the subject project. So there is a certain amount of educated
speculation in the analysis.
There are several advantages to using a traffic model. The traffic model employs a
dynamic approach and reduces the amount of speculation in the analysis. Because City of Culver City, California
Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
it is a dynamic approach, it will tend to be a more accurate predictor of changes in
future travel patterns or to quantify changes in travel conditions based on specific
land use decisions. It will also foster the ability to test the feasibility of mitigation
measures and their benefits, if any, in offsetting the impacts of the project.
The proposed traffic model would utilize components of SCAG’s regional travel
demand forecast model, which is also used for the preparation of the Los Angeles
County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) prepared Regional
Transportation Plan. The SCAG model is based on population and employment
data, and provides the basis for the Metro’s travel demand forecast model that is
used for the travel forecasts for the Exposition Light Rail Transit Line.
In summary, we believe the additional expense of a traffic model is justified for the
Washington/National Transit Area Specific Plan. A traffic model is the appropriate
tool that would provide more accurate findings that would be more realistic, more
defensible and compatible with the City’s long-term transportation planning.
Also the traffic model may benefit the City in the future. Preparation of a Specific
Plan traffic model would facilitate the City building a citywide traffic model for
transportation planning purposes and to analyze the impact of other future
developments. This would provide the City with a citywide transportation planning
tool that would more accurately anticipate future levels of congestion, and potentially
identify ways impacts of new development on the City’s transportation system can
be mitigated.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The cost to prepare the Specific Plan and CEQA analyses will be borne by the
Agency initially. However, the costs associated with the preparation of the Specific
Plan and CEQA analysis, including the Traffic Model, can be reimbursed by the
developers that are ultimately entitled by the City and Agency through a cost
recovery program. Cities can impose a Specific Plan fee upon persons seeking
governmental approvals that are required to be consistent with the Specific Plan.
These fees can defray the cost of preparation of the Specific Plan. Staff will be
recommending, as part of the City/Agency consideration of adoption of the Specific
Plan, the approval of such a cost/fee recovery program.
There are currently sufficient funds in the Redevelopment 2002 Bond Fund to
appropriate $62,000 to Account No. 55392620.619800, Washington/National Sites
Other Contractual Services, to fund the Traffic Model preparation.City of Culver City, California
Redevelopment Agency Agenda Item Report
MOTION:
1. Authorize amending the Professional Services Agreement with Johnson Fain for
the preparation of the Traffic Model for the Washington / National Transit Area
Specific Plan and EIR for an amount not to exceed $62,000; and,
2. Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to increase the amended
agreement by an amount not to exceed $6,200, only if necessary for the
preparation of the Traffic Model; and,
3. Authorize the Assistant Executive Director of the Culver City Redevelopment
Agency to execute the agreement amendment on behalf of the Redevelopment
Agency; and,
4. Authorize the appropriation of $62,000 from the Redevelopment 2002 Bond Fund
to Account No. 55392620.619800.