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CC - ACTION ITEM: (1) Presentation by Staff on the MOVE Culver City Downtown Corridor (Downtown Corridor) Post-Pilot Evaluation Report; (2) Discussion of the Approaches and Design Adjustment Options for the Next Phase of the Downtown Corridor and Direction to Staff; (3) Authorization to Proceed with the Design and Implementation of the Next Phase of the Downtown Corridor; (4) Approval of the Update to the Design Guidelines, as Appropriate; (5) Authorization to the City Manager to Negotiate and Approve Amendment(s) to the Professional Services Agreement with Sam Schwartz Engineering for the MOVE Culver City Project in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $275,000 for the Additional Scope of Service; (6) Authorization to the Chief Transportation Officer to Approve Amendment(s) to the Sam Schwartz Engineering Agreement in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $125,000 to Cover Contingency Costs; and (7) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: April 24, 2023
Contact Person/Dept: Diana Chang/Transportation Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6566
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (4/19/2023)
Department Approval: Diana Chang, Chief Transportation Officer (4/12/23)
Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director/City Engineer (4/18/23)
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) receive a presentation by staff on the MOVE Culver City Downtown Corridor (Downtown Corridor) Post-Pilot Evaluation Report; (2) discuss the approach and design adjustment options for the next phase of the Downtown Corridor and provide direction to staff; (3) authorize staff to proceed with the design and implementation of the next phase of the Downtown Corridor; (4) approve the update to the Design Guidelines, as appropriate; (5) authorize the City Manager to negotiate and approve amendment(s) to the professional services agreement with Sam Schwartz Engineering for the MOVE Culver City project in an amount not-to-exceed $275,000 for the additional scope of service; (6) authorize the Chief Transportation Officer to approve amendment(s) to the Sam Schwartz Engineering agreement in an amount not-to-exceed $125,000 to cover contingency costs; and (7) provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND
On May 18, 2020, the City Council directed the Transportation Department to capitalize on reduced traffic as a result of the pandemic by transforming space on the street and installing dedicated bus lanes to improve mobility throughout the City. Subsequently, staff conducted preliminary planning work and returned to the Council on July 13, 2020, with a recommendation to implement mobility lane pilots on three major arterial corridors (Culver/Washington, Sepulveda, and Jefferson) to bring positive and impactful changes to mobility throughout the City. The City Council directed staff to implement a bus and bike lane pilot using the quick-build model. Quick-build projects use low-cost, temporary materials that allow cities to test and implement changes to roadway design in advance of making costlier, permanent improvements.
The main goal of the MOVE Culver City Project (Project) is to improve the infrastructure and services for the alternative modes and to offer the community equitable, convenient, and sustainable mobility options (walking, riding, and taking transit). This goal aligns with the City’s draft General Plan, Short Range Mobility Plan, Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and Action Plan, City Council’s Strategic Plan, and the Transit-Oriented Development Visioning Report in developing an integrated multi-modal transportation system to provide transportation access to all residents and visitors and leveraging mass transit and other alternative modes to accommodate the growth of and maintain the long-term vitality of the Culver City community. The Project strives to prioritize efficient, safe, and sustainable modes of travel while minimizing the impact to vehicular traffic.
Project design took place from October 22, 2020 to January 1, 2021. The project team took an open-door approach toward community engagement, meeting with project stakeholders to gather their input into the design. During the 70-day design process, the team hosted 33 engagement events and received 325 public comments. The team also created a Community Project Advisory Committee (CPAC) made up of representatives from local businesses, neighborhood associations, the Chamber of Commerce, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and other stakeholder groups. The CPAC met regularly throughout the design and implementation phase of the project to provide feedback. The design phase resulted in the project Design Guidelines, a set of principles that guided the project team in the creation of the project plans.
On February 1, 2021, the City Council approved the project’s Design Guidelines and the design plans, which included separate protected bus and bike lanes where space allowed and shared bus/bike lanes where space was constrained.
Project construction was originally scheduled for Spring 2021 but was delayed until Fall 2021 due to pandemic-related supply chain issues. On November 20, 2021, the MOVE Culver City downtown corridor pilot project opened to the public following a six-week construction period.
After minor adjustments based on public feedback, including redesigning the intersection at Washington/Ince, the project’s yearlong pilot data collection period began in January 2022. Throughout that period, the project team collected data on the project’s impact to vehicle, bike, and pedestrian traffic, transit ridership, business revenues, and other metrics.
On February 16, 2023, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee passed a motion to transmit to the City Council their recommendation that the MOVE Culver City downtown corridor be implemented as a permanent installation in its current configuration.
DISCUSSION
Since January of this year, the project team has been conducting the post-pilot evaluations using the data collected through the pilot period. The Post-Pilot Evaluation Report will be available at www.moveculvercity.com <http://www.moveculvercity.com> during the week of April 17th. In summary, the data collected during the pilot period reveal that the project is achieving its goals of increasing use of alternative modes while minimizing vehicular traffic. At this April 24th City Council meeting, staff will present the key findings from the Post-Pilot Evaluation Report.
In March 2023, a scientific survey was conducted of Culver City residents. The results of this survey, presented to the City Council on March 27, 2023, suggest that a majority of residents want the project to continue, with most of those calling for changes to address areas of concern. During the March 27th meeting, City Council also requested accident data since the implementation of MOVE, which information will be included in staff’s presentation of the key findings from the Post-Pilot Evaluation Report.
Staff is seeking City Council direction on how to proceed with the project beyond the pilot period. The options for consideration include:
Option 1: Proceed with the design and implementation of the permanent infrastructure, keeping the existing protected bus and bike lanes and shared bus/bike lanes throughout the corridor.
This option would convert the pilot design into permanent infrastructure, keeping the existing protected bus and bike lanes and shared bus/bike lanes throughout the corridor. Long term materials (such as concrete) will be utilized for applicable elements (such as pedestrian bulb outs and lane dividers) of the project.
Option 2: Continue with the pilot project for a minimum of two years, keeping the existing protected bus and bike lanes and shared bus/bike lanes throughout the corridor with minor modifications to address specific stakeholder concerns and refurbishment of some tactical materials including curb extensions and bus platforms.
This option would largely maintain the existing design of the corridor, keeping the existing protected bus and bike lanes and shared bus/bike lanes throughout the corridor. Some project areas would be modified based on feedback gathered from engagement with stakeholders, including adding right turn pockets on eastbound Washington Blvd. at Culver Blvd. and on southbound Main St. at Culver Blvd. A vehicular loading zone would be added on EB Culver Blvd. at Cardiff Ave. Some of the tactical materials on the corridor would be refurbished or replaced to extend their lifespan and improve the aesthetics of the quick-build project. Additional modifications of similar scale could be proposed as part of the design process.
Option 3: Continue with the pilot project for a minimum of two years, modifying the corridor design to add vehicle capacity where it is needed and preserve a protected shared bus/bike lane throughout.
This option would modify the design to create and maintain a shared bus and bike lane throughout the project corridor and add a second general purpose lane where it is feasible and needed to enhance the capacity of the general-purpose traffic.
This option would, in general, create a protected, shared bus/bike lane between Culver Blvd./Duquesne Ave. and Washington Blvd./Helms Ave. The corridor design would be unchanged on Washington Blvd. between Helms Ave. and La Cienega Ave.
Although the detailed design needs be developed during the design process, this option is, in general, anticipated to create a second general purpose through lane in both directions on Culver Blvd. between Duquesne Ave. and Canfield Ave. and on Washington Blvd. between Landmark Blvd. and west of Helms Ave. as well as a second vehicle through lane on eastbound Washington Blvd. between Ince Blvd. and Landmark Blvd.
Options 2 and 3 will allow the City to monitor the conditions on the project corridor as changes in commute and general traffic patterns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to stabilize.
Regardless of the options listed above, Staff will continue to enhance the mobility services, offering convenient mobility options for the community. Staff will also continue to collaborate with the rest of the region to improve the bus infrastructure and mobility services in preparation for the 2028 Olympics and beyond.
Pending City Council direction on the option, Staff is seeking authorization to proceed with the design and implementation of next phase of the Downtown Corridor.
Additional Enhancements
Regardless of the option selected by City Council, staff also recommend the following measures to be implemented:
• Install a pedestrian scramble intersection at Culver/Main, which will allow pedestrians to cross the street in any direction while the walk sign is on.
• Replace painted curb extensions with a durable solid-color base coat in locations where the existing paint has deteriorated.
Downtown Corridor Design Guidelines
The design guidelines, previously approved by the City Council, provided the necessary guidance for the design development of the pilot project. Should the City Council elect to proceed with Option 1, staff would return to the City Council at a later date for guidance on updated design guidelines as part of the design process. Option 2 does not require revision to the design guidelines. Should the City Council elect to proceed with Option 3, staff is seeking City Council approval to the proposed updates to the design guidelines (Attachment A).
Costs of Future Downtown Corridor Design and Construction
For Option 1, staff estimates the total cost for planning, outreach, and design to be approximately $700,000-$1 million. For Option 2 and Option 3, staff estimates the total cost for planning, outreach, and design to be approximately $275,000.
Staff estimates the rough order of magnitude (ROM) construction costs to be as follows. The construction budget will be established through the CIP process and confirmed after the design is developed:
• Option 1: $3-$5 million
• Option 2: $750,000-$850,000
• Option 3: $900,000-$1,000,000
Pending City Council direction, staff will identify funding for the construction and incorporate it into the Capital Improvement Program for FY24.
Timeline for the Downtown Corridor Future Adjustments
For Option 1, staff anticipate a 1-2-year process to design and construct the permanent infrastructure.
For Options 2 and 3, staff estimates it will take approximately six months to design, procure, and implement the design adjustments, assuming an accelerated design and construction schedule with administrative approval of the designs. This timeline is contingent upon funding being allocated for construction through the FY24 Capital Improvement Program process and implementation using the City’s on-call construction contractor.
California Environmental Quality Act Consideration
Any modification to the Project design will need to be evaluated under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Sam Schwartz
Staff is seeking the City Council approval to negotiate and amend the professional services agreement with Sam Schwartz in an amount not-to-exceed $275,000 for the future Downtown Corridor design. In addition, staff is seeking authorization to approve amendment(s) to the agreement in an amount not-to-exceed $125,000 to cover contingency costs.
Should the City Council elect to proceed with Option 1, these funds will cover preliminary design. Staff will return to the City Council at a later date to secure funding for final design.
Should the City Council elect to proceed with Option 2 or Option 3, these funds will cover the full design costs for those options.
Project Corridor 2 Preliminary Design
The Project previously received authorization from the City Council to proceed with the conceptual design of corridors 2 and 3. The timing of the Sepulveda Blvd. corridor (between Venice and Centinela) preliminary design is being coordinated with the Sepulveda Blvd. roadway resurfacing design and implementation project. The pre-planning activities for the Sepulveda corridor is scheduled to start after the final design for the Downtown Corridor is completed. The goal is to develop context sensitive conceptual design options specific to this corridor and bring them to the City Council for consideration in FY24.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total additional authorization requested is $400,000. This includes the cost for the additional scope of services in an amount not-to-exceed $275,000 and a proposed contingency amount not-to-exceed $125,000. The Revised Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 includes sufficient funding CIP PS017 (Tactical Mobility Lane) to cover this additional authorization.
Metro Funding
The initial implementation (construction portion) of the MOVE Culver City Downtown Corridor was partially funded by $500,000 from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) via the Metro Active Transport (MAT) grant program. This award was contingent on the City delivering on the proposed project, which included implementing physically-protected bike lanes on Washington Blvd between Landmark Blvd. and Helms Ave. Metro may require the City to return a portion of the grant funds if the intent of the project, as proposed for the MAT grant program, is substantially changed. City staff is in consultation with Metro regarding the acceptability of the proposed design options.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - MOVE Culver City Design Guidelines
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Receive a presentation by staff on the MOVE Culver City Downtown Corridor (Downtown Corridor) Post-Pilot Evaluation Report;
2. Discuss the approaches and design adjustment options for the next phase of the Downtown Corridor and provide direction to staff;
3. Authorize staff to proceed with the design and implementation of the next phase of the Downtown Corridor;
4. Approve the update to the Design Guidelines, as appropriate;
5. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and approve amendment(s) to the professional services agreement with Sam Schwartz Engineering for the MOVE Culver City project in an amount not-to-exceed $275,000 for the additional scope of service;
6. Authorize the Chief Transportation Officer to approve amendment(s) to the professional services agreement in an amount not-to-exceed $125,000 to cover contingency costs;
7. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents;
8. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City; and,
9. Provide other direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.