City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: _03/01/10_ Item Number: A-2
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding
Between the City of Culver City, the City of Los Angeles, and the County of Los
Angeles Related to Addressing Regional Traffic Issues.
Contact Person/Dept.: Helen
Kerstein/PW
Phone Number: (310) 253-5618
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: _______________
Public Notification: Agenda and Meetings – City Council (02/24/10); (Email) Jim
Kennedy, City of LA (02/24/10); (Email) Michael May and Eddie Guerrero, City of Los
Angeles Department of Transportation (02/24/10); (Email) Shari Afshari and Bill Winter,
LA County Department of Public Works (02/24/10); (Email) Robert Calix, Metro (02/24/10)
Department Approval:
Charles D. Herbertson (02/10/10)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (02/22/10)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Mark Scott (by M. Noller) (02/23/10)
City Manager Approval:
Mark Scott (02/24/10)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) between the City of Culver City, the City of Los Angeles, and the County of
Los Angeles related to addressing regional traffic issues.
BACKGROUND:
Since 1993, Metro has implemented a Congestion Management Program (CMP)
based on a system of debits and credits. Jurisdictions have been given debits for
additional trips generated by new development within their boundaries and credits
for mitigation measures that have been implemented. In 2008, Metro proposed a
change in course by introducing a proposal to replace this debit and credit system
with a fee program. This program, called the Congestion Mitigation Fee (CMF)
Program, will assess fees based on the estimated number of additional trips
generated by new developments.
Recognizing that the new fees generated by the proposed CMF program will be
more effective at addressing regional traffic problems if pooled together and spent in
a coordinated fashion, the City of Culver City, the City of Los Angeles, and the
County of Los Angeles formed an informal group called the Regional Development
and Traffic Mitigation (RDTM) Working Group in 2008. Since its formation, the
RDTM Working Group has been meeting regularly, along with representatives from
Metro and Caltrans, to prepare for the new CMF program and to address issues of
regional traffic collaboratively. City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Among its achievements, the RDTM Working Group has developed a list of projects
of regional importance and come up with a preliminary prioritization of those projects
(see Attachment 1, Exhibit “B” for the list of projects). The RDTM Working Group
has also collaborated on reallocating the mitigation funds from the Costco project to
help improve the intersections along Admiralty Way between Fiji Way and Via
Marina. This reallocation of funds, which will help reduce traffic on Lincoln
Boulevard, was approved by the City Council in July 2009.
DISCUSSION:
While the RDTM Working Group has been successful in bringing together the City of
Culver City, the City of Los Angeles, and the County of Los Angeles to address the
pressing issue of traffic in the region, its long-term effectiveness is limited by its lack
of a formal organization and funding stream. Thus, staff recommends that the City
Council approve the proposed MOU.
Staff believes that this MOU will form the foundation for long-term regional
collaboration on traffic. The MOU provides the RDTM Working Group with a greater
level of structure and promotes accountability by setting milestones and reporting
requirements back to elected officials.
Furthermore, the MOU also sets forth the guidelines for funding regional traffic
mitigation projects. Specifically, the MOU requires that the signatories hold in
reserve funds from regional impact fees such as the CMF program that are collected
in the area identified in the MOU for use on the projects identified by the group (see
Attachment 1, Exhibit “A” for a map of the area and “B” for the list of projects). Staff
believes this is important because it ensures that there will be a source of funds
available to use towards regionally significant projects, but does not commit the City
to funding any specific project at this time. It is anticipated in the MOU that the
agencies will enter into separate project specific agreements that will address the
funding commitment for each agency on a project by project basis. These
agreements will also require the approval of the City Council.
Finally, the MOU requires that signatories support each other in seeking grant
funding for the projects identified in the MOU, which should also help make these
regionally important projects more competitive for other sources of funding in
addition to the CMF.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The MOU requires that the City hold in reserve regional impact fees such as the
CMF for use on the projects identified in Exhibit “B.” However, the MOU does not
require the City to spend funds on any given project. As indicated above, this will be City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
addressed by separate project specific agreements (which agreements are subject
to the City Council’s approval). Additionally, even without this MOU, these fees
would have to be spent on projects that address regional traffic and are connected to
new development impacts, as will be required by the forthcoming CMF program.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Memorandum of Understanding and Exhibits “A,” “B,” and “C”
MOTION:
That the City Council:
1. Approve the Memorandum of Understanding Between the City of Culver City,
the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles; 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.
MEETING DATE: 03/01/10
AGENDA ITEM: Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding
Between the City of Culver City, the City of Los
Angeles, and the County of Los Angeles Related to
Addressing Regional Traffic Issues.
ATTACHMENTS
Pages|109| Memorandum of Understanding and Exhibits "A," 1-12
"B," and "C"MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
FOR THE
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAFFIC MITIGATION
WORKING GROUP
CITY OF CULVER CITY
CITY OF LOS ANGELES
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELESREGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAFFIC MITIGATION WORKING GROUP
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE CITIES OF CULVER CITY, LOS ANGELES
AND THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
This Memorandum of Understanding (hereinafter referred to as "Agreement") is entered into by
and between the City of Culver City (hereinafter referred to as "Culver City"), the City of Los
Angeles (hereinafter referred to as "Los Angeles"), and the County of Los Angeles (hereinafter
referred to as "County").
RECITALS
A. Culver City, Los Angeles, and County (hereinafter referred to collectively as "Agencies" and
individually as "Agency") desire to improve transportation mobility and traffic flow in the
portion of the Westside of Los Angeles County identified in Exhibit "A" (hereinafter referred
to as "Study Area").
B. The Agencies have determined that the goal of improving traffic mobility and flow in the
Study Area is in the general interest of Culver City, Los Angeles, County, and the region as
a whole; but there is currently no mutually agreed upon set of transportation improvements
for the Study Area and no formal way of pooling project support or financial resources to
fund such improvements.
C. The Agencies have agreed to form the Regional Development and Traffic Mitigation
Working Group to guide the process of establishing a transportation improvement plan and
collaboratively pursue outside funding sources to implement this plan.
D. The Agencies have developed a list of potential transportation improvement projects to
enhance traffic mobility in the Study Area. The list of improvements is illustrated and
described in Exhibit "B."
E. The Agencies acknowledge that, while these proposed improvements are expected to
improve traffic mobility in the Study Area, not all of the proposed improvements have been
vetted through the community nor cleared environmentally. Therefore, additional outreach
and environmental review and studies may be required for some or all of the proposed
projects.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and the State of
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will be invited to participate with the
Regional Development and Traffic Mitigation Working Group to provide input in the
evaluations and discussions of potential transportation improvement projects.
AGREEMENT
Now, therefore, the Agencies hereby agree as follows:
Page 21 EACH AGENCY AGREES:
A. To perform all services and comply with all duties, obligations and conditions set
forth in this Agreement.
B. To assign an authorized representative and a designee or designees to participate
as an active member of the Regional Development and Traffic Mitigation Working
Group.
C. To direct the authorized representative and designee(s) to confer with relevant
elected officials, as needed, on matters before the Regional Development and
Traffic Mitigation Working Group.
D. In addition to the list of transportation projects set forth in Exhibit "B," to discuss,
evaluate, and rank other potential transportation improvement projects and revise
Exhibit "B" accordingly. Exhibit "B" may be modified upon written consent of
Agencies acting by and through their authorized representatives.
E. To work cooperatively to continue to prioritize the list of projects identified in Exhibit
"B," as revised.
F. To work cooperatively to seek outside funding sources to fund the cost of the
agreed upon set of transportation improvements.
G. To support a fellow Agency in their pursuit of federal, state, county, or Metro Call for
Projects funding sources to fund an improvement project listed in Exbibit "B." If an
application for grant monies is pursued to fund such a project, each agency will
provide a project letter of support, unless the Agencies agree to collectively pursue
the funds as one entity.
H. To hold in reserve any regional impact fees (such as the proposed Los Angeles
County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Congestion Management fee)
collected from development projects within the Study Area to help implement the
improvements listed in Exhibit "B."
To consider supplementing regional impact fees with the allocation of revenues
identified in 1.G., such as Los Angeles County Measure R funds, as matching funds
toward approved projects listed on Exhibit "B."
J. To seek to form Joint Powers Agreements or Project Agreements on a project-by-
project basis as necessary to further the list of projects identified on Exhibit "B." Said
agreements shall stipulate the contribution of funds from each Agency toward the
project.
K. To work to meet the milestones identified in Exhibit "C."
Page 3L. To add future milestones, as needed, by amendment to Exhibit "C." Exhibit "C" may
be modified upon written consent of the Agencies acting by and through their
authorized representatives.
M. To work together to create bi-annual reports in April and October of every year
addressed to the relevant elected officials overseeing the Agencies. These reports
shall include a description of the Regional Development and Traffic Mitigation
Working Group's progress toward achieving the milestones identified Exhibit "C."
2. TERM OF AGREEMENT:
A. The term of this Agreement shall commence when duly executed by all parties and
terminate when the Agencies agree in writing that the Agreement is no longer
necessary.
B. Any party may withdraw from this Agreement, at any time, by sending a 30-day
notice of such withdrawal to each of the other Agencies. The notice shall state with
reasonable specificity the reasons for withdrawing from the Agreement. Withdrawal
shall be effective thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of said letter.
C. This Agreement may be terminated by mutual consent of all Agencies.
3. INDEMNIFICATION AND LIABILITY:
No party, nor any other officer or employee of such an Agency shall be responsible for any
damage or liability occurring by reason of any acts or omission on the part of any other
party under or in connection with this Agreement. Each of the separate parties agrees to
indemnify and hold each other harmless in connection with liabilities arising from any
negligence or willful misconduct by such indemnifying party. Each of the separate parties
agrees to assume liability for any damages occasioned by the negligence or willful
misconduct of its own officials, officers, employees or agents arising under the
implementation of this agreement.
4. NOTICES:
Notices and correspondence between Agencies shall be sent to the following address:
If to Culver City:
Charles D. Herbertson, P.E., P.L.S.
Public Works Director/City Engineer
9770 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232-0507
Phone: (310) 253-5630
Page 4Fax: (310) 253-5626
If to Los Angeles:
Sean Haeri, P.E., P.T.O.E.
Senior Transportation Engineer
Bureau of Transportation Planning
7166 W. Manchester Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Phone: (213) 972-8485 Downtown
(310) 642-1623 Westchester
Fax: (213) 485-1285
If to County:
William J. Winter, RE.
Department of Public Works
900 S. Fremont Avenue
Alhambra, CA 91803
Phone: (626) 300-4700
Fax: (626) 300-4736
5. AMENDMENTS:
This Agreement may be amended if approved unanimously, in writing, by the Agencies.
Page 5IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in
separate counterparts by their duly authorized representatives. The final Agreement shall be
assembled from all of these separately executed counterparts and a complete signed original will
then be provided to each party.
CITY OF CULVER CITY, a municipal corporation
By: Date:
Mark Scott
City Manager
Approved as to Form and Legality:
By: Date: Carol A. Schwab
City Attorney
Page 6IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in
separate counterparts by their duly authorized representatives. The final Agreement shall be
assembled from all of these separately executed counterparts and a complete signed original will
then be provided to each party.
CITY OF LOS ANGELES, a municipal corporation
By: Rita L. Robinson
General Manager
Department of Transportation
Date:
Approved as to Form and Legality:
Carmen Trutanich
City Attorney
By: Date: Keith Pritsker
Deputy City Attorney
Page 7IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in
separate counterparts by their duly authorized representatives. The final Agreement shall be
assembled from all of these separately executed counterparts and a complete signed original will
then be provided to each party.
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
GAIL FARBER
Director of Public Works
By:
Date: PATRICK V. DeCHELLIS
Deputy
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
ANDREA SHERIDAN ORDIN
County Counsel
By:
Date: Deputy
Page 80 0.20.4 0.8 1.2 1.6
Miles
NA-rtoNAL BL
13,
county of
Los Angeles,
Exhibit A:
Regional
Development and
Traffic Mitigation
Study Area
..:119WARD HU
uJ
Note: Numbers correspond to
projects listed on Exhibit B.
Numbers 4 and 8 are not
represented on the map
because they have no
specific physical location.
January 12, 2010
mi. Study Area BoundaryExhibit B:
Potential Transportation Projects in the Study Area
The following is a list of transportation projects proposed to mitigate the impacts of
developments in the County of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles and Culver City as well as the
impacts of ambient growth on the regional transportation system:
To be funded through the Costco Regional Traffic Mitigation Fund:
1. Admiralty Way — Fiji Way to Via Marina - Improve intersections along Admiralty Wy.
from Fiji Wy. to Via Marina to reduce traffic congestion along Lincoln BI. and at its
intersections from Mindanao Wy. to Washington BI.
Projects that can be implemented within 3 to 5 years:
2. Sepulveda Boulevard Efficiency/Capacity Improvement Project — Identify and
implement ways of improving traffic flow, carrying capacity, and efficiency in the
utilization of the Sepulveda Corridor from Wilshire to LAX.
3. Lincoln Boulevard Efficiency/Capacity Improvement Project — Identify and
implement ways of improving traffic flow, carrying capacity, and efficiency in the
utilization of the Lincoln Corridor from Venice BI. to Westchester Parkway.
4. Improve Transit in the Area.
a. Articulated Bus Project - Purchase of 6 articulated buses to expand the carrying
capacity of Rapid 6. Rapid 6 is an important north-south sub-regional bus rapid
transit service that connects from UCLA to LAX and the Green Line Aviation Station.
This project also includes bus pad lengthening at stops to accommodate the
articulated buses.
b. Enhance Transit Service Feeding into the Future Exposition Light Rail Station -
Fund Culver CityBus feeder service to the Exposition Light Rail Station to enhance
sub-regional connectivity to/from the Expo Station.
c. Improve Bus Stops in the Area - The improvements include some or all of the
following: 1) Replace/add/lengthen the bus pads, 2) Improve sidewalk conditions or
extending the sidewalk (for ADA compliance and to enhance safety), 3) Next bus
arrival information system, 4) Enhanced lighting, and 5) Addition/replacement of bus
stop furniture.
5. Improve Traffic Flow Along Culver Boulevard - Improve traffic flow along the Culver
Bl. corridor between Centinela Ave. and the 1-405 by providing turn lanes at intersections
(e.g. at Inglewood Ave.).
6. Improve Traffic Flow Along Centinela Ave. -Improve the Centinela Ave. corridor from
Sepulveda BI. to La Cienega BI. (e.g. add a travel lane in the peak direction of Centinela
Ave.) to relieve traffic congestion along Slauson Ave.|109| Improve Lincoln BI. - Widening Lincoln BI., between Jefferson BI. and Fiji Way.
8. Upgrade Traffic Signal Synchronization in Culver City - Upgrade traffic signal
synchronization in Culver City equivalent to the City of Los Angeles ATCS.
9. SR90 Connector Road From Lincoln BI. to Admiralty Way - Construct SR90
extension to Admiralty Wy. to reduce traffic congestion along Lincoln RI. and at its
intersections from Mindanao Wy. to Washington BI.Potential Transportation Projects
Page 2 of 2
10. La Cienega BliCentinela Ave. Grade Separation — Construct a grade separation of La
Cienega BI. intersection with Centinela Ave. and La Tijera Bl.
11. SR90 to 1-405 Connection - Construct WB SR90 connection to SB 1-405.
12. Westside Transit Center Project — Plan, design and construct a multi-modal transit
center to replace the existing Fox Hills Mall Transit Center, which is located on private
property. This transit center will serve as a major transit hub on the Westside for riders
transferring between bus lines in the region.
13. Duquesne Ave. — Widen Duquesne Ave. between Jefferson BI. and Culver BI. in order
to accommodate a left turn lane and bike lanes. This will improve traffic flow and
connectivity on a road that is one of the few Ballona Creek crossings and also serves to
connect two primary arteries.Exhibit C:
Milestones
1. July 1, 2010: Identify funding for Project Study Reports (PSRs) for two or three projects
that are selected by the Regional Development and Traffic Mitigation Working Group for
intense focus. Develop an RFP for the necessary consultant services or a plan to
conduct the PSRs using staff from one or more of the Agencies.
2 August 15, 2010: Select a consultant or consultants to perform PSRs, if relevant.
3. December 15, 2010: Complete PSRs for the selected projects and identify a
subcommittee of the Regional Development and Traffic Mitigation Working Group to
work on 2011 Metro Call for Projects applications.
4. January 15, 2011: Complete applications for funding for the two selected projects
through the 2011 Metro Call for Projects or a similar source.