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West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor Draft EIS/EIR Scoping Interagency Meeting – June 19, 2017
West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor Draft EIS/EIR Scoping Interagency Meeting – June 19, 2017
Agenda
> Welcome and Introductions
> Purpose of Interagency Scoping
> Timeline and Process
> Agency Coordination
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Purpose of Scoping
What is Scoping?
> Identify the purpose of the project
> Define the alternatives under consideration
> Determine major issues for environmental analysis
> Identify project goals and evaluation criteria
> Obtain public input
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Purpose of Scoping
What is Your Role?
> Get involved early and participate in the environmental process
> Help us understand what we should study
> Provide comments and project relevant information
> Identify your organization
> Stay involved
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Typical Environmental Topics
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> Aesthetics
> Air Quality
> Biological Resources
> Cultural Resources
> Community and Neighborhood Impacts
> Construction Impacts
> Cost and Financial Analysis
> Economic and Fiscal impacts
> Environmental Justice (pollution impacts)
> Energy
> Geology/Soils
> Greenhouse Gas Emissions/ Climate Change
> Growth Inducing Impacts
> Hazards/Hazardous Materials
> Hydrology and Water Quality
> Land Use and Planning
> Noise and Vibration
> Parklands and Recreation
> Population and Housing
> Public Services
> Safety and Security
> Socioeconomics
> Transportation and Traffic
> Utilities and Services
Draft EIS/EIR Process
> Further refine alternatives
> Assess impacts of alternatives > During construction
> Once in operation
> Identify possible mitigation measures
> Allow informed decision of Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) by the Metro Board
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Project Timeline
Ongoing Public Participation
Project Awareness
Metro Board
Approved Initiation of Draft EIS/EIR
Scoping Period
Prepare Draft
EIS/EIR
Publish Draft
EIS/EIR –Public
Comment Period
Metro Board
Approves Locally
Preferred Alternative
(LPA)
Prepare Final
EIS/EIR
Publish Final
EIS/EIR
Winter ‘17 Spring ‘17 Spring/
Summer ‘17 Late 2018 Late 2018 Late 2019
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* Timeline Subject to Change
Metro Rail & Busway System with Measure M Transit Project
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Project Map
> 98 square miles
> 20 individual cities plus unincorporated LA County
> 1.2 million people currently reside in the Study Area, with 1.5 million residents projected in 2040
> 584,000 jobs are currently located in the Study Area, 670,000 jobs projected in 2040
> Population and employment densities are five times higher than LA County
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Project History
February 2013
• SCAG approved Alternatives Analysis (AA) – Recommended Light Rail Transit (LRT)
March 2013
• City of South Gate/Eco-Rapid Transit published Southern Rail Corridor Community Impacts and Opportunities Report
September 2014
• Eco-Rapid Transit published Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Guidebook: Southern Corridor
March 2016
• Gateway Cities COG published the Gateway Cities Strategic Transportation Plan
September 2015
• Metro Board of Directors received the Technical Refinement Study (TRS)
April 2017
• Metro Board of Directors approved Project Definition for Environmental Scoping including four Northern Alignment Options
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Where We Are Now
Transit Service
Construction
Detailed Engineering
Future Phases
Project Background
Project Awareness
Ongoing Public Participation
Environmental & Conceptual
Engineering
We Are Here
• Project Description • Environmental
Analysis
• Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA)
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Purpose and Need
Needs
> High population and employment densities
> High number of Transit-Dependent Populations
> Limited connections to the Metro and regional system
> Limited transit investment
> Environmental Justice Communities
> Constrained Freeway and Arterial System
> High volumes of goods movement
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Purpose
> Provide reliable transit service to densely populated areas, major employment centers, and other key regional destinations
> Address mobility and access constraints faced by transit-dependent communities
> Reduce travel times and address connectivity barriers to effectively use transit as a means of travel
> Accommodate future travel demand including the high number of anticipated transit trips made by Study Area residents
Project Goals
> Provide mobility improvements
> Support local and regional land use plans and policies
> Minimize environmental impacts
> Ensure cost effectiveness and financial feasibility
> Ensure equity
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> Rail cars run relatively quiet on electricity
> Functions best as a local service with station stops typically one mile apart
> Systems enjoy traffic signal prioritizing and dedicated routes
> Can carry up to three times the passenger capacity of a bus
> Fare collection is typically self-service at the station
> Active Metro LRT lines include the Gold Line, Blue Line, Green Line, and Expo Line
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Differences Between Rail Types Light Rail Transit (LRT)
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Heavy Rail
> Larger and longer than light rail, handle more passengers, and travel faster
> Operate over exclusive rights-of-way, either underground or on elevated tracks
> Active Metro heavy rail lines include the Red Line and Purple Line
Commuter Rail
> Larger trains with regional stations
> Designed to serve longer distances (ex. Metrolink - between counties)
Light Rail
Heavy Rail
Commuter Rail
Differences Between Rail Types Heavy Rail and Commuter Rail
LRT Station Types
Elevated
Underground At-Grade
Expo Line – La Cienega
Gold Line – Mariachi Plaza
Gold Line – Monrovia
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LRT Guideway Types
Elevated
Underground
At-Grade
Exclusive ROW
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Gold Line – Chinatown Expo Line – Santa Monica
Gold Line – Mariachi Plaza
Gold Line – Little Tokyo
> San Pedro Branch (owned by Ports of LA and Long Beach, 6 miles)
> Pacific Electric Right-of-Way (owned
by Metro, 7.3 miles)
> In the event that the WSAB line was to be
extended to Orange County in the future, the Project will evaluate an optional station at Bloomfield Avenue (just north of the Los Angeles County-Orange County boundary).
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Southern Alignment
> Option A: Pacific/Alameda (7.4 miles)
> Option B: Pacific/Vignes
(7.2 miles)
> Option C: Alameda
(8.0 miles)
> Option D: Alameda/Vignes
(8.1 miles)
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Northern Alignment Options
Northern Alignment Options Summary
Pacific/ Alameda Pacific/ Vignes Alameda Alameda/ Vignes
Number of Stations
13 12 15 15
Length (miles) 18.3 18.1 19 19.1
Travel Time (minutes)
33 33.2 33.2 34.3
Estimated Daily Boardings (2040)
59,660 52,550 75,800 61,770
Preliminary Cost Estimate (in billions, 2015$)
$4.3 $4.3 $4.3 $4.6
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Source: Technical Refinement Study, 2015
Funding Considerations
> Potential range of project costs ($4.3-$4.6 billion)
> Funding Source > Measure R ($0.240 billion in 2008 dollars)
> Measure M ($1.435 billion in 2015 dollars)
> Other Sources
> Federal funding
> State funding
> Local funding
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Public-Private Partnership Option
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> Project delivery model involves collaboration between a public agency (Metro) and a private firm
> Each party shares its key skills and takes on the risks it is best able to manage, leading to innovation, cost savings, and/or project acceleration
> Bring private-sector expertise, ingenuity, and rigor to building and managing public infrastructure
Public Sector
Private Sector
Common Interest
Lead Agencies
Federal Lead Agency:
> Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Local Lead Agency:
> Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
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Responsibilities of Lead Agencies
Responsibilities
> Guide the project through NEPA/CEQA process and prepare EIS/EIR document
> Provide opportunities for input and collaboration with stakeholders
> After considering comments, further define purpose and need/project objectives and range of alternatives
> Identify preferred alternative
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Cooperating and Participating Agencies (NEPA)
Cooperating Agency
> Any federal agency that has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to an environmental impact
> A higher degree of authority, responsibility, and involvement in the environmental review process than participating agencies
> Cooperating agencies are participating agencies, e.g., Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration
Participating Agency
> Any federal agency with interest in the project, e.g., Department of Energy, Department of the Interior
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Roles Responsibilities of Cooperating and Participating Agencies
> Provide input on purpose and need/project objectives, alternatives and methodologies, and level of detail
> Identify issues of concern that may substantially delay the project
> Cooperate with lead agencies in resolution of issues
> Participate in the scoping process
Cooperating Agencies also:
> Develop information and prepare environmental analyses (on request of the lead agency)
> May adopt without recirculating the EIS/EIR when it concludes that its comments and suggestion have been satisfied
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Responsible and Trustee Agencies (CEQA)
Responsible Agency
> All public agencies other than the lead agency that have discretionary approval or permitting power
> A public agency that proposes to carry out or approve a project, e.g., Caltrans, California Air Resource Board
Trustee Agency
> A public agency having jurisdiction by law over natural resources affected by a project which are held in trust for the people of the State of California, e.g., CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife, State Lands Commission, State Department of Parks and Recreation, University of California
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Responsible Agency
> Actively participate in the project’s environmental process
> Review the EIS/EIR and use document when making a decision
> Rely on the EIS/ EIR to prepare and issue its own findings
Trustee Agency
> Does not have approval authority
> Provide expertise for natural resources under its jurisdiction
> Provide review and comment on the EIS/EIR
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Roles Responsibilities of Responsible and Trustee Agencies
Coordination Plan Requirements
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> Lead agencies develop the coordination plan
> Address participation by other agencies in the review process by identifying:
> Coordination points or milestones
> Expected review times
> Communication procedures
> If schedule is included, schedule must be developed in consultation with participating agencies
Public Scoping Meetings
BELLFLOWER
Thursday, June 15
6:00 – 8:00pm
Intérprete en español T. Mayne Thompson Park
14001 S Bellflower Bl
Bellflower, CA 90706
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
Wednesday, June 21
3:00 – 5:00pm & 6:00 – 8:00pm
Intérprete en español / 通訳 Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple
815 East 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
SOUTH GATE
Tuesday, June 20
6:00 – 8:00pm
Live webcast at 6:30pm + Intérprete en español
www.tinyurl.com/MetroWSAB
South Gate Girls Club House
4940 Southern Av
South Gate, CA 90280
HUNTINGTON PARK
Saturday, June 24
10:00am – 12:00pm
Intérprete en español Huntington Park Community Center
6925 Salt Lake Av
Huntington Park, CA 90255
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Public Scoping Comments
> Written Comments due by: Friday, August 4, 2017
> Submit your comments at the Public Scoping Meetings: > Oral testimony (Court Reporter)
> Written comment card
> Law requires all scoping comments be provided in writing or via Court Reporter
> Submit written comments via:
Fanny Pan
Project Manager, Metro
One Gateway Plaza, M/S 99-22-4
Los Angeles, CA 90012
www.metro.net/WSAB
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Stay Connected
Fanny Pan Project Manager Metro One Gateway Plaza, M/S 99-22-4 Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 922-6262
www.metro.net/wsab
www.facebook.com/MetroWSAB
www.twitter.com/MetroWSAB
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Thank You
