SR 06-13-2017 3C
Ci ty Council
Report
City Council Meeting : June 13, 2017
Agenda Item: 3.C
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director , City Planning
Subject: Professional Services Agreement for Update of the City of Santa Monica
Travel Demand Forecasting Model (TDFM) and Implementation of SB743
Recommended Action
Authorize the Ci ty Manager to negotiate and execute a sole -source professional
services agreement with Fehr and Peers, California -based company, in an amount not
to exceed $280 ,5 00, to update the Travel Demand Forecasting Model and provide
transportation consulting servic es for revised CEQA transportation analysis in
accordance with Senate Bill 743. This recommendation is made as an exception to the
competitive bidding process pursuant to Section 2.24.080(d).
Executive Summary
One of the imperatives of the adopted Land U se and Circulation Element (LUCE) is that
the City manage and monitor the transportation system in ways that serve community
goals. The City of Santa Monica Travel Demand Forecast Model (TDFM) was
developed as part of the LUCE planning process and E nviron mental I mpact R eport. The
model enables the City to forecast how changes in land use coupled with transportation
improvements , services and regulations may affect the City’s transportation
performance , and enables calculation of trip generation, transporta tion -related
greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled. The TDFM is an essential tool for
the City to forecast and plan for future transportation conditions in the City, to perform
the measuring and monitoring functions directed in the LUCE, and to complete
transportation analyses required for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
compliance. Maintaining and updating the TDFM is an important part of the LUCE
measuring and monitoring program. The TDFM needs to be updated regularly to
maintain accuracy and capture the effects of new development projects, capital
projects, and changes to the transportation system. TDFM updates include
incorporation of biennial citywide transportation counts, and recalibration and validation
against the counts .
To comply with State mandated CEQA changes, the City will need to update the TDFM
and implement regulatory changes to align the CEQA transportation impact
methodology and thresholds with new state laws and policies, including SB743. The
City’s Transportat ion Impact Fee would also be updated to be consistent with the TDFM
update and project analyses.
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Updating the TDFM and implementing SB743 regulatory requirements will require a
sole -source professional services agreement with Fehr and Peers in the amount of
$280,500 . Fehr & Peers is the developer of the TDFM and has been actively usin g and
managing the current TDFM; as such, they retain the most current technical expertise in
the model functions and development. Fehr & Peers also is the proprietary devel oper of
the TDM+ tool, which is a tool that will be required for the City to comply with upcoming
CEQA changes required under SB743.
Background
On September 23, 2008 City Council directed staff to proceed with the development of a
citywide travel demand model and nexus study. On December 2, 2008 the Council
approved contract #9016 with Fehr & Peers for the creation of a Santa Monica -specific
Travel Demand Forecast Model, evaluation of existing and future land use and
transportation scenarios for the Land Use and Circulation Element, and preparation of
documentation for the Environmental Impact Report.
The TDFM was created in 2008 and is unique to the City of Santa Monica. The model
includes every street in the City and is calibrated and validated to loca l traffic counts.
The TDFM is a model of existing traffic conditions and is used to project future traffic
conditions for the LUCE horizon year of 2030 and the interim future year of 2020. Unlike
less sophisticated transportation models, the TDFM contains a number of
enhancements that allow it to capture the effects of the City’s LUCE land use policies,
street improvements, and transportation demand management services and
regulations. These enhancements include the effects of sustainable development
patter ns (e.g., complementary mix of housing and daily services and transit oriented
development), streetscape design factors, active transportation networks, parking
management, and transportation demand management (TDM) programs, as well as
ridership of the Ex po Light Rail. The TDFM has a base model for the entire City for AM
and PM peak hours, and makes the following additional analytical capability and
information available to decision makers:
• A weekend mid -day assessment (Saturday model) for selected areas i n the City
such as the Downtown;
• Greenhouse gas emissions analysis;
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• Performance measures such as vehicle miles traveled per capita;
• Trip generation rates by different types of land uses and geographic
characteristics;
• Information regarding regional pass -th rough versus locally -generated traffic on
City streets; and
• Walking and bicycling demand by street segment.
The TDFM is an essential tool for the City to monitor how the changes in land use
coupled with transportation improvements , services and regulation s may affect the
City’s transportation performance and to forecast and plan for future transportation
conditions in the City . The model is typically updated and recalibrated for optimal
accuracy every 4 years. On July 9, 2013, Council approved contract #97 64 with Fehr
and Peers to perform an update and calibration of the TDFM. The TDFM was calibrated
to reflect 2013 local and regional traffic and land use conditions .
Discussion
TDFM Update
M aintaining and updating the TDFM is an important part of the Cit y’s measuring and
monitoring program of the LUCE. It is also used to complete transportation analyses
required for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance serving as the
City's primary tool for transportation analysis of land use plans, deve lopment projects,
and transportation projects. The TDFM needs to be updated periodically to capture the
effects of new development projects, regulations, capital projects, services, and the
Expo Light Rail on the City’s transportation network . Periodic up dates to the TDFM
helps the City better gauge the progress of transportation demand management
measures, and to help determine appropriate improvements that are needed in the
transportation network for people in all modes.
Since the TDFM was update d in 2 013 , there have been physical changes to the street
network and changes in mobility options. In 2006, Metro began operation of the Expo
Light Rail line connecting Santa Monica to Downtown Los Angeles, and major street
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improvements were completed such as th e Colorado Esplanade and the California
Incline Bridge. Additionally, in recent years, the introduction of transportation network
companies (TNC s ) such as Uber and Lyft, and car -sharing in the City (e.g.ZipCar and
WaiveCar) ha ve provided greater transporta tion choice. In s ummer and f all 2017, new
vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian counts will be collected in the City. The TDFM will need
to be updated to reflect changes in transportation conditions a nd land use changes in
the City , and recalibrated against cur rent counts .
Updating CEQA Analysis Pursuant to SB743
I n the next couple of years, transportation review required under CEQA will change as a
result of the adoption of California Senate Bill 743 (SB743). SB743 will require the City
of Santa Monica to adj ust its CEQA -mandated analysis in the upcoming 1 -2 years,
following adoption of the Final Guidelines (anticipated in 2017). The State’s currently
published draft CEQA Guidelines indicate that the City will be required to use VMT as
the replacement metric f or transportation analysis under CEQA. VMT measures the
total distance traveled (in miles) between the origin and destination of a trip and as
such, captures the full extent of vehicle travel on the roadway network (VMT = Trip Rate
x Trip Length). VMT is a more appropriate metric for assessing transportation impacts
on the environment, because it is related to greenhouse gas emissions, the
development of multimodal transportation networks, and a diversity of land uses.
Currently, output data of the TDFM i s used to generate Level of Service (LOS) analysis
as formerly required under CEQA. To comply with the anticipated CEQA Guidelines
under SB743, the TDFM will need to be calibrated to use VMT to assess transportation
impacts. Furthermore, the City will hav e to establish new transportation review
procedures and adopt new VMT -based traffic impact thresholds to replace the existing
Level of Service (LOS ) impact thresholds.
Update of Transportation Impact Fee Nexus Study
T he City’s Transportation Impact Fee n exus study (TIF) wil l be updated to be more
consistent with analyzing projects based on VMT and to reflect additional projects
identified since the adoption of the fee.
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Vendor/Consultant Selection
The City of Santa Monica's TDFM was developed by consulta nt Fehr and Peers in
2008. Fehr and Peers (F&P) was selected through a competitive process in 2008. The
City’s TDFM is tailored to Santa Monica's physical, traffic and regulatory conditions
(weekend peaks, TDM rules, etc.). A lthough the TDFM is owned by the City of Santa
Monica, the City does not retain physical possession of the model as the City lacks the
platform and technical skills to maintain and operate it. A s the developer of the TDFM,
Fehr & Peers has knowledge of the model platform, inputs and calculations that no
other firm has. Until last year, Fehr and Peers' offices were in Santa Monica which also
provided an additional level of detailed local knowledge. The offices moved to
Downtown L os Angeles , but assigned staff are still the same and hi ghly familiar with the
dynamics of Santa Monica traffic. In addition to local information, the model needs to
incorporate adjacent areas to accurately reflect traffic conditions. Fehr & Peers is
currently under contract to the City of Los Angeles to create their travel demand model.
Updating the TDFM will require use of the vehicle trip generation and trip length data
from the City of Los Angeles' travel demand model, and therefore, per Section
2.24.080(d), Fehr & Peers is uniquely suited to perform the update to the City of Santa
Monica's TDFM. Furthermore, Fehr & Peers has been actively using and managing the
current TDFM since 2008 and retains the most current technical expertise in the model
functions and development. Assuming that another firm would be interested in taking
over calibration and management of the TDFM, t he alternative of hiring another firm
would compromise the consistency and efficiency of using the model. It would require
additional staff and consultant cost to facilitate the transit ion of the model, check
assumptions and use, and verify accuracy of output. Transition of the model at this point
would result in potential inaccuracies and data loss, assuming that another firm has the
capabilities to do the work.
Fehr & Peers also has created a TDM+ tool that enables the most efficient analysis of
VMT consistent with upcoming CEQA changes required under SB743 . Fehr & Peers is
the proprietary developer of the TDM+ tool, which is a tool used to calculate project -
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level VMT impacts and to apply VMT reduction measures based on a variety of land use
and TDM measures. The TDM+ tool is based on empirical data on the effectiveness of
various land use and TDM strategies. The TDM+ tool will be essential in complying with
SB743's requirement that t he City calculate VMT for projects. The TDM+ tool is
customized for localities, using input data such as land use mixes, transportation
infrastructure, trip generation, etc. Santa Monica has a complex and unique TDM
environment, and the TDM tools offered by Fehr & Peers in prior updates have been
important during past model construction and update. Based on Fehr & Peers’
knowledge of Santa Monica’s unique conditions and technical expertise in inputting data
and maintaining the model, staff recommends the a warding of a sole source contract.
Any future work would be subject to a bid process.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The one -year contract to be awarded to Fehr & Peers is for an amount not to exceed
$2 80 ,5 00. Funds in the amount of $280,500 are in cluded in the FY 2016 -17 proposed
budget in the Planning and Community Development Department. The contract will be
charged to the following accounts:
01267.555060 $250,000
01267.555061 $30,500
Total $280,500
Prepared By: Rachel Kwok, Environmental P lanner
Approved
Forwarded to Council
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Attachments:
A. P6246 Oaks Form
22
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
All persons or entities receiving public benefits defined below from the City of Santa Monica shall
provide the names of tr ustees, directors, partners, and offi cers, and names of those with more
than a 10% equity, participation or revenue interest . This information is required by City Charter
Article XXII—Taxpayer Protection.
Name of Entity: ____________________________________________
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of those with more than a 10% equi ty, participation, or revenue interest:
Public benefits include:
1.Personal services contracts in exce ss of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2.Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-month period;
3.Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
4.Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any 12-month
period;
5.Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land use plan,
where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6.Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a va lue in excess of $5,000 in any 12-month period; or
7.Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-month period.
Prepared by:_________________________
Signature:____________________________________
Date:______________________________ Title:_________________________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # _________________________ Permit # ___________________________________
Fehr & Peers
Fehr & Peers
Please see attached list
Matthew Henry, President and CEO
Alan Telford, Principal
Leah Ramos for Thom as Gaul
Principal 5/9/2017
Donnelly, Marion , Secretary/Treasurer, CFO
Henry, Matthew, CEO
100 Pringle Avenue Suite 600
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Steve Brown , Vice President
8141 E. Kaiser Blvd. #110
Anaheim, CA 92808
Telford, Alan, Vice President
2990 Lava Ridge Court Suite 200
Roseville, CA 95661
REFERENCE:
Agreement No. 10465
(CCS)