sr-012412-3rID
City of City Council Report
Santa Monica
City Council Meeting: January 24, 2012
Agenda Item:
To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director, Planning and Community Development
Martin Pastucha, Director, Public Works
Subject: Modification of existing contract with AECOM for improving connections
between the Downtown, Expo Light Rail Station and Civic Center over the
1 -10 Freeway
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a first modification to Contract No. 9167 (CCS) with AECOM in the amount of
$740,000 for improving connections between the Downtown, Expo Light Rail Station
and Civic Center over the 1 -10 freeway. This would result in a new contract amount not
to exceed $1,723,112.
Executive Summary
Long- standing circulation and connectivity issues posed by the 1 -10 freeway physically
separate the Downtown and Civic Center. The success of the Downtown and Civic
Center relies on the strength and connectivity of pedestrian, vehicle, bicycle and transit
networks. City Council reviewed preliminary capping and bridging concepts and
provided input at the April 12, 2011 meeting. Additional work is needed to complete the
investigation of options including possible modification of the 4t" Street bridge to
improve pedestrian /bicycle access and realign the 1 -10 off -ramp to create better
circulation and development opportunities adjacent to the light rail station, and other
potential circulation improvements. The analysis will also include constructability and
phasing, cost estimation, roadway alignment, and access analysis. The contract
amendment will also enable evaluation of the City -owned station site for potential transit
oriented - development and shared parking. Staff recommends amending the existing
contract With AECOM to complete this work effort. The new contract total would be
$1,723,112.
Background
At the March 24, 2009 City Council meeting, the Council identified the concept of
capping the freeway in the context of better connecting the Civic Center and Downtown,
recognizing this connection as critical to the integration of the Expo Light Rail terminus
station, the Downtown and the Civic Center areas, and as envisioned in the Land Use
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and Circulation Element (LUCE). Connections over the freeway were identified as a
priority, and at the May 11, 2009 meeting, the Council allocated a portion of the
redevelopment funds to study the feasibility of freeway capping or connection
improvements between Ocean Avenue and 4t" Street. At the January 19, 2010 City
Council meeting, the Council directed staff to execute phased contracts with AECOM for
this work. On April 12, 2011, the Council prioritized short term and long term projects
related to the circulation in the Civic Center and the Downtown. Short term projects
required additional implementation steps and mid- and long -term projects required
additional analysis. On September 13, 2011 the Council received an update on the
refined alignment of the Downtown Expo Light Rail Station which is a significant
destination, and a key consideration in the bridging analysis work.
Discussion
Significant improvements are underway in the Downtown and Civic Center with the
Expo Light Rail, Palisades Garden Walk (PGW), the Village, Esplanade, recently -
completed Santa Monica Place and other major private and public projects. The
increased desirability of the Downtown and Civic Center will bring residents and visitors
alike to the area for recreation, shopping, cultural events or work. The Expo terminus
itself will serve thousands of daily light -rail passengers and become a center of activity
that alters circulation patterns. The ability to successfully adapt and provide strong
access to and around the Downtown /Civic Center on foot, bicycle, transit and in a
vehicle is necessary to support this as a center of activity and primary business
destination, and to advance achievement of No Net New Peak PM Trips" and targets
for greenhouse gas emission reduction. Successfully addressing these issues will
guarantee that the Downtown continues to produce high economic benefit with
comparatively low traffic impacts relative to other similar destinations in Southern
California.
A first level of freeway capping and bridging review completed by AECOM as part of this
contract identified the benefits of various decking or "freeway capping" initiatives. It also
identified ways to improve existing facilities, such as enhancing sidewalks on bridges
that cross the freeway and re- alignment of the 1 -10 off ramp to provide better access to
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key development sites adjacent to the future Light Rail Station. Numerous options,
alignments and connections were evaluated in order to arrive at the initial
recommendations, including some feasibility, alignment and constructability testing of
options that were ultimately rejected such as the extension of Fujinomiya Douri drive
eastward to connect with 4th Street. On April 12, 2011, the Council reviewed and
prioritized recommended short- and long -term projects related to the circulation in the
Civic Center and the Downtown based on the work completed by AECOM.
Recommendations included several bridge improvement concepts as well as evaluation
of the Downtown 1 -10 off -ramp in relation to station area circulation and access. The
proposed contract amendment would enable these concepts to advance to the next
stages of design and evaluation, and would provide crucial data to inform next steps
such as cost, constructability and phasing. In addition, the next stages would
incorporate refinements to public and private projects in the area, such as the new
alignment of the Expo Light Rail station, and proposals for adjacent sites. These
connectivity improvements would greatly improve pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle
environments, and address access concerns including improving the opportunity and
development potential for adjacent sites such as the City -owned light rail station site
and Sears.
The information gathered from the freeway linkages, capping /bridging feasibility study
will also be important in future potential development discussions with freeway- adjacent
property owners such as the Holiday Inn, Sears and the City -owned TOD site adjacent
to the future Light Rail Station. The proposed contract amendment will enable
evaluation of the City -owned site for potential transit - oriented development and shared
parking. In addition, a key discussion is how to improve roadway conditions on 4th
Street, and at the congested freeway off - ramps. Caltrans staff has expressed openness
to modifying the off -ramps to address existing alignment issues if the City can provide
the supporting traffic analysis that shows improvement to the off -ramp function. A major
focus of the feasibility study will be developing sound alternatives that improve
circulation functions at the intersection of Downtown and the Civic Center through
development of design alternatives and roadway geometry and the accompanying
modeling and testing. In addition work would continue to look at pedestrian, bicycle and
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vehicle circulation, constructability and phasing, cost, preliminary engineering, adjacent
site development, light rail station access and site planning. Finally, the consultant will
be completing the freeway capping and bridging study and report as a final product to
encapsulate the long -term opportunities. Staff recommends amending the contract
approved on January 19, 2009 with AECOM by $740,000 for a total of $1,723,112
(including a 7% contingency).
Redevelopment Considerations
Funds for this agreement were transferred to the City by the Redevelopment Agency
pursuant to the September 1, 2010 agreement between the Agency and the City, under
which the City is carrying out these redevelopment projects.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The contract amendment to be awarded to AECOM is $740,000, for a new total of
$1,723,112. Funds in the amount of $740,000 are available in R01077217.589000.
Prepared by: Peter D. James, Senior Planner
Approved: Approved:
Ima N" �
David Martin Martin Pastucha
Director, Planning and Community Director, Public Works
Development
Forwarded to Council:
Rod Gould
City Manager
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Amended Contract No.
9167 (CCS).