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Home My WebLink AboutCC AG PKT 2014-04-14 #H SEAS"e�4yy AGENDA STAFF REPORT '','`�•'�UFORN�prJw DATE: April 14, 2014 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council THRU: Jill R. Ingram, City Manager FROM: Sean P. Crumby, P.E. Director of Public Works SUBJECT: 1-405 IMPROVEMENT PROJECT UPDATE SUMMARY OF REQUEST: That the City Council receive and file update to the 1-405 Improvement Project. BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS: Project Background The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has been in the process of planning improvements to the 1-405 freeway for almost 10 years. A Major Investment Study was prepared that encouraged public participation from the local agencies. In 2006, the voters of Orange County voted to extend Measure M (1990-2010) into Measure M2. One of the projects committed to the voters were improvements to the 1-405 freeway. Current Project Status Under the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), public agencies are required to prepare environmental documents for actions that may potentially affect the environment. Currently, an environmental document and analysis has been prepared for the 1-405 Improvements Project. The Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the proposed improvements are located on the 1-405 (San Diego) Freeway between State Route 73 (SR-73) on the south and the 1-605 Freeway on the north. The document has gone through the public comment period (May 18, 2012 through July 17, 2012), and has had a Traffic Supplement document prepared (to address comments from the City of Long Beach). In participation with the CEQA and NEPA processes, the City of Seal Beach has submitted formal comments during both comment periods. Additionally, the City of Seal Beach has sent numerous letters of correspondence and spoken publicly at numerous public meetings to effectively convey concerns regarding the 1-405 Improvement Project. Agenda Item H Additionally, the City of Seal Beach has participated in the Corridor Cities Group. The Group comprised of -the Cities of Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Westminster, and Los Alamitos have together sent numerous correspondences to OCTA to represent the desires of the residents that live along the proposed improvements. The project has three alternatives which are summarized as follows: • Alternate 1: Add One General Purpose Lane, • Alternate 2: Add Two General Purpose Lanes, • Alternate 3: Add One General Purpose Lane, and one High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lane. Convert the two High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes. On October 22, 2012, the OCTA Board of Directors selected Alternative 1 as the Locally Preferred Alternative for the 1-405 Improvements Project. On September 23, 2013 the OCTA Board of Directors again reaffirmed that Alternate 1 is the Locally Preferred Alternative. Prior to certification of the EIR/EIS Caltrans will select the preferred alternative (PA) for the project. Once the EIR/EIS is certified, the project can move forward. The project has been waiting a decision regarding the PA from Caltrans and now appears that Alternative 1 is not favorable. The City of Seal Beach and Corridor Cities Group remain committed to HOT lanes being unacceptable on the 1-405 Freeway. The Corridor Cities have met and agreed to request that a new Alternate 4 be considered. This new alternative will add one general purpose lane and one HOV lane to the existing freeway in each direction. There will be NO HOT lanes included in this alternative. Degradation of the HOV lanes is a condition that occurs when those lanes do not meet federal performance standards (MAP-21). The HOV lanes in many Orange County Freeways and those within these project limits are at times degraded. Caltrans and OCTA have stated that solving degradation of the HOV lanes is a priority of the project. This alternative 4 will solve degradation of the HOV lanes and increase vehicle input through the corridor. Each Corridor City submitted concerns and requests to OCTA for the project. The concerns for the City of Seal Beach originating from the other Alternative still apply to this new alternative and are summarized as follows: • The Almond Avenue sound wall shall be retained in the current location; • Any modifications to the Studebaker & College Park Drive intersection shall include input from the City of Seal Beach and a safe and reliable access be provided for College Park West residents; • Increased traffic congestion along the 1-405 freeway, including northbound bottlenecks resulting from additional project lanes merging before the L.A. County line. Page 2 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: There is no environmental impact related to this item. LEGAL ANALYSIS: No legal analysis is required for this item. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact. RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council receive and file update to the 1-405 Improvement Project. I BMITTED BY: NOTED AND APPROVED: ' Q�(�, Sean P. Crum y, E. ill . Ingram, Director of Public Works City Manager Attachments: A. Corridor Cities Letter Page 3 5 A L OF SEAt'% AL CHO- a V S April 3, 2014 Shawn Nelson Chairman, OCTA 550 South Main Street Orange, CA, 92868 Dear Chair Nelson, The I-405 Corridor Cities of Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach and Westminster (Cities) appreciate the Orange County Transportation Authority's (OCTA) continued focus on the Interstate 405 Improvement Project. The Cities remain unified in our opposition to Alternative 3, as well as any alternative with high- occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. On December 8, 2013, the OCTA Board of Directors selected Alternative 1 which adds one general purpose lane in each direction of I-405 Freeway, as the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA). Our understanding was that in early 2014 the State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will support OCTA's decision and proceed with environmental approval. However, there have been delays in this approval by Caltrans. Some of the reasons indicated are that the approved LPA does not go far enough in addressing current and future congestion along the corridor. In consideration of the above, the Cities recommend that OCTA and Caltrans thoroughly evaluate the viability of an alternative that would add one general purpose lane and one High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane between Euclid Street and Valley View Street on the I-405 freeway which will also provide a seamless transition with the two HOV lanes provided by the West County Connectors Project. The Cities understand that consideration of this alternative will require additional environmental review. However, the Cities are confident that Caltrans and OCTA can proceed with the approved LPA while reviewing this new alternative concurrently, over the next few months. The Cities extend their full support for evaluating this-new alternative with the following conditions: • No reconstruction of Fairview Road Bridge • Retention of the Almond Avenue sound wall at the current location. • No braided ramps in Fountain Valley at the northbound and southbound on/off ramps located at Magnolia and Warner • Provide roadway alignment design alternatives that promote a more balanced approach to right-of-way acquisition 5 A L OF SEAt'% AL CHO- a V S The Cities understand that there may be a concern about the project timeline as well as funding. However, with mutual cooperation, any delays can be minimized and opportunities may be found to implement an improvement project that meets the needs of all agencies within the timeframe envisioned. The Cities firmly believe that thoroughly evaluating this alternative to add one general purpose lane and an additional HOV lane may provide a transportation solution that delivers the Measure M2 project (Project K) as promised to the voters while addressing HOV degradation. Sincerely, Jim Righeimer Michael Vo Matt Harper Mayor, Costa Mesa Mayor, Fountain Valley Mayor, Huntington Beach Gerri Graham-Mejia Tri Ta Ellery Deaton Mayor, Los Alamitos Mayor, Westminster Mayor, Seal Beach cc: OCTA Board of Directors OCTA CEO, Darrell Johnson CalTrans Director, Malcolm Dougherty