TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute all documents necessary with Urban Innovations (Urban), based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to enter one or more agreements and to submit one or more applications to seek pre-application and pre-development grant funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Federal Transit Agency for the preparation of an Alternative Transportation Analysis. (District 2)
DISCUSSION
Long Beach faces a mixed transportation challenge in the downtown area. The convergence of needs for parking, congestion management and mitigation, and connectivity between critical commercial and retail nodes calls for alternative transportation solutions. These critical nodes include the Pine Avenue retail and entertainment district, the Promenade, the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, Shoreline Village, The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the Queensway Bay area including the Marriott and Maya Hotels, Queen Mary and the Carnival Cruise Lines terminal, among others. Physically connecting these various and disparate nodes in a cost-effective, efficient and creative manner would provide operational synergism and provide unquantifiable benefits to the City. In addition, within the downtown and Queensway Bay area, there are opportunities to foster and enhance additional economic development that has been constrained or hampered by limited accessibility and increasing congestion, preventing the attainment of the needed critical mass to ensure success. Potential solutions include additional bus and waterway routes and non-traditional approaches such as ground-based cable drawn trams and aerial gondola ropeway systems.
On August 4, 2010, the Tidelands and Harbor Committee (Committee) received an unsolicited proposal from Urban for a Tram & Aerial Gondola System stretching from Downtown Shoreline to South Shore Areas. The Committee requested that this item be presented in a timely manner to the full City Council for their consideration.
In order to be prepared to analyze alternative transportation systems that may serve to support or foster current or future development scenarios, it is prudent for the City (working in conjunction with Urban) to apply for and secure transportation planning and pre-development grant money under a State and Federally approved process. Potential sources of these funds include the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Federal Transit Agency (FTA).
This process is a multi-phased effort. The first phase involves securing pre-application grant funding through MTA. This will allow Urban to prepare the necessary documentation required by the FTA, including preliminary evaluation of delivery systems, for the best transportation alternatives and project placement on the Transportation Improvement Plan (TlP).
If this phase were successful, the second phase would involve obtaining additional planning grant funding through FTA to conduct an Alternative Transportation Analysis. This Analysis would identify preferred transportation alternatives based on existing and potential development and local prioritization. This Analysis would also provide preliminary technical feasibility and cost analyses, identification of funding sources (including local match requirements, in-kind investments, and potential public/private partnership opportunities), possible scheduling, environmental clearances under State and Federal guidelines and other objectives. It is anticipated that this phase would include a local match component that has not yet been determined. Before proceeding with the second phase, staff would issue a Request for Qualifications to identify the most qualified firm that could guide the City through this and subsequent phases of the process and return to City Council with the selected consultant, the scope of work and the associated cost for the next phase.
Upon com'pletion of the second phase, it is envisioned that additional grant applications will be submitted to the FTA with a primary focus on the Transit Title, to assist in funding the construction of the approved alternative transportation project. This third phase will also include a local match and require subsequent City Council approval.
The submittal of the pre-application for grant funding (first phase) is not expected to impact the City's efforts to secure funds for other significant transportation improvements projects as the grant funds being sought are provided through the Transit Title rather than the Highway Title. The Transit Title funding source is periodically reauthorized by Congress and is anticipated to occur again in October 2011. In order to be considered for the next authorization, pre-applications need to be timely submitted. It is recommended that City Council authorize seeking pre-development planning grant funds from MTA and FTA accordingly.
This letter was reviewed by Chief Assistant City Attorney Heather Mahood and by Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on September 3, 2010.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
Staff requests City Council action on September 21, 2010, in order to allow for the timely submittal of pre-development planning grant applications.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact and no local job impact associated with the recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
DENNIS J. THYS
DIRECTOR
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
MICHAEL P. CONWAY
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER