B.   INVESTMENT STRATEGY FOR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Strategic Transportation Investment Program
Transportation Study Districts
Community Plan Updates
Transportation Infrastructure Fees
Implementation of many of the programs listed above in Section A. will require specific capital expenditures and operations funding. This section addresses funding requirements by:
  • Establishing a method for prioritizing and linking identified transportation improvements to appropriate funding mechanisms. This method, which will be called the Strategic Transportation Investment Program, is designed to be comprehensive and flexible enough to accommodate inevitable changes in the way the City will pay for its transportation infrastructure through the year 2010. The Investment Program creates a framework by which the fluctuating spectrum of federal, state, and local funding sources can be rationally addressed and utilized to accomplish the long range goals of the Transportation Element through specific programs and projects.
  • Linking the City's Transportation Improvement and Mitigation Programs (TIMPs) for Transportation Study Districts and Community Plan areas to the Strategic Transportation Investment Program.
  • Setting City policy regarding specific aspects of the current funding and legislative environment for transportation as they relate to the Transportation Element.
Strategic Transportation Investment Program top
The Department of Transportation, with assistance from the Department of City Planning, shall take the lead role in establishing a Strategic Transportation Investment Program for adoption by the City Council within one year of adoption of this Element, with periodic updates thereafter. This Investment Program shall consist of existing and planned transportation projects and programs which address the goals and objectives of the Transportation Element. The Investment Program shall contain:
  1. An Inventory of Transportation Programs and Projects, including those identified in the City's specific plans, community plans, transportation improvement and mitigation plans (TIMPs), Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and applicable regional plans; those identified as necessary improvements by the Mayor, Council and other City agencies; and those planned in conjunction with other jurisdictions.
    The Inventory shall identify each program and project according to several factors, including location (Transportation Study District and Community Plan area), scope, mode, type, origin, and funding source. This will provide a set of baseline performance indicators for evaluating and prioritizing programs and projects according to implementation considerations current for each year. Other performance indicators may be developed and added as needed to reflect specific objectives (e.g., economic development, air quality).
    Each program and project in the Inventory shall be identified according to the following factors:
    1. Location
      1. Transportation Study District
      2. Community Plan Area
    2. Scope
      1. Regional
      2. Citywide
      3. Corridor
      4. Community
      5. Neighborhood
    3. Mode
      1. Multimodal (Passenger)
      2. Non-Motorized
      3. Planning
      4. Streets and Roads
      5. System Integration
      6. Transit
      7. Transportation Demand Management
      8. Intermodal (Goods Movement)
      9. Other (specify)
    4. Type
      1. Existing Capital Project
      2. Planned Capital Project
      3. Existing Operating Program
      4. Planned Operating Program
      5. Infrastructure Maintenance
      6. Other (specify)
    5. Origin
      1. Regional Air Quality Management Plan
      2. Regional Transportation Plan
      3. Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP)
      4. County Long Range Transportation Plan
      5. County Congestion Management Plan (CMP)
      6. LACMTA "Call for Projects" List
      7. City Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
      8. City Capital Improvement Expenditure Program
      9. City Transportation Element
      10. Transportation Study District TIMP
      11. Community Plan TIMP
      12. Other (specify)
    6. Funding Sources
      1. Federal, State and County Funds
      2. Local Funds
      3. Operating Revenue
      4. Fees
      5. Leveraging (specify)
      6. Other (specify)
  2. A summary assessment of current and future system maintenance and capital replacement needs due to normal wear or functional obsolescence. The assessment shall be based upon a Transportation Infrastructure Management System which shall consist of an inventory of existing plant and equipment showing current condition, needed repairs, expected replacement date and expected replacement cost.
  3. A summary assessment of the short-term and long-term viability of identified funding sources and the projects and programs they support. The assessment shall include an evaluation of the use of leveraging opportunities by the City (see Appendix G for a list of current funding sources).
  4. A summary assessment of how the Strategic Transportation Investment Program relates to regional, state and national transportation goals and policies.
  5. A finding of consistency between the Strategic Transportation Investment Program and the Transportation Element.
Transportation Study Districts top
The City is currently divided into five Transportation Study Districts (TSDs) by the Department of Transportation (Figure 12). These districts correspond to program areas also utilized by the City Planning Department. Each TSD is comprised of five to ten Community Plan areas. The Department of Transportation prepares a Transportation Improvement and Mitigation Program (TIMP) for each TSD, which is updated on a biannual basis. These five TIMPs reflect needed transportation improvements for each of the TSDs based, in part, on current and projected traffic counts, population and land use.
Transportation projects and programs identified in the TSD TIMPs shall be included in the annual Strategic Transportation Investment Program. The five TSDs and their component Community Plan areas are indicated in Table 15.
Community Plan Updates top
Implementation Program P1 of this Element calls for amendment of the Community Plans to reflect the Transportation Element, as part of the Community Plan Update process, while Program P2 specifies that Transportation Improvement and Mitigation Plans (TIMPs) be developed for each Community Plan Area. These Community Plan TIMPs shall set forth mitigation measures for projected traffic growth, identify measures to meet trip reduction targets, and define neighborhood traffic management strategies to protect residential areas.
While essentially similar in scope to the Transportation Study District TIMPs, the Community Plan TIMPs are focused on much smaller geographic areas. The Community Plan TIMPs will draw from the TSD TIMP programs and projects to help address the particular transportation needs of the Community Plan Area. The Community Plan Update Program process will allow community involvement and the balancing of different land use considerations in preparing the Community Plan TIMP. The Community Plan TIMPs will set forth specific transportation improvements which can be met through existing programs or future development exactions.
Transportation projects and programs identified in the Community Plan TIMPs shall be included in the annual Strategic Transportation Investment Program.
Transportation Infrastructure Fees top
Each Community Plan TIMP should consider whether to assess Transportation Infrastructure Fees for new development within all or part of its geographic area. If assessed, Transportation Infrastructure Fees should be based on a dollar amount per square foot formula rather than per projected trip.
Specific Actions for Implementation Relative to Transportation Infrastructure Financing Are:
P49. Actively support continued Federal funding of transit construction and support programs.
  Schedule: Ongoing
  Responsibility: City Council, Mayor, Chief Legislative Analyst
P50. Aggressively pursue innovative financing programs such as Federal and State infrastructure banks to expedite priority transportation projects.
  Schedule: Ongoing
  Responsibility: LADOT, Dept. of Public Works, City Council, Mayor, Chief Legislative Analyst
P51. Study a Citywide Infrastructure Fee for imposition. If deemed feasible and effective, then review Citywide Fee potential impacts on existing specific plan ordinance trip fees.
  Schedule: Initiate study within 12 months of Element adoption.
  Responsibility: City Planning Department, LADOT, City Attorney
P52. Actively support State and/or Federal legislation which generate funding, with growth potential, for transportation infrastructure. Preferred options in the current City legislative program for increasing revenues include:
 
  1. Provisions to enable sharing of truck weight fees with local jurisdictions
  2. Selection of Los Angeles as the testing site for 100% federal- or state-funded Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) demonstration projects.
  3. Provisions to grant the City the authority to impose traffic assessment districts to include both existing and new development in the funding of site and areawide transportation mitigation.
  4. Reauthorization(s) of ISTEA consistent with its original mandate as set forth in the 1991 legislation.
  5. Provisions to enable/authorize use of Airport revenues by the City to fund highway and transit projects which directly benefit the airports.
  6. Provisions to maximize City access to Federal transportation funding by:
    1. extending the concept of "local match" to include locally- funded projects which augment federally-funded projects; and
    2. deferring or eliminating local match requirements for transportation projects located in economically disadvantaged areas of the City.
  Schedule: Ongoing
  Responsibility: City Council, Mayor, Chief Legislative Analyst
P53. Actively support revisions to LACMTA Call for Projects and CMP procedure which:
 
  1. Recognize accumulated CMP credits, through a valuation system, to enable local jurisdictions to earn bonus points in the Call for Projects review of applications and/or earn credit for local match funding; and
  2. Reward local jurisdictions for project savings by allowing such savings to be applied to local match requirements and/or to be re-allocated to other grant projects in the same jurisdiction and program type.
  Schedule: Ongoing
  Responsibility: City Council, Mayor, City's LACMTA Board members
P54. Utilize General Plan Framework and Transportation Element policies as criteria for funding decisions through the CIP, Proposition A and C programs, and screening of City applications for the LACMTA Call for Projects.
  Schedule: Initiate process within 12 months of Element adoption.
  Responsibility: LADOT, Dept. Of Public Works, City Council, Mayor, Chief Legislative Analyst, CAO
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