The Los Angeles Streetcar: Environmental Assessment

THE LOS ANGELES STREETCAR Caltrans Building
100 S. Main Street

Public Hearing
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT August 2, 2018
MEETING AGENDA
• Welcome
• Project Summary & Background
• CEQA – EIR Certified in November 2016
• NEPA Environmental Assessment

• Public Comments
• Written comments due by August 21, 2018
1
PROJECT SUMMARY & BACKGROUND
2
PROJECT SUMMARY
• 3.8-mile loop
• Broadway – 11th Street – Figueroa St -
7th Street – Hill Street
• Option for Grand Ave extension
• Frequency of service
• 7-minute peak hour headways
• 10-minute and 15-minute rest of day
• 4,181 to 7,760 daily riders

• Connect major activity centers:
• Staples/LA Live/Convention Center,
Grand Park/Civic Center, Historic
Broadway, Fashion District, etc.
3
STREETCAR 101
• Smaller than light-rail;
street-running vehicles
• Quiet, sustainable, accessible,
and high-capacity
• First/last-mile connections to regional
transit & activity centers
• Catalyzes and complements complete
streets investments (Broadway,
MyFigueroa, Pershing Square, etc.)
• Promotes highest and best use of
adjacent land
4
WHY DOWNTOWN?
• Center of regional transit network
• 4 Metro Rail lines
• Dozens of Metro Bus lines
• DASH, Commuter Express, etc.
• Large transit-dependent population

• Most growth in Central LA will be in
DTLA in the coming decade
• Large geographical area
• Downtown can be difficult/time-consuming to
traverse on foot
5
BACKGROUND
• 2006: Feasibility Study (CRA/City)
• 2009: LA Streetcar, Inc. established
• 2012: FTA Alternatives Analysis (Metro), $62.5M Community Facilities District vote
• 2013: City commits $295M to operate streetcar for 30 years, hires Project Manager
• 2014: FTA Project Development
• 2015: Independent Cost Estimate (AECOM)
• 2016: Certification of Environmental Impact Report (EIR), 30% Preliminary Engineering,
Independent Cost Estimate (LABOE)
• 2018: Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Conducts Environmental Assessment to
Prepare and Support a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
6
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
7
ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS
• EIR (CEQA – California Environmental Quality Act)
• Notice of Preparation: January 3, 2013
• NOP/Scoping Period (Public Review Period ): January 3 to February 1, 2013
• Scoping Meeting: January 23, 2013
• Notice of Availability: June 24 , 2016
• Public Review Period: June 24 to August 8, 2016
• Final EIR: Fall 2016
• Council Certification: November 2016
• Environmental Assessment (NEPA – National Environmental Policy Act)
• Notice of Availability: July 23, 2018
• Public Review Period: July 23, 2018 to August 21, 2018
• Public Comment Hearing: August 2, 2018
• FTA Finding of No Significant Impact: Fall 2018 (expected)
8
PROJECT ALTERNATIVES
• Alternative 1: No Build Alternative
• Alternative 2: 7th Street with Option for Grand Avenue Extension
9
ALT. 2
10
MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE FACILITY
• A Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) would be built for a place to store
streetcars overnight, clean vehicles, perform light maintenance, and provide office
space for streetcar staff
• The MSF was studied at the following potential sites:

• MSF 1 = Broadway and 2nd Street;
• MSF 2 = 11th Street and Olive Street (East);
• Only one of the proposed sites will move forward
11
POTENTIAL MSF SITES
12
STREETCAR OPERATIONS
Number of Operating Headway Monday to Sunday/

Vehicles Hours (minutes) Thursday Friday Saturday Holidays
6 AM/PM Peak 7 6 a.m.– 9 a.m. 6 a.m.–9 a.m. -- --
Hour 3 p.m.–6 p.m. 3 p.m.–6 p.m.
4 Mid-Day 10 9 a.m.–3 p.m. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Non-Peak
3 Evening Non- 15 6 p.m.– 6 p.m.–2:30 a.m. 5 p.m.–2:30 a.m. 5 p.m.–

Peak 12 midnight 12 midnight
Source: HDR 2013.
13
TOPICS ADDRESSED IN NEPA
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
• Air Quality • Land Use and Zoning
• Community Effects • Noise and Vibration
• Cultural Resources • Safety and Security
• Energy Resources • Transportation and Traffic
• Environmental Justice • Visual Quality
• 4(f) Resources (Parks, Recreation, • Construction
Historic Resources) • Indirect and Cumulative Effects
• Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
• Land Acquisition, Displacements, and
Fiscal Impacts
14
RESOURCES OF NO CONCERN BRIEFLY ADDRESSED
IN NEPA ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
• Coastal Zones
• Ecologically Sensitive Areas
• Endangered and/or Threatened Plan and Animal Species
• Flood Plains
• Geology, Soils, and Seismicity (Operations)
• Hazardous Materials (Operations)
• Section 6(f) Resources (Water Conservation Funded Parks and Recreation)
• Water Quality and Hydrology (Operations)
• Wetlands and Navigable Waterways
• Wild and Scenic Rivers
15
ADVERSE EFFECTS BEFORE MITIGATION
• Environmental Justice • Visual Quality
• Noise and Vibration • Viewer Response
• Hazardous Materials • Construction
• Visual Quality • Air Quality and Climate Change
• Land Acquisition, Displacement and • Biological Resources
Fiscal Impacts • Environmental Justice
• Land Use and Zoning • Geology, Soils, and Seismicity
• Noise and Vibration • Hazardous Materials
• Noise • Land Acquisition, Displacements, and Fiscal Impacts
• Vibration • Noise & Vibration
• Safety and Security • Safety and Security
• Safety • Transportation and Traffic
• Visual Quality
16
ADVERSE EFFECTS AFTER MITIGATION
• Potential Noise and Safety adverse effects would be substantially reduced
with avoidance, minimization or mitigation measures
• All other resource areas would not result in adverse effects, or

adverse effects would be eliminated with avoidance with minimization
or mitigation measures
17
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PUBLIC REVIEW/COMMENT
All comments must be submitted in writing by August 21, 2018 via email or regular mail to:
William Jones, Environmental Supervisor II

Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Bureau of Engineering
Environmental Management Group
1149 South Broadway, Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90015-2213
Email: [email protected]
18
NEXT STEPS
• Solicit public comments on the environmental
analyses in the Environmental Assessment
• FTA Finding of No Significant Impact
19
PUBLIC COMMENT
PERIOD
• Public comments are limited to
two (2) minutes per person
20 THANK YOU!!!

The Los Angeles Streetcar: Environmental Assessment

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THE LOS ANGELES STREETCAR Caltrans Building

100 S. Main Street

• NEPA Environmental Assessment

• 4,181 to 7,760 daily riders

• Large transit-dependent population

• The MSF was studied at the following potential sites:

• Only one of the proposed sites will move forward

Number of Operating Headway Monday to Sunday/

4 Mid-Day 10 9 a.m.–3 p.m. 9 a.m.–3 p.m. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

3 Evening Non- 15 6 p.m.– 6 p.m.–2:30 a.m. 5 p.m.–2:30 a.m. 5 p.m.–

• All other resource areas would not result in adverse effects, or

William Jones, Environmental Supervisor II

• FTA Finding of No Significant Impact

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