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2001 'Call For
Projects' Totals $893.4 Million
The MTA Board of
Directors today approved the largest amount of money ever made available
in one cycle of the MTA-administered Call for Projects program that funds
transit projects that range from bikeways to freeway HOV (carpool) lanes. The Board earmarked $893.4 million over the next six years
for 218 regionally significant transportation improvement projects in Los
Angeles County.
The Call for Projects
is a process that MTA created to allocate discretionary transportation
funds to projects that local jurisdictions, transit operators, MTA and
other public agencies propose to implement. Funds are awarded on a
competitive basis to projects that successfully demonstrate significant
mobility benefits.
The
2001 Call for Projects programs funds for transportation improvement
projects in nine categories:
The following is a
sampling of the projects funded by today’s Board action:
Freeway
HOV (Carpool) Lanes and Gap Closures
SB 405 HOV Lane and Auxiliary Lane –
Caltrans Project No. 52 in
the TCRP
$27,042,000
Regional
Surface Transportation Improvements
SR-14 Freeway/Avenue I Interchange Improvements
City of Lancaster
$5.351 million
-
This project will
improve SR-14 I interchange by widening Ave I from two to three lanes
in each direction, adding dual left turn lanes, and widening a bridge
structure to accommodate a new off-ramp. The existing southbound
off-ramp will be removed and a new loop ramp will be constructed at Avenue I and 23rd
Street West. Funds
requested are for design and construction costs.
Signal
Synchronization & Bus Speed Improvements
Incident Management-Traveler Information subsystem
City of Santa Clarita
$950,300
-
The project
involves the installation of a traveler information system consisting
of four stationary electronic Changeable Message Signs (CMS) and a
Highway Advisory Radio System (HAR) to cover the entire city of Santa
Clarita. The interim locations for the CMSs are San Fernando Road/
Sierra Highway, Solead Canyon/ Sierra Highway, Bouquet Canyon Road/
Newhall Ranch Road, and Lyons Avenue/ Wiley Canyon Road. Four Antennas
that will cover the entire City of Santa Clarita will be installed for
the HAR system.
Transportation
Demand Management
Los Angeles and Surrounding Communities Bicycle
Map
Los Angeles
$216,000
-
This
project will fund the creation of a website that will include a map of
all the bicycle routes in the Los Angeles County region. The website will enable commuters who wish to travel by bicycle
to identify the quickest and safest routes available.
In addition to the map, other bicycle-related information will
be available (i.e., events, safety tips and new bike routes soon to be
constructed).
Bikeway
Improvements
San Fernando Valley East-West Bike Path -
City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation
$5,199,000
Pedestrian
Improvements
Pasadena Civic Center/Mid Town Public Improvements Project
City of Pasadena
$2.832 million
-
This project will
implement a series of streetscape improvements designed to facilitate
pedestrian circulation on public streets within Pasadena’s civic
center, and provide pedestrian linkages to existing bus stops and the
Pasadena Blue Line’s planned Holly Street Station. These improvements will be located on eight street segments
within an area bounded by Walnut Street to the north, Cordova Street
to the south, Arroyo Parkway to the west, and Los Robles Avenue to the
east. The improvements
include sidewalk extensions at major intersections, upgraded sidewalk
and crosswalk paving, pedestrian lighting, and landscaping.
Transit
Capital
Rolling Stock Maintenance Facility on San Bernardino Line –
Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA)
$7,886,000
-
This project will
reduce costs associated with non-revenue mileage, allow a longer
maintenance period, and allow for future growth in Metrolink service. Currently, SCRRA does not have available space to park
additional trains for the San Bernardino, Riverside, and Inland
Empire/Orange County Lines, though patronage is growing steadily, and
several coaches and locomotives are on order.
Additional funding for this project will be provided by the
other SCRRA member counties.
Transportation
Enhancement Activities
Los Angeles Green Corridors –
Los Angeles
$565,000
-
2,600 trees will be
planted along thirty-eight major transportation routes throughout the
City of Los Angeles. The
trees will be planted on major routes to transportation facilities,
transit priority streets, and scenic highways.
This will make the streets shadier, healthier, and more scenic
for commuters and pedestrians.
Regionally
Significant Projects
Signal Systems Technician Training Program
$571,000
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This project will
provide professional training to enhance technical abilities in the
areas of traffic signal controllers, data communications, and provide
training on the use of bus priority technology and other advanced
signal technologies for jurisdictions and transit organizations with
the Los Angeles County region.
The last
regular Call for Projects was held in the spring of 1999 when the MTA
programmed slightly more than $500 million for 196 projects.
Last summer, in a special Call for Projects, $250.7 million was
allocated to 82 projects. Money
for the special call became available when Governor Gray Davis
announced his Transportation 2000 Initiative and Assembly Bill 1012
allowed the MTA to advance $71 million from future Call for Projects.
Traditionally,
transportation projects that have received Call for Projects funding
have included: transit centers, freeway gap closures and carpool
lanes, arterial widenings, signal synchronization, new bus and shuttle
purchases, bikeways and pedestrian improvements.
A total of 372 transportation requests totaling
$1.7 billion were submitted to the MTA for the 2001 Call for Projects.
About 75 percent of the funds available in the 2001 Call for Projects
will come from state and federal funding sources. As a result of today’s MTA Board approval of the 2001 Call
for Projects, the program of projects will be transmitted to the
Southern California Association of Government (SCAG) and the
California Transportation Commission for processing.
MTA-104
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