Santa Monica to Seek $12 Million in Transit Funding

January 7, 2012 -- Santa Monica will seek more than $12 million in grants from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to help bankroll seven major capital projects across the city.

The projects include everything from signal synchronization and bus speed improvements to bike paths and parking, as well as pedestrian enhancements around the proposed Downtown Expo Light Rail stations.

"Historically, the Call for Projects grant funding has provided the City with one of the best opportunities to compete for Federal, State, and County transportation funding," said Martin Pastucha, the City's director of Public Works.

On Tuesday, the City Council is expected to adopt a resolution to authorize the seven applications, which are due January 18, for grant funds in the amount of $12,268,050.

The funding would pay for projects to:

• Install bicycle detection at 20 to 30 intersections on transit corridors to reduce signal delay for transit and autos.

• Implement approximately two signs per relevant intersection within a minimum four block radius surrounding each of the three Expo stations and install real-time parking signage to direct drivers to the closest available parking in the city’s downtown parking structures.

• Construct a "Mobility Hub" on MTA-owned land with secured bike parking spaces, multi-modal travel information, and self-service bicycle maintenance tools for the public.

• Extend bike path south along 17th Street to Pico Boulevard and westward along Michigan Avenue to Lincoln Boulevard. The project would include intersection improvements, markings, wayfinding, landscaping, and roadway reconfiguration.

• Increase pedestrian safety and security in accessing the Expo light rail station at 17th Street with the installation of pedestrian lighting on the north side of Colorado from 18th Street to Lincoln Boulevard and on the west side of 17th Street from Broadway Street to Pico Boulevard.

• Replace nine 40-foot NABI LNG buses purchased in 2002 with five 60-foot articulated CNG buses.

All applications require a local cash match that, in most cases, amounts to some 20 percent of the amount awarded, officials said.

The MTA Board will adopt the selected Call for Projects on September 26, Pastucha said. City staff will then prepare an information item to notify the council of the applications that have been awarded funding.

In a separate item on Tuesday's consent calendar, staff will recommend that the council make a formal recommendation to the Metro Board to name the Expo light rail stations in Santa Monica the "Downtown Santa Monica" station, the "Colorado/17th Street/SMC" station and the "26th Street/Bergamot" station.

The proposed names would "comply with Metro’s guidelines and convey geographic meaning to users of the three Expo light rail stations within the City of Santa Monica," staff wrote in its report to the council.

"Station naming is a way to provide clear information to the patron about the location of the station as well as to create an identity for the station reflecting the station context or vision of the district," staff wrote.

If approved by the council, the recommended names will be made in a formal written request to the Expo Construction Authority and Metro, according to staff.

"Staff will work with staffs of both agencies through the necessary steps required for consideration by Metro for adoption," staff said.