To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: ANDREW WINJE, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
TITLE
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APPROVE A FREEWAY MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CALTRANS) FOR THE INGLEWOOD AVENUE AND MARINE AVENUE UNDERPASSES BENEATH INTERSTATE 405
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The maintenance responsibilities for areas where City streets traverse through the Interstate 405 (I-405) right-of-way (ROW) are defined by a Freeway Maintenance Agreement (FMA) between the City and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The current FMA addresses the underpasses on Marine Avenue and Inglewood Avenue and was first executed on November 16, 1959. Caltrans is in the preliminary planning stage to widen portions of the I-405 bridges over these streets. The anticipated project work has prompted Caltrans to modernize and standardize the existing Agreement with the City. Whether or not the projects are actually built, staff has determined that modernizing the FMA at this time is in the best interest of the City.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of a FMA is to define maintenance standards and responsibilities between the local agency and Caltrans where local streets, overcrossings, and undercrossings intersect State ROW. The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority and Caltrans are pursuing a project to widen I-405 within City limits to provide additional auxiliary lanes for vehicular merging and exiting near on/off-ramps (auxiliary lanes). The proposed project would increase the width of the freeway within the State’s ROW. Additional state ROW is not required for the project, but the width of the underpass will increase if the project is built. This would modestly increase the limits of the City’s maintenance responsibility (length of underpass), which triggers the need to reevaluate the current FMA. Funding for the project is not yet secured, but its consideration has driven Caltrans to review their maintenance agreements with local agencies that would eventually be impacted by the proposed changes to I-405.
The purpose of the proposed FMA is to codify maintenance responsibilities between the City and Caltrans where Marine Avenue and Inglewood Avenue cross beneath I-405. Exhibit A in the attached FMA shows the portion of these streets within State ROW to be maintained at the City’s expense and the areas of Caltrans’ responsibility. As per the existing Agreement, maintenance of these undercrossings is currently the responsibility of the City. The proposed FMA provides updated standards, accounts for new technologies, and includes potential future conditions (longer underpasses) as they would exist upon completion of the proposed projects.
Under the proposed FMA, the responsibility to clear encampments from the underpasses would fall to the City, to the extent that it is not otherwise prohibited by local, state, or federal laws. Both the Police Chief and the City Attorney support this new provision, and Caltrans was amenable to the change in language regarding all legal limitations.
COORDINATION
Development of the proposed FMA was coordinated internally with the City Attorney’s Office, the Police, the Public Works, and Human Resources Departments, along with Caltrans, externally. The City Attorney’s Office prepared and approved the updated FMA.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no immediate fiscal impact associated with approval of the proposed FMA. If completed, the increased length of the crossings may minimally add to the costs for ongoing maintenance provided by City crews. Additionally, some modest cost would be expected if there was an encampment issue that required clearance, but local control (and therefor the ability to act quickly) to address that need is thought to be worth the potential expense.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• Agmt - Freeway Maintenance Agreement with Caltrans for the Inglewood Avenue and Marine Avenue Underpasses Beneath I-405
• 1959 Freeway Agreement