CITY OF COMMERCEAGENDA REPORTCITY OF COMMERCEAGENDA REPORT
CITY OF COMMERCE
AGENDA REPORT
CITY OF COMMERCE
AGENDA REPORT
Item No. Item No.
Item No.
Item No.
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: Eastern Avenue Transit Hub Project and Eastern Bike Lanes Project Update Meeting Date: May 9, 2023
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that City Council receive and file an update on the Eastern Avenue Transit Hub Project.
BACKGROUND
On January 12, 2021, the City Council approved the Commerce in Motion Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) service plan recommendations. The COA recommendations address the community's unmet transportation needs, such as more frequent service, expanded weekend service, and route extensions. The result is a more efficient, reliable, and expanded transportation network that will improve transportation services throughout the City of Commerce and surrounding communities.
One of the COA recommendations was designing and building a transit hub on Jillson Avenue between Daniel and Eastern Avenues. After further evaluation, on April 21, 2021, the City Council approved the Concept Plan to place the transit hub to Eastern Avenue between Jillson Avenue and Harbor Street.
The transit hub adds a new transfer point between the Red, Yellow, and Citadel Outlets Express routes near Eastern Avenue and Harbor Street. This location is south of the Mixmaster and more centrally located, allowing residents from Bandini Park, Rosewood Park, and Veterans Park to transfer between routes without traveling through the Mixmaster and without traveling to the far north side of the city. The transit hub also helps facilitate layovers and provides a more conveniently located transfer point to support the planned Rosewood Village development, including 133 new townhomes adjacent to the proposed transit hub. In the next few years, several hundred new residents will live within walking distance of the transit hub, which provides direct connections to downtown Los Angeles, the Commerce Shopping Center, Bell Gardens, and Veterans Park.
On June 1, 2021, City Council approved the plans and specifications for the Eastern Avenue Transit Hub Project and authorized staff to advertise the project for bids.
On August 17, 2021, City Council awarded a contract to CEM and construction work commenced shortly after and was completed in March 2023. The work included but was not limited to street improvements, pavement striping, marking and signage, Class II bike lane per the City’s approved Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan adopted on October 20, 2020 (shown below), bus shelter and kiosk, restroom for bus drivers and street lighting. The approved planned improvements included reducing the two traffic lanes to one with the intended purpose of redirecting traffic to Atlantic Blvd. and Washington Blvd.
Note: Only the highlighted portion of the route has been completed, the bicycle lanes will eventually connect.
ANALYSIS
There have been some expressed concerns from the community regarding traffic congestion and traffic signal wait times due to the lane reduction. The County of Los Angeles is currently working on an updated traffic signal timing plan for Eastern and Harbor that will be ready for implementation within a few weeks.
There were a number of options considered prior to approving the current configuration. However, at this time, should Council desire revisiting some options and provide staff with direction, the following are some considerations:
Option 1. No change – keep existing configuration and implement LA County’s revised signal timing plan for Eastern and Harbor. The east-west traffic condition may be a result of existing traffic signal timing at the Harbor and Eastern Intersection, which is currently under review by Los Angeles County (LAC). Eastern Avenue is a Traffic Signal Synchronization (TSSP) Route which requires LAC involvement for traffic signal timing changes. Staff recommends allowing this review analysis to be completed and changes made to the traffic signal timing as warranted. It may also be prudent to wait until more of the bike network is installed and established in order to adequately assess its effectiveness.
Option 2. Leave the bus hub in place and remove bike lanes to provide for two traffic lanes. This would require removal of striping, signage, pavement marking, and grind and overlay of the existing pavement, which could be in the range of $100,000. Removal of painted bike lanes without grinding and overlay of the existing pavement would result in “ghost lines” that may confuse motorists as depicted below.
Should the City Council decide to proceed with this option, the City’s STEP Grant funded Class II bike lane project which includes Commerce Way, Harbor and Eastern from Washington to Harbor will have to be modified and the Eastern portion removed entirely. This option, if selected, could be included in the 2022/23 Pavement Rehabilitation Project anticipated in July 2023.
Option 3. Acquire private property and relocate the bus hub further back to provide for two travel lanes and a bike lane. This option was originally explored and property owners were not in favor of this option. Staff would need to contact adjacent property owners to confirm affirm if they are still unwilling to dedicate a portion of their property for public street purposes. Costs associated with this work could range from $40,000 to $60,000.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost associated with any action item requiring modification to the existing condition is not known at this time. However, it could be in the range of $150,000.
ALTERNATIVES:
Approve recommendation
Reject recommendation
Provide staff with further direction
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC GOALS:
This agenda item relates to the 2016 Strategic Plan: "Protect and Enhance the Quality of Life in the City of Commerce," as it improves the quality and reliability of the City’s transit network.
Approved by: Gina Nila, Department of Public Works and Claude McFerguson, Director of Transportation Reviewed by: Vilko Domic, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Noel Tapia, City Attorney
Respectfully submitted: Edgar P. Cisneros, City Manager Attachments:
Bike Master Plan Map
Bike Master Plan Implementation Schedule