The Metro Board of Directors meetings scheduled for March were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to comply with local and state directives limiting the number of people that can gather, the Board will forgo holding meetings at Metro headquarters and instead hold virtual meetings.

Board Committees will take place Wednesday, April 15, and Thursday, April 16, and the full Board meeting will be Thursday, April 23. 

All of the meetings will be accessible via video stream at http://boardagendas.metro.net or by phone by calling 213-306-3065 and entering the meeting ID number associated with each meeting:

• • Planning and Programming Committee, Wednesday, April 15, 11 a.m.
    • Meeting ID#269 274 003
  • Finance, Budget and Audit Committee, Wednesday, April 15, 1 p.m.
    • Meeting ID# 269 274 003
  • Operations, Safety and Customer Experience Committee, Thursday, April 16, 9 a.m.
    • Meeting ID# 267 036 771
  • Construction Committee, Thursday, April 16, 10:15 a.m.
    • Meeting ID# 267 036 771
  • Executive Management Committee, Thursday, April 16, 11:30 a.m.
    • Meeting ID# 267 036 771
  • Metro Board of Directors full meeting, Thursday, April 23, 10 a.m.
    • Meeting ID# 263 641 558

The public can comment on individual agenda items during the meeting through the live stream site at http://boardagendas.metro.net.

All Metro Board committee agendas and links to staff reports can be found here.

Among some of the more noteworthy items to be considered by the Committees:

Construction Committee, 10 a.m., Thursday, April 16

•There will be the usual monthly status report on major Metro construction reports. Presentation

•In this staff report, Metro is announcing a revised forecast for completing construction of the Crenshaw/LAX Line. Metro’s contractor Walsh Shea Corridor Constructors (WSCC), now anticipates turning over the project to Metro in winter 2020-21. Immediately following completion of this construction work, Metro will need a few months of testing and training before it can officially open the new light rail line to the public.

The original target date for the contractor to complete its work was May 2019, and that was later revised to 2020. 

The contractor has run into a number of challenges that have increased its construction schedule, primarily related to the complexity of underground, at-grade and aerial work on the Crenshaw/LAX Line.

While the project is now 94 percent complete, much of the contractor’s remaining work involves completing the three underground stations and installing and successfully testing the communications systems that monitor the line and connect its many components to Metro’s Rail Operations Center. Many of these systems are vital for safe and reliable train operations and include the electricity that powers the trains, elevators and escalators, passenger information systems and auxiliary power for lighting, among others.

Metro does not want to rush this work, and will continue to dedicate agency resources to meticulously check to ensure the safe functioning of all the train systems.

That’s why Metro will also be asking the agency’s Board of Directors to approve $90 million of funding to cover the cost of Metro staff and consultants working on the project. The contractor’s costs are fixed, although Metro is expecting to receive a claim from the company for additional costs. Metro’s additional funding request for additional staff resources represents about five percent of the project’s current overall budget of $2.058 billion. If approved by the Board, Metro project staff will work with the agency’s Office of Management and Budget to assure the necessary funding is made available. 

Metro continues to work closely and collaboratively with the contractor to complete construction as quickly as possible.

The good news is that the extended time to complete work will be merciful to local communities. Much of the remaining work will soon be on the actual rail alignment or underground — and that will mean much less direct impact on adjacent neighborhoods.

Metro appreciates the continuing patience and continuing support of the communities along the Crenshaw/LAX Line and we look forward to bringing this important infrastructure improvement with its tremendous mobility benefits to the community. Metro wants to take the time to do it right.

The agency has put a number of programs in place to help ease the impacts of construction along the rail line’s route, including the Business Interruption Fund, the Business Solutions Center and the East Shop Play Local initiative.

•The Board will consider increasing the life-of-budget of the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station Improvement Project by $19 million, in part to pay for increased acquisition costs of part of the adjacent Kenneth Hahn shopping center. Staff report

Executive Management Committee, 11:30 a.m., Thursday, April 16

•An oral update on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on Metro will be provided to the Executive Management Committee.

•The Board will consider approving a five year, $26.9-million contract with Joe’s Auto Parks to manage Metro’s parking facilities. Staff are also seeking approval to raise Union Station parking fees at Union Station as per the chart below. Staff report (11:30 a.m., Thursday, April 16).

•The Board will receive-and-file this staff report on potential locations on Metro property for temporary housing for the homeless and will consider giving the Metro CEO authority to enter into leasers with local jurisdictions in the Executive Management Committee. Staff report

Operations Committee, 9 a.m. Thursday, April 16

•The Board will consider Metro’s Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan for submittal to the California Public Utilities Commission. The document  describes the various safety programs and processes that the agency has in place to manage hazards and safety risks. Staff report and presentation

Planning and Programming Committee, 11 a.m., Wednesday, April 15

•The Board will consider approving the G Line (Orange) Terminus Improvements project for North Hollywood Station and exempting it from state environmental review. The project would add a second portal to the Red Line, more bus bays for both the G Line and local buses and infrastructure to support electrifying the line. Staff report