Roundup of Metro Board’s September meeting

The Metro Board of Directors met last Thursday for their September meeting.  

If you would like to watch and/or listen to a webstream of the meeting, it is posted here.   

Here is the entire agenda for the meeting, which includes links to Metro staff reports and attachments. There is a lot of information in these reports about our services, projects and programs for anyone interested in the breadth of Metro’s work.  

The meeting Thursday also featured each month’s standing items, including reports by Board Chair Janice Hahn and Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, as well as an update on public safety.  

Here are some notable items from Thursday’s meeting:  

•The Board approved a life-of-project budget of $668 million for the G Line Improvements Project, which will improve safety and bus travel times for G Line riders in the San Fernando Valley.  

The project will include bridges over Sepulveda Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard and adjacent Vesper Avenue; an aerial station at Van Nuys Blvd; up to 13 gated intersections; traffic signal improvements, and; safety upgrades for the bike path that runs alongside the busway. The project is funded by our Measure M sales tax measure, Metro’s Prop C (our 1990 sales tax measure) and California SB-1 funds. Staff report 

The illustration below shows what the G Line bridge over Van Nuys Blvd could look like (in other words, it’s not a final design). What’s that train doing there? That’s part of our East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project — the first segment will run between Van Nuys and Pacoima.

•The Board approved entering into a Joint Development Agreement with NOHO Development Associates, a subsidiary of Trammell Crow Company, to build and operate an 11.8-acre development with mixed income housing, retail, office, community space and potentially a new transit center at North Hollywood Station.   

The big idea here is to build more housing near transit – so it’s easier for residents to take buses and trains instead of driving.  

Known as District NoHo, the residential development would be the largest in Metro’s history, including more affordable homes and more total units than any other joint development we’ve done. The project includes at least 311 housing units reserved for individuals and families earning less than 60% of the median income for LA County to be delivered in the initial phases of the project. The Board will also consider adopting the ‘findings of fact’ for the project — a key step to comply with state environmental law. Staff report 

•The Board approved updates to Metro’s contractor pre-qualification program to reduce administrative burdens and streamline the procurement process. One significant change is to increase the pre-qualification contract value threshold from $100,000 to $500,000.   

This change will make it easier for small businesses to compete for contracts since it will eliminate the pre-qualification review for contracts under $500,000, where Metro’s risk is minimal.  

The Board was also updated on Metro’s shift towards accepting electronic signatures for contracts. This simplifies the procurement process, improves efficiency and promotes greater participation from small and disadvantaged businesses. Staff report

•The Board also received an update on the preliminary results of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Triennial Review that took place earlier this year. The reviewers’ draft results found Metro to be in compliance with FTA regulations. This is the second consecutive triennial review with similar results – the reviews together cover the past six years. That is rare given the size of Metro, which is the second busiest transit agency in the country.  

Because Metro receives funding from the FTA, we’re obliged to conform to a wide variety of federal requirements on topics including how funding is used, accessibility and civil rights programs and contracting with disadvantaged businesses, among many others. We think the positive results are a reflection of the strong processes Metro has in place for how our system is planned, funded and operated. We would also like to thank the FTA for their ongoing work to support and grow the Metro system. 

• The Board received the good news that Metro has been awarded the 2024 Voice of the People Award for Excellence in Budget & Finance by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) for Metro’s  “My Metro Budget” activity for fiscal year 2025.  

The award recognizes local governments that do a great job of incorporating community feedback and data into decision-making and operations. Metro’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) created an interactive budget simulation where users can build elements of Metro’s budget – and learn how our finances work.  Here are engagement highlights:  

• Over 4,300 users made realistic trade-offs while learning about the budget and providing valuable insights into their priorities. Additionally, over 3,500 written comments were collected. 

• More than 80% of respondents were frequent riders, and 47% were from equity-focus communities.  

• Average user spent 22 minutes on the activity.  

 The priorities the public shared are a valuable insight used by Metro to develop its budget.  The results of the activity and how it impacted Metro’s budget are available on the budget portal — budget.metro.net  

OMB staff are honored to be recognized and would like to express gratitude to the public for participating. Be on the lookout for the upcoming FY26 budget activity later this year.