Title
Capitol Extension Route Recommendation and Preconstruction Estimate (Ordinance S-48076)
Description
This report requests City Council approval to amend the current Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the 19th Avenue option of the Capitol Extension (CAPEX), formerly known as the Capitol/I-10 West Extension Phase I project (Attachment A), and requests an ordinance authorizing the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into an agreement with Valley Metro Rail for the Capitol Extension Light Rail Project to fund the completion of pre-construction activities for the extension. This report also requests the City Controller disburse funds not to exceed $45.3 million for these pre-construction activities. See Attachment B for additional details and cost breakdown.
Report
Summary
In 2012, the Phoenix City Council approved the current LPA (Attachment C). Then in 2016, the Council and Valley Metro Rail Board of Directors approved a phased approach to the project:
- Phase I - connect downtown Phoenix to the State Capitol Complex; and
- Phase II - extend the system farther west along I-10 to 79th Avenue.
In 2019, the Phoenix City Council requested additional public input on both phases. Public input was sought in three key areas:
- Identify a preferred CAPEX option;
- Explore a potential extension to Desert Sky Transit Center; and
- Review all options for high-capacity, high-frequency transit types for the I-10 West Extension (10WEST).
Technical Analysis Summary
Opportunities to refine the CAPEX project emerged due to robust downtown development and the previous evolution of the South Central Extension/Downtown Hub (SCE/DH) project. Accordingly, the route between downtown Phoenix and the State Capitol Complex along Jefferson Street has been reevaluated, with input on all potential alternatives solicited from the public and local stakeholders.
Based on Valley Metro’s technical analysis, the use of Washington Street (as opposed to the double-track on Jefferson Street as identified in the previous LPA) was given further consideration recognizing the volume of residential and employment land uses in proximity to Washington Street, as well as the opportunity to provide an improved connection to the State Capitol Complex and to the 10WEST extension.
During the CAPEX reassessment process, Valley Metro identified and evaluated five potential alignments:
- 2012 LPA Route - Double-track on Jefferson Street, west of 8th Avenue;
- Concept A - Double-track on Washington Street, west of 8th Avenue;
- Concept B - 15th Avenue loop;
- Concept C - Separate 18th or 19th Avenue loop options (Attachment D); and
- Washington Street - Double-track on Washington Street, west of 3rd Avenue (this option was removed due to design challenges that could have negative impacts to the downtown core).
The technical analysis revealed that Concept C would outperform the other options given the benefits of the 18th/19th Avenue Loop, including:
- More service to residential and employment centers;
- Maximizes potential ridership and access for current and future users;
- Higher operational efficiencies and better preparation for a 10WEST connection;
- Lower impacts to historic and government properties;
- Mitigates impacts to bus operations and other vehicular traffic; and
- Greater opportunity to implement Council-approved Complete Streets concepts and multimodal transportation elements along Washington and Jefferson streets.
Concurrent with the technical evaluation, the project team pursued an extensive public engagement effort that included:
- Attending meetings with community groups;
- Attending meetings with key stakeholders and businesses along the corridor, including state government representatives; and
- Conducting and participating in public meetings and community events.
Valley Metro and the City of Phoenix will need to amend the funding agreement when the project is ready to advance to the construction phase.
Financial Impact
The City of Phoenix will fund an amount not to exceed $45.3 million for pre-construction activities. Funds are available in the Public Transit Department's Capital Improvement Program.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The Citizens Transportation Commission recommended approval of this item on Aug. 26, 2021, by a vote of 13-2.
The Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee recommend approval of this item on Oct. 20, 2021, by a vote of 4-0.
Public Outreach
In January 2020, Valley Metro held three public meetings (two in English and one in Spanish) to present the four CAPEX options. A majority of respondents expressed support for the 18th/19th Avenue Loop option (Concept C), with approximately 54 percent of the 183 surveys favoring the option. The results of these meetings were used to refine the meeting materials for the next series of public meetings.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, outreach shifted to utilizing online platforms from May 27 to June 30, 2020. Throughout the process, members of the public had the ability to submit questions and comments to be evaluated by and responded to by project staff, and all meeting information was presented in English and Spanish. Additionally, four live (call-in) meetings were conducted (two in English and two in Spanish) on June 16 and 20, 2020. In total, 356 people participated via either the online public meeting or live call-in sessions, as well as 183 individuals responding to a survey.
Given the advantages of Concept C compared to the other options, and the results of the January 2020 public meetings, the May/June 2020 online public meeting presented Concept C as the “leading alternative.” Staff asked participants to document whether they felt “positive,” “neutral,” or “negative” toward the option. Out of the 183 responses received from the May/June online survey, 67 percent of respondents expressed feeling positive about Concept C as the leading alternative, with 19 percent neutral and 14 percent negative.
State Stakeholder Coordination
In October 2020, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) sent a letter to the Phoenix City Council expressing concerns with the 18th Avenue option, resulting in a delay of the LPA approval process. Since November 2020, the project team has held multiple meetings with representatives from the State of Arizona, including DPS, the Arizona Department of Administration, Arizona Governor’s Office, and staff from the State Senate and House of Representatives to further examine the 18th Avenue segment of Concept C. As a result of these discussions and after further evaluation, Concept C was amended to remove 18th Avenue from consideration. Consequently, the project team conducted preliminary analysis and conceptual designs to refine and recommend 19th Avenue as the preferred north/south location of the loop portion of the LPA. Additional engagement, including public notification and stakeholder meetings, are underway to convey this change to the public.
Location
Capitol Extension will extend light rail from downtown Phoenix west to the State Capitol Complex.
Council District: 7
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Public Transit Department.