PURPOSE:

This report presents the 2003 Congestion Management Program (CMP) Local Implementation Report (LIR) for submission to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).  The City Council is requested to conduct a public hearing on the LIR and adopt the proposed resolution.

BACKGROUND:

Proposition 111, approved in 1990, authorized a nine-cent increase in the state gasoline tax and mandated the creation of a Congestion Management Program to address the mobility needs of the urbanized portions of the state.  In Los Angeles County, the MTA is the designated coordinating agency for the Los Angeles County CMP.  As part of the CMP, local agencies are required to participate in a regional deficiency plan.

The CMP attempts to link local land use decisions with impacts on regional transportation by creating a system of debits and credits tracking development activity versus transportation improvements.  Each year, new development (�debits�) and transportation programs and improvements (�credits�) are inventoried to account for the impacts of local development on the regional transportation system.  To continue receiving Proposition 111 gas tax revenues, these debits from new development, which represent the agency�s �congestion mitigation goal�, must be equal to or exceeded by the credits earned from the implementation of capital improvements, transit improvements, or TDM measures.  To account for the different paces of new development and transportation improvements, credit surpluses from prior years are carried over to the current reporting period.  The CMP LIR documents these debits and credits and is submitted to the MTA annually.

The City of Burbank adopted its first LIR in 1994.  Although debits have exceeded credits in various prior years, the City has always maintained a positive credit balance as shown in the following table:

 NOTE:  Positive debit values for the years 1995, 1997, and 2000 reflect periods where demolitions

 exceeded new development

THIS YEAR�S REPORT:

The LIR reports new development and transportation improvements implemented between June 1, 2002 and May 31, 2003.  Adoption of a resolution certifying conformance to the CMP and completion of the annual LIR must be submitted to MTA prior to September 1, 2003.  The proposed LIR, attached as Exhibit A, includes 3 sections:

1.                  2002 Deficiency Plan Status Summary:  A summary of all debit and credit points accrued for this reporting period, along with the surplus carryover from the 2002 LIR.  These numbers reflect the totals for all debits and credits, as outlined on the subsequent portions of the report.

2.                  New Development Activity, Adjustments, and Exemptions:  This section tracks new development during the reporting period, plus any adjustments or exemptions to this total value.

A.     The Activity section summarizes all new commercial and residential development, broken down by land use category.  These figures were compiled from monthly Building Division building permit reports.  For each land use, a debit value is assigned based upon the impact each use has on the transportation system.  For the current reporting period, Burbank accrued 2,894 debit points.  This debit amount is significantly lower than last year�s total, as the high amounts from the prior LIR reporting year included the completion of the Empire Center.  This year�s debit amount is primarily due to building permits issued for medical office facilities along South Buena Vista Street as well as other small residential and commercial developments throughout the city.

B.     The Adjustments section accounts for debit points that may be subtracted from the total congestion mitigation goal due to the issuance of building permits that were subsequently revoked or for structures that were demolished during the reporting period.  A total of 1,252 points were subtracted from the total debit points. All of these points are due to demolitions as reported in the monthly building permit reports.

C.     The Exemptions section accounts for any special case developments that are exempted from being counted toward the congestion mitigation goal.  Burbank did not have any exempted development activity during this reporting period.

The total Congestion Mitigation Goal for this reporting period was 1,642 points, which represents the total number of points from new development minus the total number of points from adjustments (demolitions).  Note that this amount represents a relatively low level of development for this reporting period as compared to prior years but does not necessarily illustrate a long-term trend.

3.                  Transportation Improvement Credit Claims (Land Use, Capital, Transit, TDM):  This section tracks credits the City has acquired through the implementation of  transportation improvements or programs during the reporting period.  Credit is given based upon type of improvement, percentage of cost borne by the agency, and milestones reached for each project. Burbank accrued a total of 2,056 credits during the reporting period.  Implementation of left turn phasing at ten intersections throughout the city as well as the award of a construction contract for the Route 134 / Hollywood Way offramp relocation contributed to this total.  Full credit for the completion of the relocated offramp will be taken next year as the facility opened to traffic just after the end of this reporting period.  Additionally, building permits issued for the Burbank Cottages childcare facility allowed the City to claim additional credits due to its integration with the larger residential development.  Finally, a small increase in Burbank Local Transit (BLT) and Burbank Transportation Service (BTS) transit operations also contributed to this credit total.

For the 2002-2003 period, the City of Burbank reported 1,642 debits.  This total was offset by a total of 2,056 transportation improvement credits for a surplus of 414 credit points.  If approved by the MTA, this total, added to the 102,514 surplus points carried over from prior years results in a total credit balance of 102,928.

The credit surplus reported this period combined with the City�s large carryover credit balance from prior years ensures that Burbank remains in a favorable position with respect to CMP credits and is in no real danger of losing gas tax revenue.  Exhibit B shows the City�s position with respect to the other agencies in Los Angeles County.

FISCAL IMPACT:

If the city failed to comply with the CMP, it would lose the revenue allocated by Proposition 111-authorized (Section 2105) gas tax revenues (this amounted to approximately $636,000 for FY 2002-2003).  Non-compliance may also render Burbank ineligible for other State and Federal transportation program funds.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Staff recommends the City Council adopt the proposed resolution finding the City in conformance with the Congestion Management Program and adopting the 2003 CMP Local Implementation Report.

EXHIBITS:

Exhibit A:         2002-2003 CMP Local Implementation Report

Exhibit B:          2002 Deficiency Plan Summary (prepared by MTA)

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