We’re thrilled to announce the Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail (ESFV) project. We have been working diligently during the preconstruction phase with our partners to reach this point and are excited to officially get boots on the ground soon.
This is the first project in the country to receive funding through the FTA’s Expedited Project Delivery (EPD) Pilot Program. This program looks to expedite the delivery of new fixed guideway capital projects, small starts projects, or core capacity improvement projects. To qualify, the projects need to have public-private partnerships and cap federal funding at 25% of the project’s cost. The goal is the streamlining of the delivery process and encouraging innovative partnerships, which is one of the reasons ESFV is being run under the Progressive Design-Build delivery method.
Specific criteria were needed to be met, which the team worked nonstop on. While a public-private partnership must be included, the final line must be operated and maintained by employees of an existing transit provider, LA County Metro in this instance. Further, projects must have at least 30% design completion, with all planning and activities that are required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) finalized.
The team worked to show the project was justified under five major criteria: mobility improvements, environmental benefits, congestion relief, economic development, and ridership projections using the STOPS model. A comprehensive financial overview was also provided, including documentation of the commitment of capital funds for the project and the most recent audited financial statement.
The above is all why meticulous work and collaboration throughout preconstruction, including on base design validation, budgeting, scheduling, and value engineering services, is critical to the success of complex projects such as ESFV. Design is nearing completion, and utility work is set to begin soon. Congratulations to the team, we can’t wait to bring this needed transit project to the San Fernando Valley.
