City Council

16. AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH\nCALTRANS FOR THE FREMONT RAMP AND INTERCHANGE IMPROVEMENTS –\nF2M19-32, C2M23-13, M2M23-37\n7\n3-13-23\n“Advancing Alhambra” is the City’s plan to improve local roads and safety for residents\nand reduce traffic and congestion in Alhambra via various mobility improvements. To find\nsolutions to Alhambra’s traffic and congestion concerns, the Los Angeles County\nMetropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) reallocated the transportation funds\n(Measure R) once approved for the 710 Tunnel Project to area municipalities to enhance\ntransportation operations and address the congestion issues being experienced. Pursuant\nto this direction, the City of Alhambra conducted traffic studies in 2020 and scoping in\n2021 to help identify locations for mobility improvement consideration. Among the City’s\noptions, four major ramp locations emerged as targets including Fremont, Atlantic,\nGarfield and the conversion of the 710 Stub at Valley into a four-lane arterial.\nImprovements at these locations are projected to help keep motorists on the I-10 rather\nthan cutting through Alhambra, providing not only relief to the local community, but also\nnot negatively altering regional traffic patterns. On March 2, 2023, the City received from\nCaltrans a Cooperative Agreement, which establishes the responsibilities of each agency\nin the preparation of the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED), Plans,\nSpecifications, and Estimates (PS&E) and Right of Way (ROW). Elements of the Fremont\nProject include the ramp improvements on I-10 and a braided ramp between Northbound\nI-710 to Eastbound I-10 Connector and Eastbound Fremont Interchange offramp. This\nCooperative Agreement between the City and Caltrans does not finalize the City’s project\nat Fremont and the interchange; rather, it defines the responsibilities between Caltrans\nand the City with regard to continuing to process the project, including outreach,\nenvironmental review, design and ultimately, construction.\nRecommended Action: City Council authorize entering into a Cooperative\nAgreement, subject to final language approval by the City Manager and City Attorney, by\nand between the City of Alhambra and the California Department of Transportation\n(Caltrans) to complete the PA&ED, PS&E, and ROW for the Fremont Ramp and\nInterchange Improvements; and, direct staff to undertake the steps necessary to finalize\nCouncil’s action. (M2M23-37)