METRO

SUSTAINABILITY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (METRO)
June 17, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 2

1.1 Sustainability at Metro ................................................................................................ 4
1.2 Mission and Vision Statement ................................................................................... 4
2.0 Organization....................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Staff Organization ....................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Clean Air Task Force ................................................................................................... 7
3.0 Programs and Specific Projects......................................................................................... 8
3.1 Short-Term Plan .......................................................................................................... 8
3.2 Long-Term Plan ........................................................................................................... 9
4.0 Communication and Outreach........................................................................................ 10
5.0 Deliverables ...................................................................................................................... 10
6.0 Schedule ........................................................................................................................... 12
1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is unique

among the nation’s transportation agencies, serving as the regional transportation
planner and coordinator, designer, builder, operator, and funding partner for Los
Angeles County. Metro’s core mission is to ensure the continuous improvement of an
efficient and effective transportation system for Los Angeles County.

In the next 25 years, Los Angeles’ changing demographics and expected growth and
climate change impacts are important reasons that will require us to shift our priorities
towards a more sustainable transportation system. How we move around the county
and the choices we have in where we can live, work, learn and play affects both our
health and our budget. Our mobility choices will need to move beyond what we
provide today in order to address the quality of life challenges and sustain our region’s
premier position in the global economy.

Since 1990, our County has experienced a transit renaissance with the development of
innovative transit and transit-related infrastructure:

• Metro has developed almost 73 miles of rail transit connecting the

communities of North Hollywood, Long Beach, Norwalk, Pasadena, Redondo
Beach and dozens of points in between with downtown Los Angeles. In
addition, 14 miles are under construction connecting the communities between
Culver City and East Los Angeles to the regional rail network;
• Metro has partnered with Metrolink to provide rapid commuter rail service to
over 35 communities in the County and beyond;
• Metro is expanding the network of bus rapid transitway corridors (Metro Rapid
and Metro Orange Line ) that connect more communities together;
• Metro has partnered to develop the most extensive High Occupancy Vehicle
(HOV) network in the nation;
• Metro partnered with the 88 cities in the county to fund over 732 miles of bike
lanes and bikepaths and equipped buses and transit stations with bike racks;
• Metro has also partnered to develop the Alameda Corridor project, one of the
best examples of coordinated goods movement;
• Cities across the county are adopting mixed-use development and road design
standards around transit stations and along transit boulevards to encourage a
shift away from automobile dependency toward more walking, bicycling and
transit use.

As a recognized leader in environmental responsibility, Metro has implemented many

firsts for the industry. Years ahead of regulation, Metro operates the largest
compressed natural gas (i.e., lowest carbon content fossil fuel) bus fleet in North
America. In addition, Metro has installed solar photovoltaic arrays that currently
generate over 850 kilowatts of renewable energy. A similar project that will produce
one megawatt of renewable energy is currently in construction (the largest in the
transit industry). Metro has also incorporated sustainability design elements in the
construction and upgrades of various bus divisions, transit-oriented developments,

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the San Gabriel Valley Service Sector and Gateway Headquarters office buildings and
for the Metro Orange Line transit/bike/pedestrian parkway.

Metro is on the forefront of developing a fully integrated sustainable transportation

system. This type of system is one that is safe and easy to use, is accessible and
affordable, operates efficiently, offers an interconnected, diversified choice of
transportation modes (pedestrian, bicycle, transit, autos, car-sharing, goods
movement), and supports and retains a vibrant economy, society and natural and built
environment.

To do so, our strategy should be primarily centered on regional leadership, influence,

coordination and partnership. While Metro has the ability to generate innovative
projects through the development of design criteria and implementation of
procurement and construction practices that complements the natural, social, and
financial aspects of our environment; we do not have direct authority over land-use or
vehicle fleet efficiency or fuels that influence regional travel behavior, motorized
vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In addition,
Metro has significant funding and programming authority and has leveraged this
authority to influence policy and funding decisions at the local, state and federal level.

Metro will work with stakeholders countywide to develop key strategies that further
enhance our ability to influence regional sustainability efforts. Metro Countywide
Sustainability strategies could include, for example, development of Sustainable
Mobility Corridors and Sustainable Mobility Transit Boulevards policy. The objective
would be to optimize the transportation services in a corridor to increase person and
goods throughput, safety, and security while reducing energy, pollution, motorized
VMT and GHG emissions. The focus would be to provide the most appropriate
transportation mode for different trip lengths and purposes with strong linkages and
information integration among transportation services and land-uses in the corridors.

Metro could similarly encourage the development of high ridership Sustainable

Mobility Transit Boulevards that are supported by land uses and high quality road
design standards that optimize transit, walking and bicycle ridership and reduce waste,
energy, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Metro will continue to work with
transportation and land use agencies and key stakeholders, countywide, to further
develop these concepts and define other roles in which Metro can guide or influence
more sustainable transportation systems. These and other elements inherent to our
operations will be further elaborated below.

The Metro Orange Line/US 101 corridor is

one example in concept of a Sustainable
Mobility Corridor. The multi-modal
transit/bicycle/pedestrian parkway runs
parallel to the US 101corridor. Since
opening, 1/3 of new riders were former
commuters on the US 101 freeway. The
facility was built using sustainability
principles and several mixed-use transit-
oriented developments are opening along
the corridor.

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1.1 Sustainability at Metro

Sustainability is a very broad subject and its impacts to the multi-modal public
transportation system and the other systems in the County at large are numerous and
extend into all business functions within our agency. In its most basic definition,
sustainability is achieved when we meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. When it
comes to transportation, sustainability is focused on the continuous integration of
decisions, infrastructure and services that optimize the transportation system to
maximize efficiency, access, safety and performance while minimizing energy use and
consumption, air, water, and acoustic pollution and the generation of waste.

In order to apply these sustainability principles and strategies in our core transit
operations, regional construction, and transportation planning programs, Metro has
to look into all of our business units, departments and existing policies to understand
how they interact with one another in order to create an agency-wide sustainability
program. When properly implemented, each business unit and department’s
functions and policies are put into focus and collectively integrated, enhancing Metro’s
ability to fulfill its core mission and regional sustainable mobility objectives.

In addition to applying these strategies voluntarily, several regulatory processes such

as the AB 32 Global Warming Solutions Act greenhouse gas emissions targets, the
Office of Planning and Research Climate Change regulations for the California
Environmental Quality Act, the next Federal Re-authorization process and emerging
Federal Climate Change bills currently being debated in the Senate and Congress will
impact Metro’s planning and programming, construction and operation activities. A
dedicated and coordinated effort by all Metro units will ensure that the agency is
positioned to focus attention in these emerging regulatory processes.

1.2 Mission and Vision Statement

Recent achievements such as the adoption of the Sustainability and Energy Policy in
June 2007 were an attempt to capture the essence of “sustainability”, as the term
applies to Metro. The creation of the Ad-Hoc Sustainability and Climate Change
Committee in July 2007 provided the basis to develop an agency-wide plan of
sustainability implementation. Since August 2007, staff continually reported
accomplishments to the Ad Hoc Sustainability and Climate Change Committee and

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the Air Quality Task Force. In order to proceed with these programs, staff recognized
that a Metro Sustainability Implementation Plan (MSIP) needs to be adopted by the
Board of Directors. Similar to other transportation plans, the MSIP has a short-term
and a long-term set of actions.

These sets of actions are consistent with the Mission and Vision Statements adopted
by the members of the Ad Hoc Sustainability and Climate Change Committee during
the January 2008 meeting. These are as follows:

Metro’s Vision for Sustainability

Metro will be the leader in maximizing sustainability efforts and its benefits to
Los Angeles County’s people, finances and environment.

Metro’s Sustainability Mission

Metro will provide leadership in sustainability within the Los Angeles region
through our core mission of continuous improvement of an efficient and
effective transportation system for Los Angeles County

The elements of the plan outlined in the succeeding pages formally and specifically
address sustainability through Climate Change Management, Energy Management,
and other Sustainability Program Support Efforts. This plan is designed to
demonstrate to Metro employees, stakeholders, customers and the general public,
Metro’s continuing commitment to Sustainability through Fiscal Responsibility, Social
Equity and Environmental Stewardship. The plan emphasizes our leadership role as
both a Transit and Transportation industry leader.

2.0 Organization

2.1 Staff Organization

Sustainability elements are already present and are being implemented within Metro.
However, there is currently no coordinated effort to account for such efforts, nor is
there an agency-wide system to formally identify, measure and report the cost and
benefits of implementing these elements. Recognizing the need throughout the last
year, staff had developed an organization plan to organize a sustainability program
into three distinct categories: Air Quality and Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy Efforts, and Programmatic Support Efforts (Figure 1).

The Board of Directors recently adopted a budget of $250,000 to supplement our

current sustainability program and implement the MSIP. Staff anticipates reinvesting
back into the program any cost-savings that may be generated as the result of any
implemented sustainability activity. In addition, the Board also adopted the creation
of two full-time equivalent positions (FTE’s) to assist in the implementation of this
sustainability program.

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 Figure 1. Metro’s Sustainability Framework

One FTE will work in the Countywide Planning Business Unit as the regional
transportation policy and programming coordinator and clearinghouse for legislative
and policy activities related to the MSIP. In addition, the FTE will coordinate, survey
and liaise with key public, business, and community stakeholders toward the
development of GHG emission and sustainable mobility based protocols, best
management policies, guidelines, and partnerships and identify potential funding
opportunities in addressing regional air quality and climate change protection goals.

The other FTE will work in the Construction Business Unit to be the point of contact
and clearinghouse for all other information related to the implementation of the MSIP,
and will be responsible for implementation of the proposed Sustainability Information
Management System (SIMS) discussed below. This FTE will coordinate and support
the implementation of specific projects and programs related to all energy,
infrastructure, procurement, sustainable construction, and sustainable operations.
Implementation of these projects will take into account information gathered from
close coordination with the other FTE, Metro business units, public and private
stakeholders, industry, and the regulatory community.

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 2.2 Clean Air Task Force

The Clean Air Task Force was created by the Board in 2006 to specifically identify
opportunities for reducing air pollution and GHG emissions. This Task Force
comprises representatives from Metro Operations, Construction, Planning, Facilities
and Government Relations.

In order to maximize Metro's clean air efforts, the Task Force has been compiling a
comprehensive baseline set of data documenting Metro's total emissions output or
“footprint”. Discussions regarding the registration of this "Emissions Footprint" with
the California Climate Action Registry started in early 2007. Since then, the decision to
register instead with The Climate Registry has been discussed as this entity has grown
to become the North American verifier of any subscribing organization’s GHG
emissions footprint. The Climate Registry is a non-profit partnership currently
consisting of regional North American jurisdictions and entities.

Although the Clean Air Task Force is in the final stages of compiling the “Emissions
Footprint”, there is an outstanding issue with the registry’s protocols to provide a
mechanism where the emissions saved from people taking transit can be counted
against the emission generated to provide the transit services. The development of a
transit specific protocol to address this issue has been coordinated by the American
Public Transportation Association (APTA), other U.S. transit operators, The Climate
Registry, and Metro. It is anticipated that a transit specific protocol will be adopted by
this fall.

Most recently, the Task Force has been discussing the status of pending Zero
Emission Bus regulations with California Air Resources Board (ARB) staff, and is
helping lead a new Zero Emissions Transit Users Group (ZETUG) that will help
represent all California-based operators of alternative fueled transit fleets. The Clean
Air Task Force’s activities fit into the Climate Change Management component of our
sustainability efforts.

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3.0 Programs and Specific Projects

3.1 Short-Term Plan

Staff had previously recognized the need to develop projects to further our efforts
towards sustainability. In staff’s previous reports to the Ad Hoc Sustainability and
Climate Change Committee, staff identified various activities that have been initiated,
are being implemented, or are being conceptualized. Based on the understanding of
the level of commitment needed for those initiatives, four specific projects were
identified for continued implementation or commencement in FY’09. These are as
follows:

• Metro and Countywide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management which

consists of developing and measuring the agency’s GHG emissions footprint,
monitoring, coordinating and providing input into the various local, regional,
state and federal organizations developing Climate Change policy and
regulations impacting Metro’s planning and programming, construction and
operating activities, and developing nationwide transit industry protocols for
registering GHG emissions prior to participation in The Climate Registry.
Protocols are likely to include offsetting VMT and mode-shifting to better reflect
public transit’s role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Registration of
Metro’s GHG emissions will better position the agency to avoid risk and
potentially participate in future carbon cap and trade programs;

• Energy Sustainability Initiatives which include energy conservation initiatives;

planning, feasibility studies, and installation of additional solar panels at
various bus and rail divisions; and exploration of other renewable resources
(i.e. wind, cogeneration, fuel cells, etc.);

• Development of Sustainability Design Guidelines that will be used to

incorporate and implement core sustainability elements into Metro design and
construction projects that are currently not developed for linear projects (i.e.,
rail, busway, or highway related projects); and

• Development and Implementation of Sustainable and Environmental

Management Systems that include the development of a Sustainability
Information Management System (SIMS) pilot study for Bus Division 10 and
an additional Environmental Management System (EMS) pilot implementation
through a Federal Transit Administration assistance program.

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 3.2 Long-Term Plan

Metro’s current sustainability projects will provide the basis for the implementation of
the longer-term sustainability projects. Metro staff will commence in FY ‘09 the
planning for each of the following longer-term key priority projects based upon Board
approval, funding and key stakeholder input.

Table 1. Projected Sustainability Programs and Projects FY ‘09-FY ‘13

Project
Category # Projected Sustainability Programs and Projects FY ‘09-FY ‘13
1 Programmatic Implementation of Regional, Statewide, and Federal Policies (statutes,
regulations and other agreements).

Development with key stakeholder partnerships of a Metro Climate Change Action

2 Plan that will identify climate change mitigation and adaptation goals and strategies
to reduce GHG emissions and adapt the multi-modal transportation system
investments to the effects of climate change.

Assembly Bill 32 Scoping Plan/Federal Re-authorization/Federal Climate Change and

Air Quality 3 related legislation and sustainability policy integration into new local funding
and Climate measures, Call for Projects, Long Range Transportation Plan and all other planning
Change and programming policies.
Management
Development with stakeholder input a set of implementation tools and policies
4 including Sustainable Mobility Corridors and Sustainable Mobility Transit Boulevards
as strategies to optimize and prioritize regional transportation system investments

Development with stakeholder input a set of integrated land

use/transportation/energy indicators and policies to optimize the sustainability of
5 regional transportation system investments and refine modeling software or other
measurement tools to help determine what investments result in the highest and
most comprehensive sustainability benefits.
6 Enhance our Energy Portfolio by developing and exploring other sources of renewable
Energy energy (e.g., solar panels, wind, regenerative braking and other capture technologies).
Efficiency and Perform energy audits, implement energy efficiency methods, best practices and
7
Renewable develop a comprehensive energy independence and security strategy.
Energy Efforts Identification and pursuit of renewable energy and sustainability demonstration
8
grants, projects and new funding opportunities.
Develop a comprehensive Sustainability Information Management System (SIMS)
9 that would become the platform for our agency-wide enhanced Environmental
Management System.
10 Implement Division 10 Improvement Projects identified during the EMS development
Programmatic
Support 11 Develop the Sustainability Design Policy and Criteria for Joint Development Projects
Efforts 12 Roll-out of Enhanced EMS at Bus Divisions.
13 Development of Rail Division EMS Pilot Project.
14 Development of Green Procurement Policy and Greening the Supply Chain.
15 Communications and Outreach Program Implementation.

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4.0 MSIP Communication and Outreach

As a major influence on the transportation landscape and imprint of Southern

California, Metro recognizes the need to be in the forefront of sustainability and
climate change as it relates to the County of Los Angeles. As such, Metro must take
bold and immediate steps toward implementing the MSIP. As it is working toward
this aim, there is the need to educate its employees, particularly the workers at the
sixteen (16) bus yards and two (2) rail yards who will be the ultimate leaders in training
those who work on the lines at all Metro Divisions, as well as the staff making daily
and strategic business decisions within the various units.

Equally as important is informing the public about the direction in which Metro is
progressing. Metro will continue to engage the public through its various campaigns
generated through the Communications Department. Metro will enhance the features
of its website (www.metro.net/sustainability) this coming fiscal year to include useful
and valuable information related to sustainability and climate change. In addition, to
outreach via marketing programs, the existing rideshare and regional coordination
programs will need to be enhanced to increase the awareness and application of
sustainable mobility principles.

5.0 Deliverables

To measure the success of its short-term plan, Metro shall produce the following
deliverables:

a. Two semi-annual Progress Reports that will compile and analyze the forecasted
and actual progress of project implementation and variance information for
each activity. The First progress Report will also include specific metrics
against which we will measure our success and outline progress. The Second
Progress Report shall consist of Metro’s Annual Sustainability Report and
Report Card outlining our compliance and progress toward previously
established metrics;
b. Report outlining all of our legislative and regional coordination and policy
development efforts relating to Climate Change and GHG Emissions

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 Management;

c. Organization of the Second Annual Sustainability Summit to measure the

progress of previously identified regional coordination efforts;

d. Report detailing the following energy related activities:

i. Number of energy audits completed throughout the agency and

planned implementation of energy efficiency programs that can
be applied as a result of such audits;
ii. Coordination with utility companies in understanding the
applicability of utility cost-reduction methods; and
iii. Progress in the efforts to increase our energy portfolio either in
the installation of previously adopted renewable energy projects
or results of feasibility studies to install other types of renewable
energy sources on our facilities.

e. Completion of the Metro Support Services Center (MSSC) Solar Energy and
Infrastructure Upgrade project, which is a public/private partnership to install
one megawatt of solar panels and energy efficiency upgrades aimed to cut our
MSSC electrical bill by 46%. This project was approved by the Board in January
2008, started construction in May 2008, and will be completed within the Third
Quarter of FY09;

f. Completion and implementation of our Sustainability Design Criteria and track

our compliance to our Energy and Sustainability Policy, Construction and
Demolition Debris Recycling and Reuse Policy, and in all of our capital projects.
Applicable projects include the preliminary engineering and construction of the
Canoga Transportation Corridor Project, and any future transportation corridor
projects. As required by the Energy and Sustainability Policy, non-linear
projects such as new buildings, joint developments, or major facility upgrades
shall be constructed to achieve the United States Green Building Council’s
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Rating, at
minimum;

g. Completion of the Division 10 Environmental Management System. An audit

of Division 10 to prepare it for ISO 14001 certification is anticipated to
commence at the end of FY ’09. ISO 14001 specifies the most important
requirements to identify, control and monitor the environmental aspects of any
organization, and also how to manage and improve the whole system. Being
ISO 14001 certified not only validates our efforts for reducing costs but most
importantly, demonstrates Metro’s commitment to environmental
responsibility and proactive risk assessment;

A report outlining progress in the implementation of the EMS identified

improvement projects at Division 10. Cost savings in the order of magnitude
of mid-hundreds of thousand dollars is anticipated once fully implemented.

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6.0 Schedule

Staff proposes the schedule outlined in Figure 2 for its short-term plan to ensure that
our programs are consistent and coordinated with on-going regional sustainability
efforts. This will be accomplished through the implementation of parallel efforts for
involving policy and legislative coordination simultaneous with infrastructure
construction. Schedule for the long-term plans will be developed during FY ’09.

Figure 2. FY 2009 Sustainability Implementation Project Schedule

FY09: 2008 FY09: 2009
Projected
Completion
Deliverable Date Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
First Semi-Annual Progress
Report including GHG
Baseline and Metrics Dec-08
Second Semi-Annual Progress
Report Jun-09
and Regional Coordination
Efforts Jun-09
2nd Annual Sustainability
Summit May-09
Energy Audit and Utility
Coordination Reports May-09
Services Center Solar Energy
Project
p Sep-09
Environmental Management
System Dec-08
Report Outlining Progress of
Implementation of Division
10 Opportunities Identified
during the Division 10 EMS May-09

For More Information go to www.metro.net/sustainability or for specific information on

Air Quality and Climate Change Management

Timothy Papandreou, Transportation Planning Manager ([email protected])

Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

Timothy Lindholm, Director Capital Projects & Facilities ([email protected])

Sustainability Management Systems and Program Support

Cris Liban Environmental Compliance Services Manager ([email protected])

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