Delivering Complex Projects: The Coordination Component
Urban transit projects -- with their linear nature -- involve multiple jurisdictions, neighborhoods and private sector interests. Effectively moving projects through construction and operations requires considerable coordination and collaboration, particularly in today's financially constrained, politically-charged climate. Getting it right can mean the difference between waiting an entire generation to open your next major transit project. Learn the key strategies and methods behind three successfully implemented projects -- in Minneapolis; Charlotte; and Portland. Hear three perspectives from an owner/operator, from the key local partner jurisdiction and from the regional/political point of view. Strategies and specific components of cross-jurisdictional coordination? Creative problem-solving techniques? You'll get it all here!
Moderator: Shellie Ginn, Administrator, Department of Transportation, City of Tucson, Arizona
Andrew Mock, Assistant Project Manager, Charlotte Area Transit System, Charlotte, North Carolina
Jim McDonough, Chair, Ramsey County Board of Commissioners, St. Paul, Minnesota
Jean Senechal Biggs, Project Manager, Bureau of Transportation, City of Portland, Oreg
2. Partnering for Success
• How can partnering between transit
agencies and local government
facilitate project construction
beyond permitting and inspection?
• When cities contribute matching
funds, how can they ensure a
successful outcome of their project
investment?
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5. Federal New Starts
State Lottery Bonds
Metro
ODOT
TriMet
City of Milwaukie
City of Portland
$745,200,000
New Starts
Clackamas County
Nature in Neighborhood Grant
OHSU In-Kind Property
ZRZ In-kind Property
PCC In-Kind Property
$55M
City of
PSU In-Kind Property
Portland
Willamette Shore Line In-Kind
Project costs ~$1.49 billion
Property
Local Interest Costs Project Funding
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6. Building Infrastructure
• Roadway Pavement
• Curbs, Sidewalks, Curb Ramps
• Traffic Signals
• Street Lights
• Water Mains
• Sewers, Inlets
• Stormwater Planters, Swales
• Signs, Pavement Markings
• Bike Lanes, Cycle Tracks, Racks
• Street Trees
• Roadside Landscapes
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7. 1. Project Staffing IGAs
Light rail project pays for City
staff time
• Involved in decision-making
• Bring expertise to the team
• Support the project beyond
basic permitting: ‘shepherd’
the project through completion
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Traffic signal activation
8. 2. Transfer Permit Authority
Streamlining permitting and
inspections where it makes sense
Assign permit responsibilities
based on type of facility
regardless of underlying land:
• TriMet-owned private property
• Public right of way
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Memorandum of Understanding
9. 3. Local Betterments
Incorporating opportunities
Link light rail construction
to facilitate other projects
in the City’s Capital
Improvement Program
Portland Streetcar Close the Loop
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10. 4. O&M Agreements
Understanding long-term
operations and maintenance needs
for all parties
• Document assumptions made
during preliminary engineering
• City and TriMet maintenance
staff share their practical
knowledge from the field
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Interagency Agreement Exhibits
11. 5. Embedded Staff
City staff are part of project team
• City staff, TriMet staff and
Contractor co-locate in
construction field office
• Facilitates communication,
coordination and team-building
• Time-critical decision-making to
keep the project moving
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East Segment Field Office
12. Partnering for Success
• How can partnering between transit
agencies and local government
facilitate project construction
beyond permitting and inspection?
• When cities contribute matching
funds, how can they ensure a
successful outcome of their project
investment?
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13. Partnering for Success
• Significant public infrastructure
investment beyond the trackway
• Cities have a vested interest
• Partnering creates a collaborative
spirit between agencies
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14. Thank you.
Jean Senechal Biggs, ASLA
Project Manager
Portland Bureau of Transportation
jean.senechalbiggs@portlandoregon.gov
www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation
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