City Council adopts congestion management report; sends approval to MTA

The Los Angeles City Council on Sept. 21 accepted the city’s biannual congestion management program (CMP) report and adopted a related resolution to transmit the city’s local implementation report to the county Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The CMP report, presented by Alan Rivkin of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, shows the city has accumulated what he described as almost 2,000,000 “credits” attributable to past local transportation improvements and mitigation actions. Rivkin said those credits correspond to an estimated monetary value of about $11,989,900 for the purposes of the county program. The council approved the report and accompanying resolution by roll call vote (11 ayes).

Why it matters: The Congestion Management Program is the countywide framework tied to gas-tax-funded transportation improvements. Cities that document credits for traffic-improving actions can use those credits in the MTA’s project and funding calculations; conversely, approvals that increase congestion are treated as debits.

Council members questioned how credits and debits are quantified for individual development projects and sought clarity on the formula used to convert a mitigation action into credits. Rivkin told the council that the apportionment of credits and debits is tied to the MTA’s long-range transportation improvement program and that the city is working with MTA to revisit the debit/credit process and develop a clearer methodology.

Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas and others pressed for more detail on what types of developer-required mitigations generate credits; Rivkin answered that developer-funded traffic improvements required as conditions of project approval are counted as credits. Councilmember Jack Weiss and others noted the practical effect: if a city accumulates enough credits, future developments may face fewer mitigation requirements because existing credits offset new debits.

The vote and next steps: After discussion the council adopted the committee report and resolution for transmittal to MTA. The item was formally reconsidered and approved by vote (11 ayes), and staff were instructed to continue working with MTA to refine the debit/credit methodology and to report back as needed.

Ending: Council members said they expect additional detail from the Department of Transportation and MTA as the city and county refine how mitigation credits are calculated and applied to development review and project funding.