City Council
Agenda Report

Julian Lee, Director of Public Works

Michael Vartanians, City Engineer
Bassam AL-Beitawi, Transportation Program Manager

The City is advancing the Huntington Drive and Fremont Avenue Corridor Improvements Project to enhance safety, mobility, and multimodal connectivity through major roadway improvements. The Project has secured significant funding from Metro’s Measure M and Measure R programs, as well as LATIP funds, and has been shaped through extensive technical analysis, community outreach, and public input.

Based on community feedback, City Council approved concepts that include a Class IV protected bicycle facility on Huntington Drive, a two-way cycle track on Fremont Avenue, and roundabouts at Hope Street and Oxley Street. These enhancements have increased the estimated project cost to approximately $46.6 million, prompting the City to pursue an additional $30 million in Measure R funding through the reallocation of funds from the former SR-110 Ramp Project. LA Metro has approved the reallocation, and City Council is now being asked to consider a Funding Agreement amendment for that change.

On August 12, 2021, Metro awarded a $10 million grant from a reallocation of Interstate 710 funds through the Measure R program for local Mobility Improvement Projects (MIP) to fund the Huntington Drive and Fremont Avenue Corridor Improvements Project (Project).  Of this, $1,100,000 are designated for Project Approval & Environmental Documentation (PA&ED) and Plans, Specification and Estimates (PS&E) and the remainder designated for construction.

On September 1, 2022, Metro awarded a $6 million grant from the Measure M Active Transportation Program (MAT). Of this, $1,017,161 are designated for PA&ED and PS&E and the remainder designated for construction.

In June, 2025, the California Transportation Commission approved $323,000 in Local Alternative Transportation Improvement Program (LATIP) funds.  Of this, $323,000 are designated for PA&ED and PS&E.

The funding for the Project did not include an early planning phase, however, and in order to seek conceptual public input for this project, on July 18, 2023, Public Works staff presented the scope of proposed design charrettes at the Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission (MTIC). On July 19, 2023, City Council, approved a task order with Toole Design Group, LLC for transportation planning services in an amount of $430,473. Toole was assigned to complete four key tasks: 

1. Preparation, research, and logistics
2. A multi-step charrette process starting with discovery and a site visit
3. The first and second design charrettes consisting of two 4-day sessions during the Fall of 2023, and, 
4. Documentation session and deliverable focusing on recommendations for the three major corridors of Fremont Avenue, Huntington Drive, and Fair Oaks Avenue.

On October 17, 2023, the MTIC held a public meeting presenting the preliminary findings of the Toole Report, a summary and the background of the charrettes and initial public and stakeholder feedback. The MTIC was presented with the Toole Design Report (Report) on October 15, 2024; seven (7) residents spoke on behalf of the findings in the Report. 

On July 9, 2025, City staff posted a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Planet Bids requesting proposals from qualified professional civil/traffic engineering firms experienced in the design of roadway and traffic signal design/improvements. Six (6) firms submitted proposals and these were reviewed by a panel of experts. The firms were ranked based on an evaluation of the written proposals and a subsequent oral interview. Based on this comprehensive review, the panel made a recommendation to award a design services contract to Kimley-Horn and Associates (KHA). 

On October 1, 2025, City Council approved the selection of KHA for civil design services related to the Project, and authorized execution of a Professional Services Agreement (PSA).

On February 23, March 5, and March 31, 2026, City staff and Kimley-Horn hosted a series of Community Outreach Meetings to inform the public about the project and receive feedback on the proposed design alternatives. 

On April 15, 2026, City Council conducted a study session and received a presentation regarding the Project’s design alternatives.

On May 6, 2026, City Council approved Option 3 as the design concept for Huntington Drive. This option reduces driving lanes to two in each direction and adds a Class IV protected bicycle lane. City Council also authorized the City Manager to submit a letter to the Metro Board requesting re-appropriation of funds currently allocated towards the SR-110 Ramp Project.

On June 3, 2026, City Council approved Option 2A/2 as the design concept for Fremont Avenue. Option 2A removes parking on the east side of Fremont Avenue and adds a Class IV two-way cycle track; note that in Segment 1 of the Project from Columbia to Grevelia, there is no existing two-way left turn pocket, so the before and after configurations were labeled as Option 2. City Council also approved roundabouts at Fremont Avenue & Hope Street and Fremont Avenue and Oxley Street. 

On August 31, 2026 and September 1, 2026, two additional community meetings were held to provide an update on the project’s design. 

KHA has continued to advance the Project design, which is now approximately 60% complete. The preferred design concepts approved by the City Council have expanded the design scope and require additional design services from KHA.

The City and LA Metro entered into a Measure R Funding Agreement on August 12, 2021, providing $10 million in Measure R funding for the Huntington Drive and Fremont Avenue Corridor Improvement Project. Amendment No. 1 was approved on February 18, 2026, to extend the lapse dates for certain programmed funds.

As the Project advanced through design and community outreach, the scope was expanded to incorporate additional safety and mobility improvements supported through the public outreach process. These improvements include a Class IV parking-protected bicycle lane along Huntington Drive, a two-way cycle track along Fremont Avenue, and roundabouts at Fremont Avenue and Hope Street and Fremont Avenue and Oxley Street. The expanded scope increased the estimated total project cost from approximately $16.6 million to $46.6 million.

On May 6, 2026, the City Council authorized staff to pursue the reallocation of $30 million in Measure R funding from the SR-110 Ramp Project to the Huntington Drive and Fremont Avenue Corridor Improvement Project. The City Manager formally submitted the request to LA Metro on June 1, 2026. The additional funding was subsequently approved by Metro's Planning and Programming Committee on July 15, 2026, and by the Metro Board on July 23, 2026.

The proposed amendment to the Funding Agreement will increase the Measure R funding commitment for the Project from $10 million to $40 million, reflecting the additional $30 million approved by Metro.

The Project also has approximately $5 million in Measure M funding that must be expended by June 30, 2028. Timely approval of the amendment and completion of design are therefore necessary to maintain the Project schedule and preserve available construction funding.

This item recommends approval of an amendment of the funding agreement increasing the Measure R Mobility Improvement Projects (MIP) funding allocated to this project from $10M to $30M. If approved, the following grant funding will be available for the Project:

Note: *$5M of these funds, planned for construction, will expire on 6/30/28.

This item is related to street improvement goals in the City Council's 2025 compilation of priorities.

The Huntington Drive and Fremont Avenue Corridor Improvements Project has been discussed at multiple meetings of the former Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure Commission (MTIC) and the former Public Works Commission throughout the development of the Project.

In addition, on April 8, 2026, the Public Works and Infrastructure Commission (PWIC) discussed the Project’s design alternatives and made unanimous motions in support of staff’s recommendation for Option 2A for Fremont Avenue, Option 3 for Huntington Drive and re-allocating Measure R funds from the SR-110 Ramps Project to complete the proposed improvements. The Public Works and Infrastructure Commission was also strongly in favor of construction of a mini roundabout at the intersection of Fremont Avenue and Hope Street.

The public was made aware that this item to be considered this evening by virtue of its inclusion on the legally publicly noticed agenda, posting of the same agenda and reports on the City's website.

The proposed action is not a project within the meaning the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines, Section 21065 as it does not cause a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. CEQA analysis for the Project will be completed with the design of the Project and brought back to City Council for approval.