As the Utah Transportation Authority (UTA) nears completion of its Frontlines 2015 Program, the agency has beat its original schedule by 15 years and is forecasted to beat the budget, too, as the five rail lines comprising the program are slated for completion under the original $2.8 billion budget.

Moreover, UTA and its partners — including federal, state and local government; the transportation industry and the public — will have succeeded in providing an efficient alternative to the congested highways along the Wasatch Front, the narrow valley that is home to two million people in a chain of cities that includes Salt Lake City, Provo and Ogden.

As one component of a comprehensive plan to improve mobility and air quality and decrease traffic throughout the Wasatch Front, the commuter rail line and four light rail lines in the Frontlines Program will add 70 miles to UTA's existing 64-mile rail network. This makes Frontlines a key to realizing Utah's vision of greener, more sustainable communities and a better quality of life.

Voter approval

The Frontlines project was originally targeted for completion in 2030, however, in 2004, local elected officials along the Wasatch Front suggested accelerating the implementation of the transit elements of the region's 2030 long-range transportation plan to 2015. In November 2006, Utah County and Salt Lake County residents voted to increase their sales tax by one-quarter of a cent, enabling accelerated delivery of these projects. In addition, three of the five Frontlines light rail projects required no federal funding, thanks to the successful referendum.

 "We are fortunate to live in a region with visionary leaders with titles such as elected official, business or community leader," says Michael Allegra, GM, UTA. "These visionaries not only saw the need, they acted by making a string of hard decisions; decisions that are beginning to pay off. The payoff is being seen with expanded economic growth while maintaining Utah's unique quality of life.

"These leaders challenged us with an aggressive plan for improving the region's transit system as well as provided Utah's traditional intergovernmental cooperation," adds Allegra. "We have enjoyed unparalleled partnerships with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), our two Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and an incredibly supportive board — all making the FrontLines 2015 project a success."

The Airport TRAX Line, a 6-mile light rail extension, currently under construction, will connect to downtown Salt Lake City.

The Airport TRAX Line, a 6-mile light rail extension, currently under construction, will connect to downtown Salt Lake City.

Fully integrated team

Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), as UTA's program manager, teamed with the agency to develop a management plan for the Frontlines 2015 Program that put cooperation and coordination with all stakeholders as a primary goal.

The project delivery method for the 2015 program includes both design-build (D/B) and construction management/general contractor (CM/GC) contracts to accelerate the entire process.

"The designers and contractors selected for the program were chosen using a best-value process rather than a low-bid process," explains Kevin Cox, Frontlines program manager for PB. "This approach allowed the UTA/PB program management team to select firms that were committed to partnering on all aspects of the program."

The result was a fully integrated project team comprising owner/designer/contractor components able to capitalize on the group synergy for improved communications, daily operations, decision-making and solutions — including timely responses to design changes/modifications and contractor scheduling issues inherent in the DB and CM/GC process.

"We believe the best value selection process allows us to select design and construction partners who share our vision for the projects and our commitment to the community to build them right," Allegra says. "The design and construction firms that are working with UTA on this program are true partners with us and the communities we serve in meeting our goals for this program."

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At the start of the Frontlines program, UTA and Parsons Brinckerhoff brainstormed for months on how to successfully deliver five rail lines by 2015. The outcome was an innovative approach to contract types, packaging, scheduling and funding.

At the start of the Frontlines program, UTA and Parsons Brinckerhoff brainstormed for months on how to successfully deliver five rail lines by 2015. The outcome was an innovative approach to contract types, packaging, scheduling and funding.

Making tracks

Here is a look at the five Frontlines projects:

The Mid-Jordan TRAX Line. The Mid-Jordan TRAX Line is a 10.6-mile light rail transit (LRT) line that will connect the communities of Murray, Midvale, West Jordan and South Jordan with UTA's existing Sandy/Salt Lake TRAX line. UTA/PB began initial construction activities on the Mid-Jordan line in May 2008. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approved the project's Full Funding Grant Agreement in January 2009. The agreement commits $428 million in federal money to the project. The project also will use some of the local matching funds made available as part of the quarter-cent sales tax increase. After two and a half years of construction, the project is over 90 percent complete. Testing and commissioning of the new line will continue through early 2011. The Mid-Jordan Line will open for passenger service on Aug. 7, 2011. When complete, approximately 19,000 riders per day are expected to make the 46-minute trip to Salt Lake Central Station or the 52-minute trip to the University of Utah.

Airport TRAX Line. The Airport TRAX Line, a 6-mile LRT extension, will connect with the existing TRAX system at the Arena Station in downtown Salt Lake City. It comprises six stations, including a direct transfer to the FrontRunner commuter rail line. When completed, Airport TRAX Line, combined with the University TRAX Line, will connect the top-three trip generators in Utah: Salt Lake City International Airport, University of Utah and downtown Salt Lake City. In the year 2030, it is anticipated the Airport TRAX Line will carry more than 14,000 passengers per day. Construction began on schedule in October 2008 at a projected cost of $250 to $290 million. To keep business and traffic impacts to a minimum, this project is being managed in seven construction segments.

West Valley TRAX Line. The West Valley TRAX Line is a 5.1-mile LRT connecting to the current Sandy Line at 2100 South and ending near West Valley City Hall and includes four new stations. It will provide a smooth interface with existing TRAX service to downtown Salt Lake City, the University of Utah, Ogden and Sandy City, as well as the other lines in the Frontlines program. Construction has been under way since June 2008, and the line is set to open for operations on August 7, 2011.

Draper TRAX Line. The Draper TRAX Line is a 3.8-mile LRT extension from the existing Sandy Civic Center 10000 South Station in Sandy City south to Draper City. The final environmental impact statement was completed in July 2010 and approved by the FTA in September 2010. UTA/PB are working with the contractor and third parties to remove existing UPRR track, relocate utilities and prepare the corridor for major construction to begin in 2011. Construction of the line is anticipated to be complete in 2013, extending high-quality, high-capacity transit service in the highly congested north-south travel corridor between Draper and downtown Salt Lake City.

FrontRunner South. The FrontRunner South commuter rail line will add commuter rail service from the Provo Intermodal Center to the Salt Lake Central Station in downtown Salt Lake City. UTA opened the first phase of the FrontRunner commuter rail system in April 2008. The FrontRunner South line will be located in a 45-mile stretch of existing Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) corridor and will have six stations with the possibility of adding two future stations. When complete, FrontRunner South will allow passengers to travel from Provo to Salt Lake in just under one hour. UTA broke ground on the FrontRunner South project in August 2008. The project features more than 50 structures and 34 public at-grade crossings. As of early 2011, project construction is 70 percent complete. After construction is complete, the line will be tested for safety and systems integration. The FrontRunner South line will be operational and open to the public in 2014.

Seventy-seven new light rail vehicles have been purchased for use on the Frontlines light rail projects. Seven locomotives, 10 cab cars and 18 coaches were purchased for the FrontRunner commuter rail extension.

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UTA opened the first phase of the FrontRunner commuter rail system in April 2008. When completed the FR South line will allow passengers to travel from Provo to Salt Lake City in just under an hour.

UTA opened the first phase of the FrontRunner commuter rail system in April 2008. When completed the FR South line will allow passengers to travel from Provo to Salt Lake City in just under an hour.

Creative packaging, delivery

At the start of the Frontlines program, UTA and PB brainstormed for months on how to successfully deliver five rail lines by 2015. The outcome was an innovative approach to contract types, packaging, scheduling and funding.

"The fundamental philosophy for selecting design and construction teams is best value, with an emphasis on project managers and teams with a proven record of collaboration and innovation to deliver projects," Cox says. "Teams must demonstrate the ability to integrate with UTA and have open dialogue, including open-book cost negotiations at all stages of the project."

The budget for the UTA/PB program management staff is 3 percent of the program cost. This is achieved by structuring the program with very few contracts; the contracts shift much of the construction management responsibility for quality and safety to the contractors.

The results of this effort are three major construction packages with alternative delivery methods: The Mid-Jordan LRT/Draper LRT projects, delivered as one D/B procurement using best value selection with negotiated price; FrontRunner South commuter rail, delivered as a CM/GC contract using best value selection with a negotiated guaranteed maximum price; and West Valley LRT/Airport LRT project, delivered as a CM/GC contract using best value selection with a negotiated price.

To achieve key goals, UTA/PB established a contractor incentive program, which rewards the contractor for performance in areas such as safety and quality based on quarterly reviews.

Subsequently, the contractors established "return incentives," which provided monetary incentives from the contractors back to UTA if the UTA/PB program management team reduces the contractors' risk and enables them to meet their milestone goals. The UTA/PB program management team has done its part by expediting utilities, ROW acquisitions and other key logistical processes.

[PAGEBREAK]Model of cooperation

In 2002, UTA bought $185 million worth of property from UPRR as the corridor for the 90-mile FrontRunner commuter rail line and the Mid-Jordan and Draper TRAX lines. This purchase was a keystone of the Frontlines right-of-way (ROW) acquisition process.

"The purchase of right-of-way from Union Pacific Railroad and the success in the subsequent design and construction of commuter rail and light rail in these active freight rail corridors demonstrates the strong partnership between UPRR and UTA," Allegra says.

According to Cox, the relationship between UTA and UPRR has also facilitated construction. "The cooperation and partnering that UTA and UPRR have developed over the years has been a boon during construction allowing more work to progress than would normally occur, resulting in significant savings in time and money," he says.

Solving R.O.W. challenges

ROW acquisition is always a difficult aspect of a transit expansion program. One of the greatest challenges of Frontlines was the need to simultaneously acquire the necessary right-of-way from 1,350 ownerships spread over the area covered by the five proposed rail lines. Moreover, UTA does not have the power of eminent domain and must "borrow" that authority from a local government or the Utah DOT. This added processing time to every condemned parcel. To overcome this hurdle, UTA adopted a strategy of creative problem solving to avoid going to condemnation. This included working with property owners through the State Ombudsman's Office, ordering as many as three appraisals to verify values when necessary, negotiating permits to enter and construct while the ROW process continued, and effective face-to-face communication to explain the project's impacts and benefits.

"Right-of-way acquisition is a huge risk to any major transit project," Allegra says. "The potential for cost overruns and construction delays is high if this work is not managed properly. Our right-of-way team coordinated closely with the designers and contractors to get the access to the properties when we needed it. Sometimes, we determined that it was more cost effective to modify the design to minimize the impacts of acquisition."

The Frontlines 2015 Program was named Project of the Year for 2010 by the International Right of Way Association.

Project control system

UTA historically tracked projects using Excel, with no direct connection to the accounting department. For the Frontlines program, UTA challenged PB to develop a project control system for all UTA projects that was integrated into the agency's accounting system (JD Edwards), scheduling program (Primavera) and document management system (SIRE).

PB and UTA chose to deliver a Web-based solution using Microsoft ASP.NET and SQL Server. PB took the lead in developing the product from conception to implementation and continues to provide support for maintenance and continued increased functionality. The system integrates project control functions into one application. The final product is a customized program for UTA, called Integrated Project Control System (IPCS) that is used by project managers, project controls specialists, accountants and administrators. In addition to the Web-based PMIS portal, UTA upper management has the ability to access real-time, key financial information via their iPhones.

Concurrent with the Airport TRAX Line project, Salt Lake City is planning on incorporating "Great Street" principles into North Temple Street. This will become a gateway into the city with upgraded lighting, pedestrian and bicycle amenities, and public art. The project also includes the construction of a welcome center just outside Terminal One of the Salt Lake City International Airport.

The Frontlines Program is arguably the only multiple transit-line program in the country that is successfully delivering on commitments promised to the public with early completion and almost certainly under budget. This is a tribute to UTA's culture of collaboration among all parties: UTA staff, PB program management staff, designers, contractors, cities, DOTs and other third-party stakeholders.

 

 

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