ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: June 10, 2026 AGENDA CATEGORY: Deferred Business TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Zachary Meyer, Public Works Director
DATE: May 11, 2026
SUBJECT: ‘H’ Street Corridor Improvements Project:
1. Accept bid and approve contract with Griffith Company for $14,372,735.00
2. Authorize staff to approve, as necessary, up to $300,000.00 in City-Controlled contingency for unforeseen conditions during the construction of said project.
3. Approve Amendment No. 2 to Agreement No. 2023-054 with Quad Knopf, Inc. dba QK (increasing compensation $150,100; revised not to exceed $947,435.00) for Engineering Design Services for the Corridor Improvements along 'H' Street - State Route 58 to State Route 204 Project (Ward 2)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends acceptance of the bid and appr oval of contract, approval of the City -controlled contingency, and approval of the amendment.
BACKGROUND:
The ‘H’ Street Corridor Improvements Project was initially approved in fiscal year 2022/2023 to design and implement Complete Streets Improvements including roadway reconfiguration, pavement grind and overlay, enhanced pedestrian, cyclist and other multimodal safety and capacity improvements; improved signage, lighting, and drainage; pavement markings; and aesthetic improvements to landscaping and hardscaping along H Street stretching from SR58 to SR204. Staff secured Quad Knopf, Inc. (QK) for the design and preparation of construction documents for this project.
In 2022, Staff applied for construction funding through the Active Transportation Progr am (ATP) – Cycle
6. The initial scope was primarily to add new, dedicated Class II bike lanes throughout the project corridor, along with other striping and pedestrian safety improvements. As staff moved further into the design phase, it was determined that to accommodate the dedicated bike lanes, the cross section would need to be significantly altered by reducing the number of travel lanes . After reviewing traffic volumes for the corridor, a roadway reconfiguration was utilized to make room for the proposed bike facilities, with major intersections (California Ave, Brundage Ln, and Truxtun Ave) retaining their 4 travel lane configuration.
In 2023, Staff applied for additional construction funding through the Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) P rogram, administered by the Kern Council of Governments. The City was awarded approximately $11 million in Federal CMAQ funding in Fiscal Year 24/25. Staff completed the required Preliminary Environmental Survey and Hot Spot Analysis and received a NEPA Categorical Exemption on April 8, 2025.
A number of public outreach events were completed at various stages of design completion in an effort to both inform constituents of the upcoming corridor redesign and gather feedback on the design choices.
In December 2024, Staff held three (3) community outreach meetings in Council Chambers, each focused on a specific section of the corridor, inviting community members for a presentation on the proposed improvements and design criteria, as well as answer sp ecific questions regarding said improvements.
Prior to advertising the construction documents, Staff partnered with Blue Zones Project to hold a final community outreach meeting, exhibiting the final design for the corridor and answering questions about construction timelines, phasing, and public impact. This meeting was held on January 12 th, 2026 at Bakersfield High School.
Item No. 1: This project has a Final Bidder’s List. Six (6) contractors responded to Staff’s Request for Statements of Qualifications, posted on March 26, 2026. All six (6) were approved and placed on the Final Bidder’s List. On May 14, 2026, a total of four (4) bids were received. The four (4) responsive bids are as follows:
Griffith Company In the amount of $14,372,735.00
1128 Carrier Parkway Ave
Bakersfield, CA 93308
J.L. Plank, Inc. In the amount of $15,299,999.00
dba Cen-Cal Construction
31207 Denbeste Ct
Shafter, CA 93263
Bowman Asphalt, Inc. In the amount of $16,071,700.00 3333 Gibson St
Bakersfield, CA 93308
C.A. Rasmussen, Inc. In the amount of $20,054,041.95 28548 Livingston Ave
Valencia, CA 91355
Staff recommends awarding the bid and contract to lowest responsible bidder, Griffith Company.
Item No. 2: Bakersfield Municipal Code section 3.20.105(E) authorizes Public Works Contract Amendments to be executed via Change Order, provided that Change Orders which exceed $25,000 must be approved by the City Council. Staff is requesting pre -approval of up to $ 300,000 for City-controlled contingency for unforeseen conditions encountered during construction of this project, to be executed via authorized Change Order(s). Any cost which exceeds the City approved contingency, cumulative or otherwise, would require action and approval from the City Council. This City-controlled contingency will save staff time by not having to prepare multiple Council r eports for individual routine change orders throughout the project, should they arise. All remaining contingency funds not used will be returned to the fund balance at the end of the project.
Item No. 3: On February 22, 2023, the City and QK entered into Agreement No. 2023-054 in the amount of Four Hundred Thirty -One Thousand, Eighty-Five Dollars ($431,085) to provide design services for the Corridor Improvements along H Street-State Route 58 to State Route 204 Project.
On January 22, 2025, the City and QK entered into Amendment No. 1 in the amount of Three Hundred Sixty-Six Thousand, Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($366,250 ) to provide additional design services to accommodate the expanded design scope resulting from the award of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant funding for the construction of the project. This amendment enabled the project to address increased requirements and enhance its overall impact on improving air quality and reducing congestion, including bike lanes and roundabouts at appropriate intersections.
The City and QK desire to enter into Amendment No. 2 to expand the scope of work to include additional design review and adjustments to the plans after public feedback and increase compensation in the amount of One Hundred Fifty Thousand, One Hundred Dollars ($150,100), for a total compensation of Nine Hundred Forty-Seven Thousand, Four Hundred Thirty Five Dollars ($947,435.00).
FISCAL IMPACT:
This project (T3K325) has a total budget of $16,905,806 and is funded through a combination of State and Federal ATP Funding ($3,154,000) , CMAQ Funding ($ 11,059,158), General Fund ($300,188), PSVS ($931,345), and State Gas Tax ($1,461,115) . Sufficient fund s are available to award the construction contract, cover the contingency, and amend the design agreement.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Reliable Infrastructure
Safety and Resilience
Community Character & Quality of Life
Innovative and Efficient City Government
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Agreement
2. Amendment