Staff Report
City Council
Item No. {{section.number}}.J
Meeting Date: August 14, 2024
From: John A. Corella, Director of Public Works
Title: Approval of the Reimbursement Agreement between CVAG and the City of Cathedral City for the CVAG Varner Road I-10 Bypass Feasibility Study RECOMMENDATION:
To approve a reimbursement agreement between the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) and the City of Cathedral City (City) for the CVAG Varner Road I-10 Bypass Feasibility Study; and authorize the City Manager to execute the Agreement; and approve funding for the agreement obligations in an amount not to exceed $86,463.47.
BACKGROUND:
For years, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) has planned for the regional synchronization of traffic signals, the modernization and standardization of hardware and software, and the implementation of intelligent transportation system infrastructure (ITS) in the Coachella Valley. In 2015, CVAG released its request for proposals (RFP) for the signal synchronization project (CV Sync) identifying three primary corridors, Highway 111, Washington Street and Ramon Road, and 18 secondary corridors for traffic signal synchronization upgrades.
The CV Sync Project consists of upgrading the existing traffic signal controllers, traffic management systems, and communication systems within local agencies. The upgrades include the latest off-the-shelf technologies in order to provide inter-agency traffic signal synchronization.
In February 2018, the CVAG Executive Committee approved the Master Plan for CV Sync.
In February 2021, the CVAG Executive Committee awarded the construction of Phase I of the CV Sync project.
Phase I of the project was completed in June 2023 and is now operational and spans over the three primary regional corridors: Highway 111, Ramon Road and Washington Street. The project improvements included advanced traffic management systems (ATMS), advanced transportation controllers (ATC), selected Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) elements, ITS sub-systems, and Ethernet/IP-based communications that will be expandable and scalable for future integration of ITS technologies and strategies, such as integrated corridor management (ICM), Smart Cities, and connected and autonomous vehicles.
In addition, Phase I of CV Sync project included a regional traffic management center (RTMC) and local traffic operation centers (TOC) that have the capability to monitor, and control connected traffic signals, and provide analytical data to help determine regional system enhancements, operations, and maintenance.
In December 2022, the CVAG Executive Committee awarded the construction of Phase II of the CV Sync project to upgrade the following corridors: Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Canyon Drive, Sunrise Way, Gene Autry Trail, Vista Chino, Date Palm Drive, Dinah Shore Drive, Bob Hope Drive, Monterey Avenue, Portola Avenue, Cook Street, Country Club Drive, Fred Waring Drive, Jefferson Street, Monroe Street, Jackson Street, Avenue 48 & Avenue 50.
This phase is under construction, and it is scheduled to be completed by December 2025.
Due to the regional effects of Tropical Storm Hilary in August 2023, CVAG staff launched Phase III of CV Sync by including Varner Road in its capacity as a bypass to Interstate 10.
Varner Road is primarily a two-lane roadway with its own history of flooding and logistical problems. Varner Road proved to be a critical route after Tropical Storm Hilary struck the Coachella Valley with an unprecedented destructive force in August 2023. The City of Cathedral City and other jurisdictions declared a state of emergency, dozens of roads were closed across the region, and Interstate 10 was shut down in both directions at several locations. Thousands of cars and trucks were detoured from the highway and onto a bypass route that extended from Washington Street to Palm Drive in Desert Hot Springs by utilizing Varner Road.
DISCUSSION:
On September 19, 2023, CVAG staff advertised a request for proposals (RFP) for professional engineering and intelligent transportation systems engineering for Varner Road Improvements. RFP proposals were due by October 31, 2023.
A selection committee was assembled to review the proposals. The committee included CVAG, Riverside County, Caltrans District 8, and the cities of Cathedral City and Palm Desert. Dokken Engineering was the consensus choice for contract negotiations.
Discussions over the scope and cost proposal were completed on Friday, November 17, 2024.
At the December 4, 2023, CVAG joint meeting of the Executive and Transportation Committees, CVAG approved the Phase III of CV Sync and the Varner Road Improvements project. CVAG staff was also authorized to negotiate and execute reimbursement agreements with local jurisdictions, including the County of Riverside and the Cities of Indio and Cathedral City, for work related to an additional I-10 bypass and feasibility study.
CV SYNC Phase III Improvements will extend along a 22-mile stretch of Varner Road and will be fully designed with final plans, specifications and cost estimate (PSE). The final PSE is scheduled to be completed in March 2025.
Consistent with CV Sync phases I and II, CVAG will provide 100% of the costs associated with the Phase III of CV Sync project.
CVAG has agreed to be the lead agency for the Varner Road improvements, which extend from Palm Drive to Avenue 42. The proposed improvements required to establish Varner Road as the de-facto bypass to I-10 during emergency/incident management events will be carefully evaluated with potential projects, impacts, and costs to be summarized in a Varner Road Improvements feasibility study.
CVAG will provide 75% of the costs associated with Varner Road Improvements feasibility study. The remaining 25% to be funded with local shares was calculated by considering Varner Road overall miles, overall signals, overall drainage issue miles within the study area, and distributed between the City of Cathedral City, Riverside County and the City of Indio.
CVAG staff has prepared a reimbursement agreement for the Varner Road Improvements feasibility study between CVAG and the City of Cathedral City, for the city to reimburse CVAG
15.4% of the 25% local share for the design costs.
Staff are requesting that the City Council approve a reimbursement agreement between the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) and the City of Cathedral City (City) for the CVAG Varner Road I-10 bypass feasibility study; and, authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement; and, approve to fund the agreement obligations in the amount not to exceed $86,463.47 with available funds from FY 2024-2025 Budget, Engineering Professional and Technical Service Fund, account number 100-100-150-156-8600-8601.
FISCAL IMPACT:
DESCRIPTION GENERAL
LEDGER
ACCOUNT
CODES
PROJECT
CODE
AMOUNT ONE TIME or
ONGOING
2024-2025
CVAG
Reimbursement
Agreement
100-100-150-
156-8600-8601 C0XXXX $86,463.47 ONE TIME
2024-2025 Total $86,463.47
Dokken Engineering proposal for the Varner Road Improvements feasibility study is in the amount of $2,245,804.50.
The Varner Road Improvements feasibility study will be 75% financed by CVAG and the remaining 25% (Local Share) will be distributed between the City of Cathedral City, Riverside County and the City of Indio per the attached agreement with CVAG.
Dokken Engineering Varner I-10 Bypass $2,245,804.50
CVAG $1,684,353.38 (75%)
Local Share $ 561,451.13 (25%)
Local shares are calculated by considering Varner Road overall miles, overall signals, overall drainage issue miles within the study area, and distributed between the City of Cathedral City, Riverside County and the City of Indio as shown below.
Road
Miles %
Number
of
Signals
%
Drainage
Issue
Miles
%
Avg.
Overall
%
Riverside County 11.0 67.7 14 87.5 8.5 73.1 76.1
Cathedral City 3.1 19.3 0 0.0 3.1 26.9 15.4
City of Indio 2.1 13.0 2 12.5 0 0 8.5
16.2 100.0 16 100.0 11.6 100 100
Local Share: $561,451.13
Riverside County 76.1% = $427,264.31
Cathedral City 15.4% = $ 86,463.47
City of Indio 8.5% = $ 47,723.35
The City’s contribution to this project is $86,463.47. Staff is requesting approval of a not to exceed amount of $86,463.47 from available funds in FY 2024-2025 Budget Engineering Professional and Technical Services Fund, account number 100-100-156-8600-8601 to fund the agreement obligation.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal B: Community Investment
Objective: Cathedral City roads, gateways, public spaces, and other city infrastructure are well planned, designed, constructed, and maintained.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 1.Reimbursement Agreement by and between CVAG and the City of Cathedral City for the CVAG Varner Road I-10 Bypass Feasibility Study.
2. CVAG Joint Meeting of the Executive and Transportation Committees, December 4, 2023, Staff Report.