Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 2.D
Meeting Date: April 22, 2026
From: John A. Corella, Director of Public Works
Title: Downtown Safety Bollard Project Update
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff is presenting an update to the City Council on the Downtown Safety Bollard Project for information, discussion and direction.
BACKGROUND:
Downtown events have increased in size and frequency, and city staff has needed to regularly close streets and create pedestrian-only areas around City Hall and respective adjacent public spaces. These closures are currently managed using temporary traffic control measures such as cones, delineators, and barricades, all which require significant staff setup and breakdown for each event.
At the City Council’s direction, staff began evaluating a more permanent solution to support event operations, improve consistency, and overall, enhance pedestrian safety in the downtown area. As a result, staff internally formed a workgroup to move the project forward.
At this time staff is providing the City Council with an update on the Downtown Safety Bollard Project, including how the project was originally envisioned and how and why the project has evolved from its original concept.
DISCUSSION:
Project Evaluation
Through interdepartmental coordination with Police, Fire, Public Works, and Special Events, staff evaluated priority locations based on:
Event size and frequency.
Pedestrian volumes and activity levels.
Key vehicular access points into event areas.
Emergency access and response needs.
Opportunities to improve operational efficiency and reduce reliance on temporary closures.
Major downtown events such as the Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival, Cathedral City LGBT+ Days, and Taste of Jalisco were used to identify high-priority locations.
This evaluation ensured that proposed improvements are focused on areas with the greatest impact on public safety and event operations.
The result of this evaluation is the Downtown Safety Bollard Map (Map) attached to this report.
Project Evolution: From Decorative to Safety-Focused
The Downtown Safety Bollard Project was originally developed as a streetscape and operational improvement project, with a focus on installing removable decorative bollards.
These bollards were intended to define pedestrian areas, support temporary street closures, and enhance the visual character of the downtown area.
As staff worked through the planning process with Police, Fire, and Special Events, it became clear the original concept did not fully address the needs of large-scale downtown events. As attendance has grown, so has the need for greater control of vehicle access points, more consistent street closures, and enhanced protection in high pedestrian areas.
Shift to Crash-Rated Bollards
Based on this evaluation, the project shifted from a decorative and traffic-control approach to a public safety-focused approach.
Crash-rated bollards differ from decorative bollards in that they are specifically designed to stop or significantly slow a vehicle, rather than simply guide or restrict traffic. Decorative bollards provide visual definition and basic traffic control, while crash-rated bollards provide a higher level of physical protection.
This shift aligns the project with current best practices for event safety while maintaining flexibility for emergency access and routine operations.
Project Funding and Phased Implementation
Based on the initial decorative bollard concept, the project was originally budgeted at approximately $90,000, consisting of two phases, $40,000 in the current fiscal year (FY) 2025/26 and $50,000 programmed in FY 2026/27.
With the proposed transition to crash-rated bollards, the overall total estimated project cost has increased to approximately $321,000.
To help offset the above increase in cost, staff identified an opportunity to utilize Environmental Conservation (246) funding toward the project. Whereas the downtown area regularly hosts monthly community shredding events and is anticipated to support additional environmental programs and outreach activities, these events require temporary street closures and controlled access. The installation of removable bollards directly supports the operational needs of the city’s environmental programs, establishing a clear nexus to allow the use of Environmental Conservation funds. Thus, staff is proposing to recommend approval of this funding approach, which will require a budget amendment to the Environmental Conservation Fund (246) to support a more complete project implementation. Below is a chart that quantifies what staff will be recommending.
Fiscal
Year
Programmed
Funds
Environmental Funds - 100% Match
(Budget Amendment)
Total Per
Fiscal Year
2025/26 $40,000 $40,000 $ 80,000
2026/27 $50,000 $50,000 $100,000
Total Funding Potentially Available: $180,000
What the Current Funding Allows
The proposed funding of approximately $180,000 for the two (2) fiscal years would allow the city to implement a foundational phase of the Downtown Safety Bollard Project by installing core infrastructure and deploying a portion of the required bollards.
This includes:
1. Installation of 25 in-ground sleeves at priority locations (1–4).
2. The purchase and installation of 17 removable crash-rated bollards. (Please note: Optimally, a total of 25 bollards is required to fully close locations 1-4 and the 8 additional bollards will be discussed later in this report.) The above current funding approach prioritizes installation of permanent street underground infrastructure first, allowing the city to expand and complete the system over time as additional funding becomes available. While these first phase installations and bollard purchases will significantly improve event operations and safety, full closure of all access points will require installation of additional bollards in future phases through upcoming biennial budget cycles.
Please note that supplemental safety enhancements, such as the installation of bollards along surrounding sidewalks, will be introduced in later phases. These future additions may include recycled materials and will integrate decorative qualities supporting both sustainability goals, safety and cost-effective implementation.
Terminology / Cost Components
Bollard: A crash-rated post designed to stop or restrict vehicle access with a protective cover. Cost: $ 2,300.
Sleeve: A permanent in-ground housing that allows bollards to be inserted and removed and the hole covered with a cap. Cost: $1,200.
Concrete installation: Excavation and concrete work required to install sleeves securely.
Cost: $ specific to location.
Please refer:
To the attached Map for a detailed breakdown of locations and the required bollard quantities.
To the Desert Ants Engineering Quote for specific location installation estimate. To the Reliance Foundry Quote for specific costs of Bollard and Sleeves.
Project Quotes and Procurement Considerations
The first quote attached to this staff report is from Reliance Foundry, the supplier of the crash- rated bollards and in-ground sleeves. Staff conducted research to identify alternative manufacturers; however, crash-rated bollards are a specialized product with a limited number of available suppliers. Based on this research, Reliance Foundry is the only manufacturer identified that meets the required crash-rating specifications and product type recommended by the Police Department to meet the city's safety needs.
The second quote is from Desert Ants Engineering, who serves as the city's on call subcontractor for smaller concrete and installation work.
Both quotes include pricing for the full project buildout across all identified locations. However, the current funding only allows for a limited procurement for priority Locations 1 and 3 for FY 2025/2026, and priority Locations 2, 3, and 4 for FY 2026/2027. As cited prior, improvements at remaining locations are proposed to be implemented in phases and brought forward for City Council consideration as part of future biennial budget cycles.
Proposed Current Funding by Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year
2025/26
Infrastructure
(Concrete & Sleeves) Bollards Total Cost
Location 1 $25,980 $21,000 $46,980
Location 3 $31,250 $0.00 $31,250
Total (including contingency) $80,000
Fiscal Year
2026/27
Infrastructure
(Concrete & Sleeves) Bollards Total Cost
Location 2 $40,640 $0.00 $40,640
Location 3 $0.00 $11,500 $11,500
Location 4 $25,980 $21,000 $46,980
Total (including contingency) $100,000
This phased implementation allows the city to activate key locations immediately while continuing to buildout the full system over time.
Proposal to Purchase the 8 Remaining Bollards for this Initial 2 FYs Phase:
As cited previously, the initial phases will be short 8 bollards for a complete bollard installation set up. In the short term, staff is proposing to supplement the missing bollard locations with water filled k-rails, barricades and other forms of delineation to provide pedestrian protection and vehicular cueing.
Alternatively, as cited previously, adding 8 additional bollards to this first phase will provide the optimum scenario and immediate effectiveness for priority locations 1 through 4. As the concrete and sleeves will already be installed at priority locations 1 through 4, the cost of including the purchase of 8 additional bollards is $18,400 total.
If the purchase of the 8 additional bollards is desired by the City Council with the initial phase, the bollard purchases may be divided into the 2 FYs at a cost of $9,200 each year through a budget adjustment with available funds from the 241-400-460-461-8200-8201 (Gas Tax) and 243-400-460-461-8200-8201 (Measure A) funds, respectively. This equals $4,600 from Gas Tax and Measure A funds for both FYs of this phase.
Funding Summary:
The current biennial funding strategy prioritizes installation of core infrastructure while strategically deploying a portion of the required bollards.
This phased approach:
Reduces upfront costs.
Allows immediate operational improvements.
Establishes the infrastructure necessary to expand the system efficiently in future budget cycles.
This approach ensures the city can begin implementing safety improvements now while maintaining flexibility to complete the entire project as additional funding becomes available.
Upcoming Biennial Budget Cycle
Staff are proposing to include the following improvements in the next future biennial budget cycle in order to complete the project:
Infrastructure
(Concrete & Sleeves) Bollards Total Cost
Location 1 – 4 $ 0 $18,4001 $ 18,400
Location 5 $38,970 $31,500 $ 70,470
Location 6 $21,650 $17,500 $ 39,150
Location 7 (Decorative security gate) $ 12,980
Total Budget Estimate $141,000
1 For the purchase of the remaining 8 bollards needed for Locations 1-4. This may be accelerated into the initial phase as described above.
Project Implementation Overview
Initial implementation will include installation of in-ground sleeves/concrete and deployment of removable crash-rated bollards at prioritized downtown locations. Bollards will be spaced in accordance with accessibility and safety standards to maintain pedestrian and ADA- compliant access while preventing unauthorized vehicle entry.
Each phase represents what can be delivered within currently available funding and establishes the foundation for future expansion as additional bollards and locations are funded.
NEXT STEPS:
Upon City Council’s positive consideration to move forward with this project, staff will:
Secure a specific proposal for the purchase of the bollards and sleeves. Secure a specific proposal for the installation of the concrete and sleeves. Return to City Council for approval to approve this phase of the project.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal E: Safety
Objective: Cathedral City is safe for all who live, work, visit, and play in our community.
E-14: Renew and improve our event safety planning, protocols and standards: streets, parking garage, amphitheater, parks and others.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Downtown Safety Bollard Map
2. Reliance Foundry Quote
3. Desert Ants Engineering Quote