Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 4.E
Meeting Date: August 26, 2026
From: John A. Corella, Director of Public Works
Title: Award a Professional Services Agreement to Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to Develop the Safe Streets for All Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan, and the Safe Routes to School Plan
RECOMMENDATION:
Award a Professional Services Agreement to Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. in a not-to- exceed amount of $400,576.12 for preparation of the City’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan, and Safe Routes to School Plan; approve a 14.53 percent contingency in the amount of $58,218.48 for unforeseen costs and optional services; approve a total project budget of $468,794.60, which includes the previously authorized NAI Consulting, Inc. Task Order in a not-to-exceed amount of $10,000.00 for project management services; authorize the City Engineer to approve amendments to the Professional Services Agreement within the approved contingency amount; and authorize the City Manager to execute the Agreement and all required contract documents.
BACKGROUND:
The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program provides funding to support local agencies in developing comprehensive transportation safety plans that implement the Safe System Approach and reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries for all roadway users. A Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP) serves as the foundation for identifying transportation safety priorities, developing evidence-based safety strategies, and positioning agencies to compete for future federal implementation funding.
In March 2026, the City of Cathedral City was awarded funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP), along with supplemental planning efforts including an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan and a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Plan. These integrated planning efforts will establish a comprehensive framework to improve transportation safety, accessibility, and multimodal mobility throughout the city while advancing the city's long-term goal of eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries.
As part of the SS4A planning effort, the city recently completed and adopted an update to its Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) in June 2026. The LRSP includes a comprehensive analysis of roadway collision data, identification of high-risk corridors and intersections, and recommended systemic and location-specific safety countermeasures. The adopted LRSP serves as the technical foundation for development of the CSAP and related planning efforts.
The selected consultant will build upon and refine the LRSP findings, as necessary, to satisfy FHWA SS4A requirements and develop a comprehensive implementation strategy.
The CSAP will serve as the city's overarching transportation safety framework by incorporating the findings of the ADA Transition Plan and SRTS Plan into a unified implementation strategy. Together, these planning documents will establish a data-driven approach to improving roadway safety, enhancing accessibility for individuals with disabilities, increasing safety for students walking and bicycling to school, and positioning the city to pursue future federal implementation funding opportunities.
DISCUSSION:
The City issued a Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/P) seeking a qualified consulting firm with demonstrated experience preparing Comprehensive Safety Action Plans, ADA Transition Plans, Safe Routes to School Plans, multimodal transportation planning studies, public outreach programs, and projects funded through the Federal Highway Administration's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program.
The selected consultant will prepare three integrated planning documents over an approximately twenty-four (24) month performance period, including the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, ADA Transition Plan, and Safe Routes to School Plan. Major project tasks include:
Project management and coordination with city staff and stakeholders. Development of project goals, objectives, and performance records. Preparation of Comprehensive Safety Action Plan consistent with FHWA Safe System Approach guidance.
Preparation of ADA Transition Plan, including field assessments of public right of ways, public facilities, and parks.
Preparation of Safe Routes to School Plan, including school walk audits and parent surveys.
Development of prioritized safety improvements, implementation strategies, planning- level cost estimates, and potential funding opportunities.
The RFQ/P was published on the city’s website on June 26, 2026, and advertised in the Desert Sun. Proposals were due July 27, 2026. The city received proposals from the following companies:
Company Location
Minagar & Associates, Inc. Laguna Hills, CA
Linscott, Law & Greenspan, Engineers, Inc. Pasadena, CA Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc. Palm Desert, CA
Iteris Almaviva Group, Inc. Santa Ana, CA
TJKM Transportation Consultants Pleasanton, CA
Proposals were evaluated in accordance with the selection procedures established in the RFQ/P. The proposals were reviewed by an evaluation panel consisting of city staff from the Engineering, Financial Services, Building, and Fire Departments. Each proposal was evaluated based upon the consultant's qualifications, project understanding, technical approach, experience with similar projects, project team, public engagement approach, and ability to successfully deliver the required planning documents. A summary of the proposal evaluation is included as Attachment 1.
Following a thorough review of the proposals, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. (Kimley Horn) was determined to be the most qualified and responsive consultant based upon its demonstrated experience with FHWA SS4A planning projects, CSAP, ADA Transition Plans, SRTS planning, multimodal transportation safety analysis, and public engagement.
Following completion of evaluations, the cost proposal submitted by Kimley Horn was opened and reviewed in accordance with applicable federal procurement requirements. Staff determined the proposed fee to be fair and reasonable for the scope of services and consistent with current market rates.
In addition to the cost proposal for the scope of services, Kimley-Horn included several optional services, including:
Pop-up events
Additional stakeholder outreach
Additional ADA data collection
Interactive mapping software
Staff recommend authorizing the remaining available grant funding and corresponding programmed city match as a project contingency to allow the project management team to evaluate the optional services as the project progresses and determine which services will provide the greatest value toward successful completion of the project.
Therefore, staff recommend that City Council Award a Professional Services Agreement to Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. in a not-to-exceed amount of $400,576.12 for preparation of the City’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan, and Safe Routes to School Plan; approve a 14.53 percent contingency in the amount of $58,218.48 for unforeseen costs and optional services; approve a total project budget of $468,794.60, which includes the previously authorized NAI Consulting, Inc. Task Order in a not-to-exceed amount of $10,000.00 for project management services; authorize the City Engineer to approve amendments to the Professional Services Agreement within the approved contingency amount; and authorize the City Manager to execute the Agreement and all required contract documents.
The Professional Services Agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., including the scope of work, compensation by task, applicable labor rates, and required federal funding provisions, is included as Attachment 2.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Comprehensive Safety Action Plan project is funded through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program. The project was awarded a total budget of $499,700.00, consisting of an 80 percent federal share and a 20 percent local match, programmed in the 5-Year Capital Improvement Plan with Measure A funds.
Following execution of the SS4A Grant Agreement, a portion of the costs associated with preparation of the city's Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) became eligible for reimbursement under the grant. Because the city initiated the LRSP update prior to execution of the grant agreement to meet Caltrans Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) requirements, only costs incurred after execution of the grant agreement were eligible for reimbursement. As a result, $24,635.52 in SS4A grant funds and $6,269.88 in Measure A local matching funds have been expended to date for eligible LRSP activities. The remaining $19,616.47 in LRSP costs was incurred prior to execution of the SS4A Grant Agreement and was funded through the Engineering Division's Professional and Technical Services budget.
Project Funding Summary
Funding Source Original Budget Expended Remaining
FHWA SS4A Grant (80%) $399,760.00 ($24,635.52) $375.124.48 Measure A Local Match (20%) $99,940.00 ($6,269.88) $93,670.12 Total Project Budget $499,700.00 ($30,905.40) $468,794.60 The cost proposal submitted by Kimley Horn is in the amount of $400,576.12. Staff recommends approval of a 14.53 percent contingency of $58,218.48 to address unforeseen costs that may arise during completion of the project or for the optional additional services that Kimley Horn proposes. In addition, the project budget includes a previously authorized task order with NAI Consulting, Inc. in an amount not-to-exceed $10,000.00 for grant administration and project management services.
Project Budget Allocation
Description Amount
Professional Services Agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. $400,576.12
14.53% Contingency $58,218.48
NAI Project Management Task Order $10,000.00
Total Project Budget $468,794.60
FISCAL YEAR
DESCRIPTION GENERAL
LEDGER
ACCOUNT
CODES
PROJECT
CODE
AMOUNT ONE TIME or
ONGOING
2026-2027 CIP Funds 331-100-150-
156-8600-8601 C06516 $375,035.68 ONE TIME
2026-2027 Measure A 243-100-156-
8600-8601 C06516 $93,758.92 ONE TIME
2026-2027 Total $468,794.60
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal B- Community Investment
Objective: Cathedral City roads, gateways, public spaces, and other infrastructure are well planned, designed, constructed and maintained.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Evaluation Summary
2. Professional Services Agreement with Kimley Horn