Item No.
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
BY: MATTHEW BAUMGARDNER, P.E., DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC
WORKS/ CITY ENGINEER
DATE: JANUARY 28, 2025
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE SOLICITATION OF CONSTRUCTION BIDS FOR THE DOWNEY AVENUE PAVEMENT REHABILITATION PROJECT, CIP NO.
23-03
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council will consider authorizing the solicitation of construction bids for the Downey Avenue Pavement Rehabilitation Project CIP No. 23-03. The proposed pavement and concrete rehabilitation improvements would occur on Downey Avenue between Gallatin Road and Gardendale Street. The project also includes the addition of dedicated Class II Bike Lanes and Class III Bike Route pavement markings (sharrows), as part of the Bicycle Master Plan.
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council:
Approve the plans and specifications, and authorize the solicitation of construction bids, for the Downey Avenue Pavement Rehabilitation Project, CIP No. 23-03.
BACKGROUND
The Downey Avenue Pavement Rehabilitation Project (Project) is based on two different plans, the City’s Pavement Management System (PMS) and the Bicycle Master Plan (BMP). The PMS is the primary tool used to prioritize street pavement rehabilitation projects throughout the City. The City’s PMS evaluates, ranks, and prioritizes each City street segment based on surface conditions (cracking, surface failures, rutting, etc.), pavement structural strength, and other field observations. Street segments earmarked for improvements are identified as priorities based on the condition of the pavement for the given street segment relative to the pavement condition of other street segments throughout the City.
Downey Avenue between Gallatin Road and Gardendale Street has been identified as an arterial street that has deteriorated to a state of disrepair due to severe wear and was
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2 prioritized for pavement rehabilitation by City Council on June 25, 2024. The pavement reconstruction proposed for the subject portion of Downey Avenue will raise the condition of the pavement to an acceptable standard and will extend the life of the infrastructure by 20 years.
In 2015, the City Council adopted its Bicycle Master Plan (BMP). The City received a grant from both Caltrans and Metro to develop and implement the BMP. An initial grant of $250,000 from Caltrans was received and used for the overall BMP development. After the plan was developed and adopted by City Council in 2015, a grant of approximately $2.3 million was received from Metro for implementation of the plans by developing bike lane designs that follow the BMP. The BMP contains a series of approximately 10 miles of bike routes throughout the City intended to provide a network for bike travel in a relatively safe manner to key destinations (i.e., schools) within and outside the City as well as establish connectivity with neighboring jurisdictions and regional bike trails along the Los Angeles, Rio Hondo and San Gabriel Rivers. Downey Avenue is identified in the BMP as a designated bike route for Class II and Class III bike lanes. The proposed rehabilitation of the pavement on Downey Avenue will provide a good opportunity to implement Class II bike lanes within the project limits. The bike lanes on Downey Avenue are also called out as a priority project in Metro’s First-Last Mile (FLM) Plan for the Southeast Gateway Line, which highlights projects that are critical in providing access to the future rail project. In the case of the FLM plan, these bike lanes are considered a priority project because they are within a 3-mile radius of the proposed rail station on Gardendale Avenue. These bike lanes will provide an important access point to the future station from the north.
ANALYSIS
Staff is completing the preparation of plans and specifications for the Project, which includes approximately 903,827 square feet of asphalt and concrete pavement rehabilitation. The specific project improvements include 528,320 square feet of slurry seal application, 360,234 square feet of grind and overlay, and 15,273 square feet of full- depth asphalt concrete (AC) repairs. Additionally, 11,029 square feet of Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) sidewalk and 1,736 square feet of roadway will be replaced to address deteriorated or non-standard conditions. The project will also replace 61 curb ramps to comply with the latest Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Damaged or uplifted curb and gutter, cross gutters, sidewalks, driveway approaches, and curb access ramps will also be reconstructed as part of these improvements to ensure full ADA compliance.
The project also supports active transportation goals through the implementation of bicycle infrastructure improvements, as identified in the BMP. This includes the installation of 15,590 feet of dedicated Class II bike lanes and 11,253 feet of Class III bike route pavement markings (sharrows), enhancing connectivity and promoting sustainable
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3 transportation options (Attachment A). Class II bike lanes are delineated lanes, 3-feet in width. Class III bike routes are distinguished from Class II bike lanes in that they are shared bicycle/vehicle paths. The Class III shared bike route is called out by placing the bicycle icon and chevrons (sharrow) on the pavement. A sharrow, shown below, indicates that the lane is to be shared by vehicles and bicycles and is part of the bike network.
Downey Avenue currently has two lanes of travel in both directions with the exception of the downtown area between Firestone Boulevard and 5th Street. In order to provide dedicated bike lanes, certain sections of Downey Avenue will be reduced from two lanes of travel in each direction down to one lane in each direction. However, in these areas, one painted center median will be added between these lanes. These painted medians are referred to as Road Diets and they allow for safe and efficient left turn movements from Downey Avenue into residential and commercial driveways. They also allow motorists that need to make left turns from residential and commercial driveways to safely pull into the painted median area and transition into traffic when it is safe to do so.
Currently, without a road diet, motorists making these types of left turn movements have to do so while under pressure from motorists behind them. This type of pressure without a protected median can lead to broadside collisions by motorists quickly trying to rush their left turn movements. The following diagrams outline the change from two lanes in each direction to a one lane plus road diet approach:
In the “before” diagram there is space for on street parking and two lanes in each direction. The “after” diagram shows the protected center median that allows motorists to pull in for safe left turn movements, one lane of travel in each direction, as well as the
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4 delineated Class 2 bike lanes. It is important to note that the bike lanes will not remove any existing on street parking.
While it might seem that reducing a lane in each direction is going to create a significant back-up of traffic, it is worth noting that this type of road diet approach is only used when the existing measured volume of traffic can support one lane of traffic in each direction.
That is, the design would not propose reducing travel lanes along heavily trafficked arterials roads. Under the road diet design, the lanes return to the “before” configuration 200 feet before and after intersections.
The road diet design will be implemented in residential areas between Gardendale Avenue and Alameda Street, as well as between 7th Street and Gallatin Road. It will also be used for a short stretch of Downey Avenue between Cleta Street and Nance Street.
Class III shared bike routes will be used through intersections, and between Firestone Boulevard and 7th Street. Class II and Class III will be used together between Alameda Street and Cleta Street, but will not result in the use of road diets. This area is more mixed use between residential and commercial.
In order to educate the public on the design change on Downey Avenue, a community outreach effort will take place to demonstrate the purpose and need for the proposed bike lanes. Staff will distribute the outreach materials consisting of a fact sheet and map that will highlight the location and benefits of the bike lanes. The fact sheet will also be disseminated through the City’s social media page to residents and key stakeholders in the vicinity of the project limits so they will be aware of this component of the project and be given an opportunity to comment.
Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2025, with completion anticipated by July 2025.
This Project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Section 15301(c), Existing Facilities.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Quality of Life, Safety & Infrastructure
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended action will result in an expenditure of $1,898,892 of budgeted Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), from a Metro Bike Master Plan Implementation Grant, Measure M, SB1, and Prop C Local Return funds to cover the total estimated project costs (breakdown listed in table below). Depending on actual bids received, a detailed project cost summary will be provided at the time of award of the construction contract for this project.
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5 Description Amount
Design and Preliminary Engineering $158,263
Construction Contract (Estimated) $1,527,937
Contingencies (10%) $152,800
Construction Inspection and Materials Testing $40,000
Construction Engineering and Contract Administration $20,000 Total Estimated Project Cost: $1,899,000
There is sufficient fund balance for the recommended actions. The budgeted CIP funds for this project are Metro Bike Master Plan Implementation Grant, Measure M, SB1, and Prop C Local Return funds as provided in the table below.
Account No. Funding Source Amount
26-1-6765 Metro Bike Master Plan Implementation Grant $452,757 57-1-6765 Measure M Local Return Fund $113,189
32-1-6882 SB1 Local Return Fund $746,054
54-1-6882 Prop C Local Return Fund $587,000
Total Project Funding: $1,899,000
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Project Location Map
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6 ATTACHMENT A – PROJECT LOCATION MAP