EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: March 1, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Jaime M. Fontes, City Manager
BY: Humza Javed, City Engineer
Kamal Fallaha, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: University Avenue/101 Pedestrian Overcrossing Project, 100% Plans, Specifications, and Estimate
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution approving the Plans, Specifications, and Estimate for the University Avenue/101 Pedestrian Overcrossing Project (“Project”) and authorize the City Manager to advertise the Project to solicit bids for the construction phase.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Priority No. 1: Enhance Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Priority No. 2: Enhance Economic Vitality
Priority No. 4: Improve Public Facilities and Infrastructure Priority No. 6: Create a Healthy and Safe Community
Background
The University Avenue/101 Pedestrian Overcrossing Project (project) proposes to improve the connectivity for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as relieving traffic congestion for the motorists at the interchange. On September 2, 2014, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 4544 approving a contract with URS (now known as AECOM) in the amount of $924, 979 to perform design services related to the project. The project was environmentally cleared in November 2017.
The project would construct a 12-foot-wide Class I pedestrian and bicycle facility that includes a new pedestrian/bicycle overcrossing (POC) along the north side of the US 101/University Avenue overcrossing. The overcrossing would be a 4-span structure approximately 560 feet long. On the east side of the freeway, a Class I facility would be constructed from the south side of the northbound US 101/University Avenue loop off-ramp to the new structure. The facility would be constructed over a new embankment with side slopes of 4 to 1 or flatter. On the west side of the interchange, a 12-foot-wide Class I facility would be constructed from the structure to the northeast corner of the intersection of University Avenue and Woodland Avenue. The existing sidewalk would be converted to a landscaped buffer between the Class I facility and University Avenue. In order to minimize right-of-way impacts, the project proposes to narrow the southbound University Avenue left and right turn lanes at Woodland Avenue from 12 feet to 11 feet wide and reduce the minimum median width from 6 feet to 4 feet.
The northbound US 101 to southbound University Avenue loop off-ramp would be realigned to square up with University Avenue with a tighter radius-curve for pedestrian and bicyclist safety enhancement. Additionally, the project includes improvements to the southbound 101 off-ramp to improve traffic flow and reduce traffic conflicts.
On March 28, 2019, the City split the project into two separate construction packages based on feedback from the San Mateo County Transportation Authority in order manage the two separate scopes. The first package (Package 1) would construct the southbound US 101/University Avenue off-ramp widening and the northbound US 101/University Avenue loop off-ramp realignment, while the second contract (Package 2), would construct the pedestrian overcrossing and the Class 1 facility along the north side of University Avenue.
Analysis
Over the course of the last two years, City staff along with its consultant AECOM has been working on the following specific items: design changes based on updates to new seismic design standards; modifications to the northbound off-ramp next to the proposed north side of the overcrossing in order to reduce potential conflicts with pedestrians and bicyclists; addition of a new lane to the existing southbound off-ramp based on results from the traffic analysis to improve traffic flow; additional roadway reconstruction area; relocation of street lights; coordination of overcrossing alignment with University Circle, and traffic signal modifications.
The City worked with AECOM to submit an encroachment permit application package to Caltrans for Package 1 improvements which included the northbound loop off-ramp realignment and southbound ramp widening in April 2020. Additionally, the encroachment permit application for Package 2 was submitted to Caltrans in January 2022. Caltrans is in the process of reviewing the encroachment permit package. The final design package ready for bidding will include both packages.
The current tentative schedule for the project is as follows:
May 2022 Caltrans approve the encroachment permit
June 8, 2022 Advertise the project for construction bids July 6, 2022 Open Bids
July 19, 2022 City Council award of construction contract October 2022 Start of Construction
December 2023 Construction completion
Through May of 2022, staff will be working with the various funding agencies including Caltrans, County of San Mateo/Santa Clara, and Samtrans to complete all funding agreements, permits, and project approvals that are required to be completed prior to advertising the project for construction. This work has been underway with Caltrans for several months.
At its February 16, 2022 Public Works and Transportation Commission (PWTC) meeting, the PWTC recommended to the City Council, approval of the 100% Plans, specifications and Estimate package. The 100% plans are located at the following link:
<https://www.cityofepa.org/publicworks/project/university-avenue101-pedestrian-overcrossingproject> Fiscal Impact
The updated cost estimate is summarized as follows:
POC + Class I + N/B Off Ramp + S/B Off Ramp $10,900,000 10% Contingency $1,100,000
Design Services during Construction $480,000
Construction Management $1,800,000
Total Estimate: $14,300,000
Construction funds have been secured as follows:
Measure A San Mateo County Transportation Authority (TA) $4,892,500 Federal Earmark $771,000
Stanford Recreation Mitigation Grant $1,000,000
Measure W $5,700,000
LPP Discretionary funds $2,300,000
Total funding secured $14,663,500
Public Notice
The public was provided notice of this agenda item by posting the City Council agenda on the City’s official bulletin board outside City Hall and making the agenda and report available at the City’s website and at the San Mateo Co. Library located at 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
Environmental
This Project is cleared both CEQA and NEPA.
Attachments
1. Resolution