STAFF REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of April 25, 2023
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBMITTED BY: Michael Roberts, Public Works Director/City Engineer SUBJECT: Award of a Construction Contract in the amount of $1,488,622 for the Willow/Palm Sidewalk Connector Project RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a construction contract with R&S Construction Management in the amount of $1,488,622 for the Willow/Palm Sidewalk Connector Project, authorizing an additional expenditure of up to $148,862 for a 10% contingency on said construction contract, for a total not to exceed amount of $1,637,484.
BACKGROUND:
Closing the gap in the pedestrian network between the Hercules Transit Center (HTC) and the neighborhoods in northeast Hercules and unincorporated County has been a high priority for many years. Currently residents have to walk in the roadway of Willow Avenue and Palm Avenue or the adjacent grassy embankment to reach this critical transportation center, which is owned by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and served by WestCat. WestCat provides bus service to the Del Norte BART Station, local service, and the Lynx service to San Francisco.
The City applied for and recently received a series of grants which now make this project financially feasible. This includes a $1.058M Measure J grant from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), a $52.8K TDA Article 3 grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and a financial commitment from BART for $100K which will be appropriated as part of their FY 23-24 Budget.
With regards to specific project improvements, a new 5 ft sidewalk will be installed on the north side of Willow Avenue (the old State Hercules to Martinez highway, hence no sidewalk) from the Hercules Transit Center easterly a total of 2,100 ft to Palm Avenue and then 700 ft southerly along the south side of Palm Avenue to Sycamore Avenue.
The project also includes streetlights, which currently are not in place, to illuminate the sidewalk and street, and provide a measure of security at night. The sidewalk on Palm Avenue includes a section through the tunnel under the BNSF Railroad tracks and flashing beacons will be installed to alert vehicles at each end. A section of sidewalk on Willow will cross an unnamed creek and include a short section of safety fencing. The minimum traffic lane width on all sections will be 11 ft to allow for bus traffic and Willow can be widened to the south in the future for bike lanes. Until that time, bicyclists will continue to share the road with vehicles.
Project Location
ANALYSIS:
The Willow/Palm Sidewalk Connector Project was advertised for bids in the West County Times on February 21 & 28, 2023 and in 4 regional plan rooms. A total of 10 bids were received at the bid opening deadline of 2pm on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Upon opening and reviewing the 10 bids received, R&S Construction Management submitted the low bid in the amount of $1,488,622, which was determined to be responsive.
NO
Bidder's Name
Bid Proposal
1 R&S Construction Management
$1,488,622
2 Kerex Engineering
$1,526,740
3 WR Forde Associates
$1,568,501
4 McGuire & Hester
$1,712,631
5 Ghilotti Bros.
$1,736,318
6 Redgwick Construction
$1,755,759
7 Sposeto Engineering
$1,981,225
8 FBD Vanguard Construction
$2,017,746
9 Gruendl Inc.
$2,024,712
10 CF Contracting
$2,199,144
R&S Construction Management is based in San Francisco, has been in business 9 years, and have completed numerous public works projects. They specialize in concrete work, especially sidewalks. Staff checked references which were favorable and have determined R&S Construction Management is a responsible bidder.
Construction is anticipated to take place in May and be completed in August, depending upon availability of construction materials which could be impacted by supply chain shortages due to the pandemic. Following the award of the contract, staff will meet with the contractor to firm up the schedule.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Sufficient funding was appropriated in the FY 23-24 Budget for the Willow/Palm Sidewalk Connector Project as follows:
Revenue
Funding Sources
Account Numbers
Amount
Measure J Grant
296-5432-643.20-00
$1,058,000
TDA Article 3 Grant
296-5432-643.20-00
$52,800
Gas Tax
262-5432-642.05-20
$276,684
ARPA/General Fund
300-5432-643.20-00
$250,000
Total
$1,637,484
Expenditures
Construction Contract $1,488,622
Contingency (10%) $ 148,862
Total $1,637,484
It is proposed $276,684 in Gas Tax savings from the Sycamore Avenue Rehabilitation Project be utilized to fully fund the project, including covering the $100K commitment from BART, which will be appropriated in FY 23-24, and the 10% project contingency of $148,862. Once the BART funding becomes available, it will supplant the Gas Tax in the budget and the amount of Gas Tax ultimately expended will depend upon the contingency used, which will be known once the project has been completed. These changes will be captured in the final budget which will be presented to Council at the time of project acceptance.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attach 1- Resolution