DATE:
December 6, 2022
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
Public Works
TITLE: MV Community Shuttle EV Charging
Units, Project 22-44—Various Actions
RECOMMENDATION
1. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a professional services agreement with Commonwealth Associates, Inc., of Jackson, Michigan, to provide design services for MV Community Shuttle EV Charging Units, Project 22 -44, in a not -to-exceed amount of $143,000.
2. Accept $209,798 in Transportation Fund for Clean Air grant funds and appropriate the grant funds to MV Community Shuttle EV Charging Units, Project 22-44. (Five votes required)
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all documents and agreements and take all necessary actions related to the Transportation Fund for Clean Air grant.
BACKGROUND
In 2015, the City partnered with Google LLC (Google) to launch the Mountain View Community Shuttle (Community Shuttle) as a pilot program to provide daytime transit options for Mountain View residents. The Community Shuttle is a fare-free service that provides connections between residential neighborhoods and key destinations in Mountain View as well as connections to the regional transportation network.
During the pilot program, the Community Shuttle was fully funded and operated by Google. On August 25, 2020 , the City Council authorized staff to enter into an agreement with Google to transition the management and operations of the Community Shuttle to the City and for Google to provide funding for Community Shuttle operations through June 30, 2024 . Under the agreement terms, the Community Shuttle fleet is stored and charged at Google’s Crittenden Lane site at no cost to the City through October 1, 2023. Additionally, Council also authorized staff to enter into an agreement with the Mountain View Transportation Management Association (MTMA) to manage and operate the Community Shuttle program.
MV Community Shuttle EV Charging Units, Project 22-44—Various Actions December 6, 2022
On December 14, 2021, Council approved an agreement amendment with the MTMA increasing compensation and committing the City to assume responsibility for the leases of four new electric vehicle (EV) shuttles and two backup gas vehicles . At that time, Council also established a new Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project to develop a new EV shuttle charging station site off Inigo Way.
The new leased EV shuttles are scheduled to arrive in spring 2023 and will be charged at Google’s Crittenden site until the proposed Inigo Way charging site is ready to receive them . Google has indicated that Google will allow the Community Shuttle buses to be charged at their Crittenden site beyond the October 1, 2023 agreement expiration in the eve nt the Inigo Way site improvements are delayed for a short period of time.
ANALYSIS
To address the charging needs of the Community Shuttle program, the project will provide a City charging station in the North Bayshore Area at a 0.31-acre lot adjacent to Inigo Way as an interim charging site for the new electric shuttles (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Project Site
As the project site does not have electrical service, staff applied under the Public Utilit ies Commission’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Rule 29 (Rule 29) to have PG&E provide the electrical service connection at no cost . Per Rule 29, PG&E agreed to pay for and coordinate the design and deployment of service extensions from PG&E’s electrical distribution line facilities to an electric meter to serve the electric vehicle charging stations. While PG&E will provide the new electrical service, the City is responsible to build the required infrastructure between the electric service meter and the charging stations and develop the site to accommodate the shuttles.
MV Community Shuttle EV Charging Units, Project 22-44—Various Actions December 6, 2022
Professional Services Agreement
In June 2022, the City issued a request for Proposals (RFP) for professional design services for the Community Shuttle EV Charging Station project and received proposals from two firms. A selection committee comprised of Public Works staff evaluated the proposals and determined that one proposal was responsive, and the other did not meet the RFP submittal requirements .
The responsive proposal from Commonwealth Associates , Inc. (CAI) , was reviewed for qualifications and understanding of the project, and an interview and follow-up meetings with CAI were conducted to further evaluate qualifications and project understanding . The proposal documented extensive experience with power-related projects and EV projects in particular. The committee recommended moving forward with CAI based on their project approach, experience in completing similar projects, and understanding of project goals.
The main elements of the scope of services include:
• Survey the site and existing utilities and provide background drawings for site design.
• Design the layout of the charging and circulation areas and coordinate the layout with the adjacent City project (Northbound Shoreline/101 Off-Ramp Realignment, Computer History Museum Driveway Phase).
• Design the on-site powerline trenches, charging equipment pad, safety bollards, lighting system, and driveway widening, if required.
• Calculate the electrical load requirements and coordinat e the new electrical service with PG&E.
• Prepare construction bid documents and provide bidding and construction support.
The recommended fee of $143,000 for design services, construction support, and contingency is consistent for such services, and staff considers the fee to be fair and reasonable for the scope of work required. If the recommended action is approved by Council, CAI will begin the des ign in January 2023 with completion estimated in May 2023 . The project is estimated to start construction in summer 2023.
Grant Funding
On March 10, 2022, staff applied for grant funds in response to the 2022-23 Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) Call for Projects. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) allocates TFCA funding for eligible projects and programs that improve transportation options, reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease traffic. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is BAAQMD’s appointed County program manager for the TFCA MV Community Shuttle EV Charging Units, Project 22-44—Various Actions December 6, 2022
grant. On September 1, 2022, the VTA Board of Directors approved and awarded a TFCA grant in the amount of $209,798 for the MV Community Shuttle EV Charging Units project. The grant can be used toward the procurement and installation of the EV chargers and construction of the site improvements. Upon approval of recommended actions, the City Manager or designee may execute all grant documents and agreements necessary between the City and VTA. To meet the grant conditions, t he project must be completed and all TFCA grant funds expended by August 31, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT
Community Shuttle EV Charging Station, Project 22-44, is funded with $425,000 from the General Fund—Transportation Reserve. The fee for the recommended agreement is $ 129,600 for basic services and a contingency of $ 13,400 for additional services, for a total not -to-exceed amount of $143,000. The project has sufficient funds for the recommended action.
The TFCA grant will increase the project’s budget to $634,798 , helping to ensure there is adequate funding to procure and install the chargers and to construct the site improvements.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Do not authorize the recommended professional services agreement and direct staff to reissue the RFP.
2. Do not accept the TFCA grant funds.
3. Provide other direction.
MV Community Shuttle EV Charging Units, Project 22-44—Various Actions December 6, 2022
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Damtew Ayele
Senior Civil Engineer
Reviewed by:
David O. Printy
Principal Project Manager
Edward Arango
Assistant Public Works Director/
City Engineer
Approved by:
Dawn S. Cameron
Public Works Director
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager/
Chief Operating Officer
DA/LL/4/CAM
953-12-06-22CR
202162