DATE:
January 23, 2024
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
Public Works
TITLE: California Street (West) Complete Street
Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40—
Professional Services Agreement
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager or designee to amend the professional services agreement with BKF Engineers, a California corporation, for California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40, to add $120,000 for a not-to-exceed amount of $480,000.
BACKGROUND
The 2015 California/Escuela/Shoreline Complete Street Feasibility Study (Study) recommended a three-phased approach for implementing complete streets along California Street between Showers Drive and Bryant Street. The recommended first phase was a pilot project from Showers Drive to Ortega Avenue that included a lane reduction (four lanes to three lanes, including a two- way left- turn center lane) through pavement markings, temporary bulb-outs and protected intersections through pavement markings and rubber curbs, and a high -visibility midblock crossing with enhanced lighting. The lane reduction provides right-of-way for parking-protected bike lanes with painted buffers and shorter intersection crossing distances for pedestrians. The second and third phases included converting the temporary improvements to permanent improvements, adding green-street landscaping features at intersections and midblock crossing locations, and continuing the lane reductions (four lanes to two lanes) further along California Street with limited areas for left-turn access and landscaped median islands.
On December 7, 2021
, the City Council authorized a professional services agreement with BKF Engineers (BKF) to provide design services for California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40, in an amount of $180,000. Intended to implement the first phase identified in the Study for the original pilot project limits between Showers Drive and Ortega Avenue, the scope of work included:
• Conducting site survey, traffic counts, and review of reference documents.
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40— Professional Services Agreement
January 23, 2024
• Preparing construction bid documents.
• Providing bidding and construction support.
At the April 12, 2022
Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Study Session, Council directed staff to expand the scope and limits of the pilot project to include the segment between Ortega Avenue and Shoreline Boulevard (see Figure 1). On June 28, 2022, through the Fiscal Year 2022 -23 CIP adoption, Council approved an additional $1 million in project funding for the expanded scope, and on September 27, 2022 , Council authorized an amendment to the BKF agreement to add $180,000 for a not to exceed amount of $360,000 for the expanded scope.
Figure 1: Project Location Map
ANALYSIS
Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee
On March 29, 2023, staff provided a project update with a concept layout of the corridor to the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). The update featured a concept layout, including typical cross sections of the road diet, parking -protected bike lanes, protected i ntersection improvements, two midblock crossings with pedestrian- activated rectangular rapid flashing
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40— Professional Services Agreement
January 23, 2024
beacons (RRF B), and high -visibility crosswalks throughout the corridor . The BPAC indicated support for the project with the following key feedback:
• Evaluate the feasibility of a third midblock crossing between Ortega Avenue and Rengstorff Avenue.
• Consider utilizing different, sturdier vertical treatments/dividers adjacent to the bicycle lane rather than flexible posts.
• Consider providing green street infrastructure through the use of planter boxes.
• Involve the BPAC in development of performance criteria for determining the effectiveness of the pilot improvements.
• Evaluate means to keep delivery vehicles from blocking the bicycle lane.
Council Transportation Committee
Staff further developed the concept layout incorporating BPAC comments and provided the updated design to the Council Transportation Committee (CTC) on October 2, 2023. The revised design included the following features:
• A dded a third midblock crossing between Ortega Avenue and Rengstorff Avenue.
• Incorporated five different types of vertical elements , including K- 71 channelizers, floppy posts, rubber curbs, armadillos, and planter boxes (see Figure 2). These will be installed in test segments along the 1.2-mile long corridor with the same elements grouped together.
These vertical elements will provide both green street elements and physical barriers between the parking and bicycle lanes, preventing delivery vehicles from blocking the bike lane.
• R emoved approximately 63 of the 275 on -street parking spaces to provide sight line clearance at driveways and intersections with the implementation of the parking-protected bike lanes and protected intersections.
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40— Professional Services Agreement
January 23, 2024
Figure 2: Vertical Treatments
The CTC unanimously supported the concept layout and strategy to test different vertical elements. Staff will return to the BPAC and CTC in spring 2024 with recommended performance criteria for effectiveness of the improvements.
Consultant Agreement Amendment
The features added at the request of the BPAC and community members were not included in BKF’s original scope of work. The main elements of the additional scope of work are:
• Designing a third midblock crossing between Ortega Avenue and Rengstorff Avenue.
• Incorporating five vertical treatment elements.
• Evaluating and incorporating planter box products, including several variations for planting palettes, and developing a one-year plant maintenance plan.
• Coordinating with Recology to evaluate pick-up locations for carts, containers, and on- call collection services along the corridor.
• Field-verifying existing utilities for potential conflicts.
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40— Professional Services Agreement
January 23, 2024
• Conducting additional site survey work.
• Supporting additional meetings and coordination with the City.
The recommended fee of an additional $120,000 for the expanded scope of work is consistent for such services, and staff considers the fee to be fair and reasonable. Staff recommends Council authorize amending the agreement with BKF to add $120,000 for a new total not-to- exceed amount of $480,000, inclusive of basic and additional services and reimbursable expenses.
The project design was originally scheduled to be completed at the end of 2023 ; however, incorporating the requested features added six months to the project timeline. If the recommended action is approved by Council, the project is estimated to complete design in spring 2024 and start construction in summer 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21 -40, is funded with $760,000 from the San Antonio Public Benefits Fund and $1,000,000 from the 2016 Valley Transportation Authority Measure B Sales Tax Local Streets and Roads Program, for a total project budget of $1,760,000. The professional services agreement fee, with the inclusion of the recommended amendment, is $ 431,700 for basic services and reimbursable expenses and a contingency of $ 48,300 for additional services, for a total not -to-exceed amount of $480,000.
The project has sufficient funds for the recommended action ; no additional appropriation is requested at this time.
Based on the expanded project limits and additional scope, staff anticipates construction costs to exceed the current project budget. Staff will return to Council with the approval of the plans and specifications and include a recommendation to increase project funding once a construction cost estimate is better defined.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Do not authorize the amendment adding funding to the professional services agreement with BKF and direct staff to reduce the scope of work.
2. Provide other direction.
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40— Professional Services Agreement
January 23, 2024
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Hoa Nguyen
Associate Civil Engineer
Reviewed by:
Robert Gonzales
Principal Civil Engineer/Capital Projects
Edward Arango
Assistant Public Works Director/
City Engineer
Approved by:
Dawn S. Cameron
Public Works Director
Arn Andrews
Assistant City Manager
HN/LL/6/CAM
934-01-23-24CR
203750
cc: APWD—Arango, PCE—Gonzales, ACE—Nguyen, SMA—Goedicke, PA—Louie, File (21-40)