DATE:
May 28, 2024
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
Public Works
TITLE: California Street (West) Complete Street
Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40—
Various Actions
RECOMMENDATION
1. Find that in accordance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements, California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40, is categorically exempt as Class 1, Maintenance and Minor Alteration of Existing Public Facilities, under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301.
2. Transfer and appropriate $2,870,000 from the CIP Reserve Fund to California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40. (Five votes required)
3. Approve plans and specifications for California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40, and authorize staff to advertise the project for bids.
4. Authorize the City Manager or designee to award a construction contract to the lowest responsible bidder if the bid is within the project budget of $4,630,000.
5. Authorize the City Manager or designee to amend the professional services agreement with BKF Engineers, a California corporation (Entity No. 3696846), to provide additional design services for California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40, to add $40,000 for a total not-to-exceed amount of $520,000.
BACKGROUND
The 2015 California/Escuela/Shoreline Complete Streets Feasibility Study (Study) recommended a three -phased approach for implementing complete streets along California Street between Showers Drive and Bryant Street (see Figure 1). 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, protected intersections utilizing 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 im provements to
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40—Various Actions
May 28, 2024
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.
Figure 1: Project Location Map
Table 1 provides the history of Council actions for California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40.
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40—Various Actions
May 28, 2024
Table 1: Project History
Date Action/Milestone
December 7, 2021 Council approved a professional services agreement with BKF Engi neers (BKF) for design of the Project from Showers Drive to Ortega Avenue in the amount of $180,000.
April 12, 2022 Council directed staff at a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Stud y Session to expand the scope and limits of the pilot project to include the segment between Ortega Avenue and Shoreline Boulevard (see Figure 1).
June 28, 2022 Through the Fiscal Year 2022 -23 CIP adoption, Council approved an additional $1 million in project funding for the expanded scope.
September 27,
2022
Council approved an amendment for additional design services with BKF in an amount of $180,000 for a total agreement amount not to exceed $360,000.
January 23, 2024 Council authorized an amendment to the BKF agreement to add $120,000 for a not -to-exceed amount of $480,000 for incorporating additional design elements based on feedback received from the Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and community members and coordination efforts with Recology on new pick-up locations for carts, containers, and on-call collection services along the corridor.
Staff presented the project to the BPAC at their March 29, 2023 meeting. The BPAC supported the project and provided feedback for staff to further develop the project design to include a midblock crossing between Ortega Avenue and Rengstorff Avenue and other vertical delineator options. The BPAC also recommended developing project performance criteria to determine the success of the pilot project.
Following the BPAC meeting, staff further developed the concept layout incorporating BPAC comments and provided the updated design to the Council Transportation Committee (CTC) on October 2, 2023, at which the CTC unanimously supported the concept layout and str ategy to test different vertical elements.
The segment of California Street between Shoreline Boulevard and Bryant Street was recently improved with Class II green bike lane infrastructure and is not part of the project.
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40—Various Actions
May 28, 2024
ANALYSIS
The project is consistent with the 2015 California Street/Escuela Avenue/Shoreline Boulevard Complete Streets Feasibility Study, providing several of the recommended enhancements to transform the operation and feel of the corridor. Traffic calming has been a priority fo r the community due to multiple accidents and one fatality along the corridor, and the expanded scope will provide significant benefits to a larger area of the community.
The project will include the following elements:
• Four-lane-to-three-lane road diet with two -way center left -turn lane (Showers Drive to Mariposa Avenue);
• Four-lane-to-two-lane road diet (Mariposa Avenue to Shoreline Boulevard);
• Parking-protected bike lanes;
• Green bike lane striping at conflict points, such as driveways and bus stops;
• High-visibility crosswalks throughout the corridor;
• Protected intersection improvements;
• Three high -visibility midblock crosswalks with bulb -outs, refuge island, and enhanced lighting.
• Five different types of vertical elements to enhance visual cues of the bike lanes, 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.
• Removal of 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—Various Actions
May 28, 2024
Figure 2: Vertical Treatments
Phase I is a pilot phase, and staff will be collecting preconstruction and postconstruction data to evaluate the effectiveness of project elements.
The project was originally funded in the amount of $760,000 for a 0.15-mile segment of California Street between Showers Drive and Ortega Avenue. On June 28, 2022, Council approved an additional $1,000,000 to the project budget for a total amount of $1,760,000 to expand the project limits to a 1.2 -mile corridor, adding the segment from Ortega Avenue to Shoreline Boulevard. Other additional scope elements include the implementation of various vertical devices and an additional midblock crossing. Though additional funding was added to the project, the funding was insufficient to fund the construction phase of the large expansion of the project limits, and staff is recommending additional appropriations to fully fund the project.
The plans and specifications for the project are complete. If Council approves the recommended actions and a responsive responsible bid within the project budget is received, construction is anticipated to begin in summer 2024 and be completed in spring 2025. Public noticing will occur prior to and during construction.
Consultant Amendment
The existing professional services agreement with BKF includes funding for engineering design, construction administration support, and contingency for additional services as needed .
Additional design services were added to the project and staff authorized the use of the contingency to fund additional street lighting evaluation and streetlight design to enhance
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40—Various Actions
May 28, 2024
visibility at crosswalks. As a result , a majority of the contingency amoun t has been used. The recommended agreement increase of $40,000 will replenish the contingency to allow for design services for unforeseen construction conditions. Staff recommends an amendment to the BKF agreement to add $40,000 for a new total not -to-exceed amount of $520,000, inclusive of basic and additional services and reimbursable expenses.
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 (VTA) Measure B Sales Tax—Local Streets and Roads Program Fund, for a total project budget of $1,760,000.
The estimated project cost is as follows:
Construction $3,100,000
Consultant Services 520,000
Construction Contingency 300,000
Project Management 200,000
Construction Inspection and Testing 200,000
Permits, Printing, and Miscellaneous 25,000
Subtotal $4,345,000
City Administration 285,000
TOTAL PROJECT COST ESTIMATE $4,630,000
PROJECT BUDGET $1,760,000
PROJECT SHORTFALL $2,870,000
The project shortfall is due to additional scope elements and expanded project limits. An increase in appropriations of $ 2,870,000 is requested to fully fund the construction and construction support efforts for the project. Staff recommends transferring and appropriating $ 2,870,000 from the CIP Reserve Fund to California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40. There is sufficient funding in the CIP Reserve Fund for the recommended actions.
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40—Various Actions
May 28, 2024
If the recommended actions are approved, the project will be funded with $760,000 from the San Antonio Public Benefits Fund, $1 ,000,000 from the 2016 VTA Measure B Sales Tax Local Streets and Roads Program Fund, and $2,870,000 from the CIP Reserve Fund for a total project budget of $4,630,000.
The professional services agreement fee with the inclusion of the recommended amendment is $432,600 for basic services and reimbursable expenses and a contingency of $87,400 for additional services for a total not-to-exceed amount of $520,000.
CONCLUSION
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21 -40, is the first step for implementing complete street elements along California Street from Showers Drive to Shoreline Boulevard. The improvements generally include a road diet, on-street parking, parking-protected bike la nes, high -visibility crosswalks, protected intersection improvements, and midblock crossings. Through the feedback received from BPAC , CTC, and the community, an additional midblock crosswalk has been included, and five vertical treatments will be piloted to determine effectiveness. An increase in appropriations of $2,870,000 is requested to fully fund the construction and construction support efforts due to the additional scope elements and expanded project limits. An amendment to the BKF agreement to add $40,000 is requested to replenish the design services contingency to address unforeseen construction. Construction is anticipated to begin in summer 2024.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Do not make environmental findings, do not approve the plans and specifications, and defer the project.
2. Do not authorize the appropriation of $2,870,000 from the CIP Reserve Fund and direct staff to use a different funding source.
3. Do not authorize the amendment adding funding to the professional services agreeme nt and direct staff to proceed without an increase to the contingency amount.
4. Provide other direction.
California Street (West) Complete Street Improvements, Pilot, Project 21-40—Various Actions
May 28, 2024
PUBLIC NOTICING
Agenda posting. In addition to the standard agenda posting, staff sent notices to occupants and property owners within 750’ of the project location.
Prepared by:
Hoa Nguyen
Associate Civil Engineer
Reviewed by:
Robert Gonzales
Principal Civil Engineer
Quynh Byrer
Acting Assistant Public Works Director/
City Engineer
Approved by:
Edward Arango
Acting Public Works Director
Audrey Seymour Ramberg
Assistant City Manager
HN/LL/6/CAM
934-05-28-24CR
204080
cc: PWD(A), APWD(A)—Byrer, PCE—Gonzales, PCE—Shah, ACE—Nguyen, SMA—Doan, SMA— Goedicke, File (Project 21-40), [email protected]