Public Works and Transportation Committee
December 10, 2024
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Josh Rowan,
City Administrator Director, Oakland
Department of
Transportation
SUBJECT: 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1
& 3 Construction Contract Award DATE: October 18, 2024
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Awarding A Construction Contract To Redgwick Construction Co. For The 14th Ave Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3, Project No. 1004251, The Lowest, Responsible, And Responsive Bidder In Accordance With Project Plans, Specifications, State Requirements, And With Contractor’s Bid In The Amount Of Seven Million, Two Hundred Thirty-Five Thousand, Eight Hundred Ninety- Seven Dollars ($7,235,897.00); And Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Approval of this proposed resolution will authorize the City Administrator to execute a construction contract in the amount of seven million, two hundred thirty-five thousand, eight hundred ninety-seven dollars ($7,235,897.00) with Redgwick Construction Co., the lowest, responsible, and responsive bidder, for the 14th Ave Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3 Project, Project No. 1004251, to construct pedestrian, bicycle, transit and vehicular traffic safety improvements on 14th Avenue from E. 8th Street to International Boulevard and from East 15th Street to East 27th Street. Project improvements include sidewalk and median improvements, striped bicycle lanes, pedestrian crossing improvements, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, bus boarding islands, curb ramps, curb extensions, traffic signal improvements, and landscaping.
Approval of the proposed resolution will also authorize the City Administrator to adopt appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3 (the Project) will construct pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicular traffic safety improvements on 14th Avenue from East 8th Street to Jestin Johnson (Nov 21, 2024 09:25 PST)
Nov 21, 2024
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3 Construction Contract Award Date: October 18, 2024 Page 2
Public Works and Transportation Committee
December 10, 2024
International Blvd. and East 15th Street to East 27th Street. Highlighted project improvements include the installation of buffered bicycle lanes from East 15th Street to East 27th Street with high-visibility crosswalks, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) at seven intersections, localized median expansions, curb extensions at nine intersections and at transit stops, traffic signal improvements, tree planting, and landscaping.
The 2007 Bicycle Master Plan first identified 14
th Avenue as a priority bike route, proposing
Class II bike lane improvements. This recommendation was updated to buffered bike lanes in the 2019 Let’s Bike Oakland Bike Plan, further emphasizing bicyclist safety needs along this corridor (Resolution No. 87808 C.M.S.). In 2023, the City Council adopted the Capital Improvement Program for fiscal year (FY) 2023-2025 (Resolution No. 89804 C.M.S.) which included the 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1 and 3.
The City applied for and received Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) grant funds for this Project. In September 2017, the City Council authorized the acceptance and appropriation of $29,971,000 in ACTC funds (Resolution No. 86894 C.M.S.), $6,600,000 of which was awarded to the Project. Of the awarded amount, $4,505,000 will be used to fund the construction contract, and $795,000 will be used to fund staff costs for construction engineering.
The Project is expected to start in Spring 2025 and be completed by mid-2026.
Local matching funds totaling $2,730,897 will supplement the ACTC grant, and they will be allocated from the Transportation Impact Fees fund.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
On September 5, 2024, the Office of the City Clerk received two bids for the construction contract of the Project from Redgwick Construction Co. (Redgwick) and McGuire & Hester (M&H). The bids are shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Project Bids Received
BIDDER BASE BID
Redgwick Construction Co. $7,235,897.00
McGuire & Hester $7,158,800.00
Both bids were reviewed by the Department of Workforce and Employment Standards, and both bid proposals exceeded the L/SLBE requirement of 50%, with Redgwick’s bid proposal calculated to include 74.12% L/SLBE and M&H’s proposal calculated to include 50.65%.
Discount points were given to bidders and their sub-contractors that exceeded the LBE/SLBE minimum requirements. The results of the discounted bids are below. With the bid discounts, Redgwick was found to be the lowest, responsible, and responsive bidder. The bid proposal was compliant with the City’s Equal Benefits Ordinance (EBO), and the Compliance Analysis Memorandum is included in Attachment A.
Table 2: Project Bids Received
BIDDER BASE BID Total
L/SLBE
Earned Bid
Discounts
Adjusted
Bid Amount
Redgwick Construction Co. $7,235,897.00 74.12% 4% $6,946,461 McGuire & Hester $7,158,800.00 50.65% 2% $7,015,624
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3 Construction Contract Award Date: October 18, 2024 Page 3
Public Works and Transportation Committee
December 10, 2024
Redgwick’s bid of $7,235,897.00 is twenty and six-tenths percent (20.6%) higher than the Engineer’s Estimate of $5,997,720.00. Given the current economic conditions, including material cost increases and contractor workload capacities, staff determined that Redgwick’s bid is reasonable. Staff recommends awarding a construction contract to Redgwick for the 14th Ave Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3.
Without the City Council's approval to award the construction contract, the City would lose $4,505,000 in ACTC grant funding for construction and hinder the City’s ability to build the Project’s improvements, including nearly a mile of buffered bike lanes, curb extensions, and other pedestrian safety improvements. Without the county grant, the City would have to take time to identify additional local funds, which could lead to rebidding the project. With today's market trends, rebidding the project would result in a higher contract price as construction costs are continuously on the rise and contractors are at capacity for work. It is in the best interest of the City to award the construction contract to Redgwick.
Adoption of the proposed resolution will allow the City, through the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT), to move forward with implementing 14 th Avenue Streetscape Project
Phases 1 & 3 and advancing four Citywide priorities: (1) housing, economic, and cultural security; (2) vibrant, sustainable infrastructure; (3) holistic community safety; and (4) responsive, trustworthy government as follows:
1. Housing, Economic, and Cultural Security: Walking, cycling, and transit are often cost- effective alternatives to automobiles, which many Oaklanders cannot afford to access. Lack of safe, attractive, and comfortable facilities may dissuade people from using these cost- effective transportation modes. The Project will provide the necessary infrastructure on 14th Avenue to encourage the use of alternative transportation modes and increase foot traffic and economic activities in the neighborhood.
2. Vibrant and Sustainable Infrastructure: The Project invests in pedestrian, bicyclist, and public transit infrastructure to ensure Oaklanders have high-quality, sustainable transportation choices to reach Oakland jobs, commercial centers along International Boulevard, the Diamond District, and at Highland Hospital.
3. Holistic Community Safety: The Project includes constructing bicycle lanes, curb extensions, RRFBs, and other enhancements designed to improve pedestrian, bicycle, and transit safety along 14th Avenue, a major east-west corridor that connects International Boulevard and Highland Hospital.
4. Responsive, Trustworthy Government: OakDOT is working diligently to deliver a key piece of pedestrian, bicyclist, and transit infrastructure that would benefit many communities in the San Antonio Park and Highland Park areas.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3 Construction Contract Award Date: October 18, 2024 Page 4
Public Works and Transportation Committee
December 10, 2024
FISCAL IMPACT
The Project is funded by county and local funding sources as listed in Table 3 below.
TABLE 3: CONSTRUCTION FUNDING SOURCES AMOUNT
Grant: Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC CIP), 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3 (No. 1004251), Construction Organization (92270), Alameda County
Transportation Commission (2214)
$4,505,000.00
Transportation Impact Fees, 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3 (No. 1004251), Construction Organization (92270), Transportation Impact Fees (2420)
$2,730,897.00
TOTAL FUNDS $7,235,897.00
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
OakDOT’s Planning and Project Development team conducted public outreach for this project in 2020 and 2021, presenting at Neighborhood Council meetings in the area and administering an online survey to the wider neighborhood to collect feedback on the design proposal. This input resulted in the project adding more street trees to reduce the urban heat island effect and beautify the corridor. The project also responded to community desires for wider sidewalks by adding curb extensions at transit stops and intersections. Concerns about bike lane usage by vehicles was addressed by locally expanding the median and reducing bike lane width.
Staff provided notice to labor representatives, per the terms and conditions of the current Memorandums of Understanding with the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 21, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021 and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1245 prior to the formal issuance of the Request for Bid (RFB).
Public Outreach is part of OakDOT’s Capital Contract Equity Initiative. For this RFB solicitation, OakDOT-Great Streets Delivery Division (OakDOT-GSD) worked with Oakland Public Works, Capital Contracts Division (OPW-CCD), and the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES) to perform public outreach through legal ads, enhanced notifications, and pre-bid meetings.
Notifications of solicitation were distributed by several means. The first was the City’s iSupplier system, which was utilized to notify Oakland-certified local and non-local professional service providers (e.g., landscape architects, architects, engineers, contractors, and planning firms); regional trade and business groups, including the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3 Construction Contract Award Date: October 18, 2024 Page 5
Public Works and Transportation Committee
December 10, 2024
Oakland Black Board of Trade & Commerce, Bay Area Business Roundtable, and Construction Bidboard. Within a few days of registering in iSupplier, companies can access and review proposal requests in iSupplier by searching for specific projects based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.
In addition to iSupplier, OPW-CCD utilized CIPList.com
, a free web-enabled site, to announce
and distribute solicitations. It is used to push out notifications to plan rooms and builders’ exchanges such as ARC North America, Builders Exchange of Alameda County, Contra Costa Builders Exchange, Dodge Data & Analytics, East Bay Blueprint, East Bay Blueprint, iSqFT, Northern California Electrical Construction Industry, Peninsula Builders Exchange, San Francisco Builders Exchange, and Solano-Napa Builders Exchange. Through CIPList.com, any company or entity may register to be automatically notified of all City of Oakland solicitations without restrictions.
The legal notice for the RFB solicitation was advertised on August 2, 2024, in the East Bay Times and the Oakland Post. In addition, information about the project was published in El Mundo, Daily Pacific Builder, World Journal, and the Korea Times to supplement and target L/SLBE companies in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities with potential contractors.
OPW-CCD held a pre-bid meeting in partnership with DWES and the Project Manager on August 14, 2024, with three (3) contractors in attendance virtually. The contractors in attendance were D-Line Constructors, Terocons Inc., and McGuire & Hester. The purpose of the meeting was to inform attendees about the Project, discuss compliance requirements, and provide an opportunity for contractors and sub-contractors to network and partner on the proposed work.
COORDINATION
The Project has been coordinated with the Office of the City Attorney, the Budget Bureau, and the Department of Economic and Workforce Development in the development of this Project and preparation of this report and legislation.
Other departments and agencies that the Project has coordinated with include the Oakland Fire Department (OFD), Alameda-Contra Costa (AC) Transit, East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).
PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
No Contractor Performance Evaluations on Redgwick Construction exist. They are currently the prime contractor on the Fruitvale Alive Gap Closure Project, Project 1000724 with satisfactory performance to date. City Staff previously contacted Port of Oakland regarding previous project experience. The Port of Oakland deemed Redgwick’s work to be satisfactory, as noted in an email sent to City Staff on Attachment B.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3 Construction Contract Award Date: October 18, 2024 Page 6
Public Works and Transportation Committee
December 10, 2024
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: Implementation of the Project will improve the experience of pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users, which staff anticipate will encourage additional foot travel and thereby increase local economic activity.
Environmental: Compared to traveling by automobile, walking, biking, and using public transit is an energy efficient and low-emission form of transportation. The Project is expected to result in reduced motorized traffic activities and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
Race & Equity: As walking, biking, and transit riding are relatively inexpensive and broadly accessible forms of transportation, the Project’s pedestrian, bicycle, and public transit improvements will especially benefit youth, seniors, low-income residents, people with disabilities, and people who do not own personal vehicles. Utilizing OakDOT’s Geographic Equity Tool (GET), the Project encompasses neighborhoods designated as “Highest Priority”.
These neighborhoods have a higher percentage of people of color, low-income residents, and people with a disability than the City as a whole.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
The proposed Project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.25(b)(1) (pedestrian and bicycle facilities, including new facilities). The Project is also exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301(c) (Existing Facilities, Highways, and Streets), 15302 (Replacement or Reconstruction), and/or 15061(b)(3) (No Significant Effect on the Environment). Each of the above exemptions provides a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: 14th Avenue Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3 Construction Contract Award Date: October 18, 2024 Page 7
Public Works and Transportation Committee
December 10, 2024
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Awarding A Construction Contract to Redgwick Construction Co. For The 14th Ave Streetscape Project Phases 1 & 3, Project No. 1004251, The Lowest, Responsible, And Responsive Bidder In Accordance With Project Plans, Specifications, State Requirements, And With Contractor’s Bid In The Amount Of Seven Million, Two Hundred Thirty-Five Thousand, Eight Hundred Ninety-Seven Dollars ($7,235,897.00); And Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Chase Fowler, P.E., Civil Engineer, at [email protected]
Respectfully submitted,
__________________________________________
JOSH ROWAN
Director, Oakland Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Megan Wier
Assistant Director
Oakland Department of Transportation
Amit Salwan, P.E.
Principal Civil Engineer
Oakland Department of Transportation
Si Lau, P.E., T.E.
Supervising Civil Engineer
Oakland Department of Transportation
Prepared by:
Chase Fowler, P.E.
Civil Engineer
Oakland Department of Transportation
Attachments (2):
Attachment A: Compliance Analysis Memorandum
Attachment B: Port of Oakland Reference Email
Josh Rowan (Nov 20, 2024 13:11 PST)