Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 10, 2025
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Josh Rowan
City Administrator Director, OakDOT
SUBJECT: Construction Contract Award for
Highway Safety Improvement
Program (HSIP)
Cycle 10, Systematic Crossing
Improvements
DATE: May 27, 2025
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Awarding A Construction Contract To Rapid Grading Services, For The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 10, Systematic Crossing Improvements Project, Project No. 1006185, The Lowest, Responsible, And Responsive Bidder In Accordance With Project Plans, Specifications, State Requirements, And With Contractor’s Bid In The Amount Of One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,600,000); And Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Adoption of this proposed resolution will authorize the City Administrator to execute a construction contract in the amount of one million, six hundred thousand dollars ($1,600,000) with Rapid Grading Services, the lowest, responsible, and responsive bidder, for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 10, Systematic Crossing Improvements Project, Project No. 1006185, to implement pedestrian traffic safety improvements at six intersections at:
Alcatraz Ave/Dana St, 56th St/Shattuck Ave, E 23rd St/20th Ave, 18th Ave/E 15th St, 23rd Ave/E 20th St, 55th Ave/Holland St, and 69th Ave/Lion Way. Safety improvements include installation of new rectangular rapid flashing beacons, signal mast arms, crosswalk enhancements including advanced stop lines, and streetlights.
Jestin Johnson (May 29, 2025 14:54 PDT)
May 29, 2025
Jestin Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Contract Award for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 10, Systematic Crossing Improvements
Date: May 27, 2025 Page 2
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 10, 2025
Exhibit 1: Safety Improvement Examples
Rapid Rectangular Flashing
Beacon
Signal Mast Arm
Advanced Stop Line
Adoption of the proposed resolution will also authorize the City Administrator to adopt appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
In 2020, the City submitted a grant application to Caltrans for the Systematic Crossing Improvements Project based on collision history at the project intersections extending back five years. The project intersections have the highest quantity and severity of reported crashes involving pedestrians/bicycles, as compared with all other intersections in the City of Oakland.
On March 30, 2021, Caltrans awarded a grant to the City in a competitive process based on an evaluation of the overall effectiveness of proposed measures that can reduce the number and severity of collisions for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles.
In June 2021, the City Council authorized the acceptance and appropriation of the HSIP Cycle 10 grant in the amount of Two Million, Two Hundred Seventy-One Thousand, One Hundred dollars ($2,271,100) (Resolution No. 88685 C.M.S
). The project scope identifies improvements
at six intersections: Alcatraz Ave/Dana St, 56th St/Shattuck Ave, E 23rd St/20th Ave, 18th Ave/E 15th St, 23rd Ave/E 20th St, 55th Ave/Holland St, and 69th Ave/Lion, and includes:
- Rectangular rapid flashing beacons,
- Signal mast arms,
- Crosswalk enhancements, including advanced stop lines, and - Streetlights.
For a map and additional details on project locations, please refer to Attachment A.
Currently, staff are seeking Council adoption of a resolution to award the construction contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, Rapid Grading Services.
Jestin Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Contract Award for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 10, Systematic Crossing Improvements
Date: May 27, 2025 Page 3
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 10, 2025
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
On January 16, 2025, the Office of City Clerk received six bids for the construction contract of the Project (see Attachment B) from Bay Construction Co., Beliveau Engineering Contractors, Inc., McGuire & Hester, Rapid Grading Services, Ray’s Electric, and Zara Construction Inc., as shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Project Bids Received
BIDDER BASE BID
Bay Construction Co. $1,750,315
Beliveau Engineering Contractors, Inc. $1,939,421
McGuire & Hester $2,248,941
Rapid Grading Services $1,600,000
Ray’s Electric $2,407,723
Zara Construction Inc. $2,099,997
All bids were reviewed by the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES), and two bids from Zara Construction Inc. and Ray’s Electric were deemed non-responsive to meet the minimum 50% Local & Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) and 50% SLBE Trucking requirements. The results of the other responsive bids are shown in Table 2.
Table 2: Project Bids & L/SLBE Analysis
BIDDER BASE BID Total L/SLBE Earned Bid
Discounts
Adjust Bid
Amount
Bay Construction Co. $1,750,315 75.67% 4% $1,680,302
Beliveau Engineering
Contractors, Inc. $1,939,421 80.67% 5% $1,842,450
McGuire & Hester $2,248,941 108.39% 5% $2,136,494
Rapid Grading Services $1,600,000 50.01% 2% $1,568,000
With the bid discounts, Rapid Grading Services 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 C. Staff determined that Rapid Grading Services is reasonable with available sufficient funds. Hence, Rapid Grading Services is recommended to be awarded the contract.
Adoption of the proposed resolution will allow the City, through the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT), to move forward with implementing the HSIP 10 Systematic Crossing Improvements project 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 connections across busy streets may dissuade people from using these cost-effective transportation modes. The Project will provide infrastructure safety improvements at these six locations to encourage the use of alternative transportation modes and increase foot traffic and economic activities in the neighborhood.
Jestin Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Contract Award for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 10, Systematic Crossing Improvements
Date: May 27, 2025 Page 4
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 10, 2025
2. Vibrant and Sustainable Infrastructure: The Project invests in pedestrian infrastructure to support Oaklanders having high-quality, sustainable transportation choices to reach Oakland jobs and their residences at these six locations.
3. Holistic Community Safety: The Project includes constructing curb extensions, RRFBs, and other enhancements designed to improve pedestrian safety at six intersections from East to North Oakland.
4. Responsive, Trustworthy Government: OakDOT is working diligently to deliver key pieces of pedestrian infrastructure that would benefit many communities across Oakland.
FISCAL IMPACT
The project is fully funded by the HSIP Cycle 10 grant. Caltrans authorized the use of HSIP Cycle 10 grant funds for the construction contract of the Systematic Crossing Improvements Project, and local match is not required.
Funds are available per below:
State HSIP Grant $1,807,000, State of California, Department of Transportation; Project 1006185, Organization 92270, Expense 57411, Task 8.0, Award 24072, Fund 2140, Program NB33.
Jestin Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Contract Award for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 10, Systematic Crossing Improvements
Date: May 27, 2025 Page 5
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 10, 2025
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
The project was presented to the Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) during the grant application and design phases and received a letter of support thereafter. City Council Offices from Districts 1, 2, & 3 also provided their support for this project.
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 Bids (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, 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.
On November 15, 2024, the City placed a legal notice for the RFB by an advertisement in East Bay Times, Oakland Post, El Mundo, World Journal, The Korean Times, and Daily Pacific Builder/McGraw-Hill inviting construction bids 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 November 26, 2024, with one (1) contractor in attendance virtually. The contractor in attendance was 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 Office of the City Attorney and the Controller’s Bureau have reviewed this report and resolution. Staff coordinated with the following City Departments and stakeholders as listed below:
• State of California, Department of Transportation (Caltrans) • Oakland Public Works Department (OPW) Construction Management Division • OPW Infrastructure Maintenance Division
Jestin Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Contract Award for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 10, Systematic Crossing Improvements
Date: May 27, 2025 Page 6
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 10, 2025
• Oakland Fire Department
• Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES) • East Bay Municipal Utility District
• Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: This project will improve transportation conditions and make these six intersection locations safer, more accessible, and more attractive. In addition, the construction contract will create job opportunities for Oakland residents through the City’s contracting requirements.
Environmental: The project will provide a safer route for pedestrians, thereby providing a more attractive alternative mode of transportation to single occupancy vehicles and helping to reduce Oakland’s carbon footprint. Furthermore, during construction, the project will implement the Best Management Practices for the protection of storm water runoff to prevent pollutants from entering the storm drain system.
Race and Equity: 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. The project will result in greater mobility, accessibility, and safety for pedestrians, bicycles, transit, and vehicular traffic. It will benefit schools in the project area. Persons with disabilities will benefit particularly from the audible signal system built into the traffic signal.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
On a separate and independent basis, this Project and action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the following CEQA Guidelines Sections: Section 15162 and 15163 (no further environmental review required); Section 15060(c)(2) (no direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment); Section 15061(b)(3) (no significant effect on the environment); Section 15183 (projects consistent with a community plan, general plan, or zoning), Section 15301 (existing facilities), Section 15302 (replacement or reconstruction), and Section 15309 (inspections), each of which provides a separate and independent basis for CEQA clearance and when viewed collectively provide an overall basis for CEQA clearance. A copy of the CEQA documentation is provided in Attachment D.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Awarding A Construction Contract To Rapid Grading Services, For The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 10, Systematic Crossing Improvements Project, Project No. 1006185, The Lowest, Responsible, and Responsive Bidder In Accordance With Project Plans, Specifications, State Requirements, And With Contractor’s Bid In The Amount Of One Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,600,000); And Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings.
Jestin Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Contract Award for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 10, Systematic Crossing Improvements
Date: May 27, 2025 Page 7
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 10, 2025
For questions regarding this report, please contact Ade Oluwasogo, Supervising Transportation Engineer, at 510-238-6103.
Respectfully submitted,
Josh Rowan
Director, Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Megan Wier,
Assistant Director
Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Amit Salwan, P.E.,
Principal Civil Engineer
Great Streets Delivery Division
Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Ade Oluwasogo, P.E., T.E.
Supervising Transportation Engineer
Department of Transportation
Prepared by:
Jesse Boudart, P.E.
Transportation Engineer
Department of Transportation
Attachments (4):
A. Location Map
B. List of Bidders
C. Contract Compliance Report
D. CEQA Document
Josh Rowan (May 27, 2025 16:04 PDT)