PWTC
July 14, 2026
,,,,
,
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Elizabeth Lake FROM: Josh Rowan
Acting City Administrator Director, Department of
Transportation
SUBJECT: Professional Services Contract
Amendment with Alta Planning +
Design, Inc. For 7th Street Connection
Project
DATE: July 1, 2026
City Administrator Approval
Betsy Lake (Jul 3, 2026 11:33:
Date: Jul 3, 2026
10 PDT)
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Amend The Professional Services Contract With Alta Planning + Design, Inc. (Alta) For The 7th Street Connection Project By Increasing The Contract Amount By Seven Hundred Forty-Seven Thousand Two Hundred Eighty-Eight Dollars ($747,288), For A Total Contract Amount Not-To-Exceed Three Million Nine Hundred Fifty- Five Thousand Four Hundred Four Dollars ($3,955,404), Extending The Contract Expiration Date To December 31, 2030, Waiving, To The Extent Required, Further Advertising, Competitive Bidding, or Competitive Selection Requirements Under Oakland Municipal Code Sections 2.04.050 And 2.04.051, And Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In September 2022, the City Council adopted Resolution 89394 CMS , which authorized the City Administrator to enter into a professional services agreement with Alta Planning + Design, Inc. (Alta) to provide engineering services for the 7th Street Connection Project (the Project). The Project will implement pedestrian, bicycle, transit, lighting, and landscape enhancements along 7th Street from Mandela Pkwy to MLK Jr. Way and on Gerry Adams Way from Castro St to MLK Jr. Way, improving corridor safety and connectivity between West Oakland and Downtown neighborhoods. Several unforeseen circumstances encountered during the design have necessitated additional design and environmental support services from the consultant and an extension of their contractual period of performance. Adoption of the proposed resolution would authorize the City Administrator to amend the existing contract with Alta to continue providing design services and construction support needed for project completion. The contract amendment will be fully supported by available state grant funds.
The Project location is in Council District 3, as shown in Attachment A: Project Location Map.
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: 7th Street Connection Design
Date: June 22, 2026 Page 2
PWTC
July 14, 2026
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The 7th Street Connection Project aims to create a safer and more accessible transit corridor for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians using this major connection from West Oakland to Downtown. The Project provides a protected Class IV bikeway on 7th Street from Mandela Pkwy to MLK Jr. Way and on Gerry Adams Way from Castro St to MLK Jr. Way, closing a critical gap in the City’s bikeway network. The Project will also reduce the number of existing travel lanes; construct bus boarding islands and transit shelters; improve pedestrian accessibility and safety through widening sidewalks, reconstructing curb ramps, expanding intersection corners, and install pedestrian-scale lighting; plant new trees; and upgrade the corridor’s aging traffic signal equipment.
In June 2021, the City Council approved Resolution No. 88717 C.M.S., adopting the 2021-2023 City Budget and the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) priorities. The FY 21-23 adopted CIP included the 7th Street Connection Project, which at the time was named the “7th Street Complete Streets Project”.
In September 2022, the City Council adopted Resolution 89394 CMS, which authorized the City Administrator to enter into a professional services agreement with Alta to provide engineering services for the 7th Street Connection Project for an amount not to exceed three million two hundred and eight thousand one hundred and sixteen dollars ($3,208,116.00).
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
In September 2022, the City Council adopted Resolution 89394 CMS , which authorized the City Administrator to enter into a professional services agreement with Alta to provide engineering services for the 7th Street Connection Project. The original contract amount was not to exceed $3,208,116.00 and the original contractual period of performance was from 11/10/2022 to 11/10/2025.
This contract amendment is necessary to complete the project as it covers out-of-scope design and environmental tasks and provides additional support for remaining project tasks. During the design process, staff requested that the consultant investigate and incorporate multiple key design changes resulting from iterative interdepartmental coordination. These design changes included evaluating and refining civil and electrical improvements relating to truck turning movements, ADA compliance, and improving cyclist/pedestrian safety. For example, after receiving the 35% plans, the City requested that the consultant redesign the intersection of 7 th
St and Adeline St as a protected intersection per a recommendation from Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC). This intersection was then iteratively designed to accommodate existing corridor needs such as large trucks turning southbound onto Adeline St. As a result, the consultant has requested additional budget for these out-of-scope design requests.
The environmental scope has also expanded beyond original assumptions as Caltrans’ National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and documentation requirements evolved during project progression. Because this project is federally-funded, the City must comply with Caltrans’ NEPA review process. The original contract had anticipated a straightforward Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: 7th Street Connection Design
Date: June 22, 2026 Page 3
PWTC
July 14, 2026
environmental review by Caltrans, based on the consultant’s experience with similar projects.
However, the project team discovered that Caltrans required expanded cultural resources analyses and documentation which in turn required additional review cycles, documentation refinements, and coordination. A new subconsultant was brought onto the project to satisfy Caltrans’ current Section 106 and NEPA documentation standards, increasing the project scope and schedule length. The consultant’s request for a contract amendment is detailed in
Attachment B: Consultant Amendment Request.
As the project advances to 100% design plans and completion of the environmental process, Alta is uniquely familiar with the project’s design and is best positioned to continue providing professional services as the project consultant.
The proposed amendment increases the contract by $747,288 to provide these additional services, for a revised total not to exceed the amount of $3,955,404.
RELATED PLANNING EFFORTS
The 7th Street Connection Project supports the City’s Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP) through its development of a safer and more accessible transit corridor. The Project’s proposed protected bike lanes, bus islands, and intersection improvements contribute to the plan’s Transportation and Land Use Action Items, such as, TLU-4: Abundant, Affordable, and Accessible Public Transit, TLU-8: Expand and Strengthen Transportation Demand (TDM) Requirements, and TLU-9: Ensure Equitable and Clean New Mobility. Additionally, the proposed trees along the corridor support the Carbon Removal Action Item CR-2: Expand and Protect Tree Canopy Coverage.
This item also supports Oakland’s West Oakland Specific Plan and Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (DOSP). 7th Street project will connect West Oakland with downtown, fostering greater unity and accessibility across the city and investing in West Oakland’s historically underserved and predominantly Black neighborhoods.
FISCAL IMPACT
The professional services agreement with Alta must be amended to support the completion of the project. The existing contract value needs to be increased by $747,288 for a total contract amount not to exceed $3,955,404.
Sufficient state grant funding for this Project authorized in 2022 (89519 CMS) is available in Fund 2159 (California State Transportation Agency), Project 1006182 (7th Street Connection Project).
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Since the start of design phase for the 7th Street Connection Project, the project team has actively engaged with local businesses and continued to inform them of ongoing project Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: 7th Street Connection Design
Date: June 22, 2026 Page 4
PWTC
July 14, 2026
updates. Key outreach efforts have included presenting the project to 7th Street Thrives (a group of 7th Street businesses and organizations) on October 24, 2023, distributed door hangers to residents and business along and near 7th Street on November 17, 2023, and presenting subsequent project updates to 7th Street Thrives on February 27, 2024, May 28, 2024, and most recently on February 25, 2026.
During each design plan submittal phase, the project team coordinated with the Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) and AC Transit to obtain their review and comments.
The team has also presented project updates at BPAC committee meetings.
As the project moves toward construction, additional outreach will be conducted by the City’s staff and consultant team, including coordination with AC Transit, utility owners and neighborhood representatives. Public notices and project updates will be shared via the City’s website and other communication channels. Due to anticipated traffic impacts during construction, ongoing stakeholder engagement and real-time communication will be prioritized to minimize disruptions and maintain access.
COORDINATION
The 7th Street Connection Project has been coordinated with various City departments and external agencies to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and effective delivery. City offices consulted in the preparation of this report include the City Attorney’s Office, Budget Bureau, Oakland Department of Public Works, Oakland Fire Department, and the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards.
PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Alta has participated in helping the City develop similar complete street corridor projects, including the City of Oakland’s 14th Avenue Streetscape Improvements Project, which includes 28 curb extensions and buffered bike lanes. In addition, Alta led the City’s Let’s Bike Oakland Bicycle Plan Update (2019) and recently led a re-envisioning of Grand Avenue with the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project to better accommodate transit and active transportation along this corridor. Alta is currently the design consultant for 7th Street Connection Project and is performing to a satisfactory standard.
RACE AND EQUITY
The 7th Street Connection Project will address the equity gaps that were determined in the Draft Racial Equity Impact Analysis (REIA), completed by staff in 2024. The REIA highlighted various existing disparities, such as, traffic collisions disproportionately affecting Black Oaklanders on this corridor and poor air quality resulting in higher traffic-related air pollution health risks. The project follows through with many of the REIA’s recommendations to reduce the identified equity gaps. For example, the project’s proposed road diet and various safety improvements aim to reduce traffic collisions and promote reduced-emission forms of travel.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Amend The Professional Services Contract With Alta Planning + Design, Inc. (Alta) For The 7th Street Connection Project By Extending the Contract Expiration Date to December 31, 2030 and Increasing The Contract Amount By Seven Hundred Forty Seven Thousand Two Hundred Eighty-Eight Dollars ($747,288) For A Total Contract Amount Not-To- Exceed Three Million Nine Hundred Fifty Five Thousand Four Hundred Four Dollars ($3,955,404)
For questions regarding this report, please contact Suty Komsonkeo, Supervising Civil Engineer, at (510) 238- 2943.
Respectfully submitted,
Josh Rowan (Jul 3, 2026 10:12:37 PDT)
Josh Rowan
Director, Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Megan Wier, MPH
Assistant Director
Reviewed by:
Amit Salwan, P.E.
Principal Civil Engineer
Prepared by:
Suty Komsonkeo, P.E.
Supervising Civil Engineer
Attachments (2):
A: Project Location Map
B: Consultant Amendment Request