Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 13, 2026
Elizabeth Lake (Oct 1, 2026 14:38:49 PDT)
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Elizabeth Lake FROM: Josh Rowan,
Interim City Administrator Director of Transportation
SUBJECT: MLK Jr. Way Streetscape
Improvements Construction
Management Support Services
DATE: September 21, 2026
City Administrator Approval Date: Oct 1, 2026
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution 1) Awarding A Professional Services Agreement To Azad Engineering PC For An Amount Of Four Million Dollars ($4,000,000) To Provide Construction Management Support Services For The Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements Project (Number 1008516); And 2) Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Approval of this resolution will authorize the City Administrator to negotiate and execute a professional services agreement in the amount of four million dollars ($4,000,000) with Azad Engineering PC to provide construction management support services (CMSS), including special inspection, material testing and environmental monitoring services, for the construction of the Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements (Project). The contract complies with the City’s Local and Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) Program requirements.
Project improvements include pedestrian crossings improvements, pedestrian lighting, street trees, seating, a two-way cycle track, and upgraded traffic signals for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Upon completion, the Project will address disparities by improving the safety of all road users, improving accessibility and mobility options for all residents, and improving air quality and related health outcomes in an area with a high proportion of residents who are Black and who are low-income.
Approval of the resolution will also authorize the City Administrator to adopt appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings.
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements Construction Management Support Services Date: September 21, 2026 Page 2
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 13, 2026
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK Jr.) Way between 2nd Street and 14th Street is located on the Oakland High Injury Network (HIN), which comprises 8% of Oakland streets yet accounts for 60% of the City's severe and fatal traffic collisions. The corridor currently lacks protected bicycle infrastructure to physically separate people biking from vehicles, including heavy vehicles, and has existing sidewalk accessibility gaps. The successful construction management and delivery of the Project will improve these conditions. Council has taken funding- and contract procurement-related legislative actions to advance safety and access improvements along the MLK Jr. Way corridor, as summarized below:
In 2022, City Council directed the City Administrator to accept and appropriate California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) grant funds to advance projects identified in a Memorandum of Understanding Between City and Port (the “City-Port MOU”), which includes this Project (Resolution No. 89519 C.M.S.).
In 2024, City Council passed an ordinance amending Oakland’s Local and Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) Program, establishing contracting requirements for capital projects, including this Project (Ordinance No. 13825 C.M.S.). Award of the construction contract for this Project is consistent with the L/SLBE Program.
In 2025, City Council directed the City Administrator to accept and appropriate Regional Measure 3 grant funds from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to implement the Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements project (Resolution No. 90799 C.M.S.).
In 2026, City Council directed the City Administrator to take all actions necessary to apply for, accept and appropriate additional funds required to advance and complete projects identified in the City’s Capital Improvement Program in which the Project is a high-ranking project scoring an 84.5 out of 100 points (Resolution No. 91208 C.M.S.).
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
In accordance with Oakland Municipal Code (OMC) 2.04.051 and the provisions of the Administrative Instruction 150 for Professional Services Contracts, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for construction management support services for the Project on July 17, 2026, seeking a consultant team most suitable for the Project. Proposals were due on August 13, 2026, and the City received two (2) proposals.
A panel reflecting the technical expertise necessary to accomplish the scope of work led the evaluation process. The panel included three (3) professionals including engineering and construction management experts from the City’s Department of Transportation (OakDOT) and the Department of Public Works (OPW). The panel ranked all proposals based on their submission. The panel scored the proposals based on the following criteria set forth in the RFP, with the maximum possible points for each category noted:
Experience and qualifications (15 points)
Project team organization and teamwork (25 points)
Team (key/lead personnel) profile (20 points)
Overall approval and project management (35 points)
Client references from relevant projects (5 points)
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements Construction Management Support Services Date: September 21, 2026 Page 3
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 13, 2026
L/SLBE preference points (12.5 points)
Based on the criteria above, the evaluation team determined that the top ranked firm was Azad Engineering PC. The resolution authorizes the City Administrator to negotiate and enter into a professional services agreement with Azad Engineering PC in an amount of four million dollars ($4,000,000).
The Azad Engineering PC proposal exceeds the City’s Local/Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) program requirements by proposing to self-perform 70% of the scope, which, based on an availability analysis conducted by DWES is 50% L/SLBE, with at least 25% LBE and 25% SLBE participation. Compliance information has been verified by DWES (Attachment A).
All grant funding secured for the Project must be liquidated by June 30, 2030. Approval of this resolution will allow the Project to maintain its delivery schedule for Project completion by June 2030. Delaying this approval will put the project at risk of not meeting grant requirements and at risk of losing more than thirty million dollars ($30,000,000).
RELATED PLANNING EFFORTS
Downtown Oakland Specific Plan
On July 16, 2024, City Council adopted the Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (Resolution No. 90377 C.M.S.), which identifies MLK Jr. Way as a segment of the Green Loop Connection and recommends corridor improvements to enhance connectivity between Downtown Oakland and the waterfront, including freeway undercrossing improvements and physical separation of heavy vehicle traffic from people walking and biking. This Project implements those recommendations along the MLK Jr. Way corridor between 2nd Street and 14th Street.
Let's Bike Oakland Bike Plan
In 2019, City Council unanimously adopted the Let's Bike Oakland Bike Plan (Resolution No. 87808 C.M.S.), which identified MLK Jr. Way between 2nd Street and 14th Street as a priority corridor for upgraded bicycle facilities. This Project delivers on that recommendation by constructing a two-way protected cycle track and enhanced pedestrian facilities that physically separate people biking from vehicles, including heavy vehicles on this truck route.
Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP)
This Project supports ECAP (Resolution No. 88267 C.M.S.) transportation and land use policies and actions (TLU-6) by constructing a two-way protected cycle track and enhanced pedestrian facilities that reduce automobile dependence and encourage low-carbon transportation modes.
The Project also advances ECAP adaptation policies and actions (A-6) through the planting of new street trees along MLK Jr. Way, which will regulate temperatures, sequester carbon, and mitigate air pollution in a corridor serving communities disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens. These improvements were designed to reduce transportation-related emissions and deliver climate-resilient infrastructure to West Oakland and Downtown communities that have historically borne greater environmental and economic burdens.
Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements Construction Management Support Services Date: September 21, 2026 Page 4
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 13, 2026
FISCAL IMPACT
Sufficient grant funds are available to fund this contract. The Project will be funded through Regional Measure 3 (RM3) grant funding from MTC and California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) grant funding. As detailed in the Background/Legislative History section above, City Council authorized acceptance and appropriation of the RM3 and CalSTA grant funds to implement the Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements project whereas a total amount of four million dollars ($4,000,000) will be appropriated in Project 1008516, Funds 2163 and 2159 for construction management support services, as allocated in the table below. As these funds will be supporting the construction of a capital project, the costs are one-time in nature and will span FY 26-27 through FY 29-30.
Construction Contract Funding Source
Fund Source Name Fund # Organization Project Amount
RM3 2163 92242 1008516 $3,116,665.50
CalSTA 2159 92242 1008516 $883,334.50
Total $4,000,000.00
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Public outreach is part of OakDOT’s Capital Contract Equity Initiative. For this solicitation, OakDOT worked with OPW Capital Contracts Division and DWES to perform public outreach through legal ads, enhanced notifications, and pre-bid meetings.
On August 28, 2025, staff hosted a Doing Business with Oakland event in coordination with OPW and DWES to engage the consultant and contractor community. This meeting included information about the pre-qualification process and the steps to become a certified Small and Local Business Enterprise. It also highlighted upcoming construction opportunities, including this Project, and facilitated about 150 matchmaking sessions between 73 small businesses and four prime contractors.
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 and 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, including by searching for specific projects based on North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.
The legal notice for this solicitation was advertised on July 17, 2026, in the Oakland Tribune and the Oakland Post. In addition, information about the project was published in El Mundo, East Bay Express, and the Inter-City Express to supplement and target L/SLBE companies.
Finally, OPW Capital Contracts Division held a pre-proposal meeting in partnership DWES and the Project Manager on July 28, 2026, with nine (9) people in attendance virtually. The Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
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October 13, 2026
meeting’s purpose was to inform attendees about the Project, discuss compliance requirements, and provide an opportunity for consultants and sub-consultants to network and partner on the proposed work.
COORDINATION
Staff worked with the Office of the City Attorney, the Budget Bureau, Oakland Public Works and Department of Workplace and Employment Standards on the consultant procurement of the construction management support services for the Project and preparation of this report and legislation.
RACE AND EQUITY
In 2024, staff completed a Racial Equity Impact Analysis (REIA) on the MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements to understand the existing disparities, identify how the Project addresses disparities, and provide additional recommendations to the Project design team and the City.
The Project area is defined by six census tracts that are within or adjacent to the Project corridor. This area has about 10,600 residents. Compared to Oakland’s population, this area has a higher proportion of residents who are Black and households with very low income. About 30% of households in the Project area make less than $20,000 per year. In addition, 30% of the Project area households do not have access to a personal vehicle. As highlighted in the REIA, traffic collisions disproportionately impact Black Oaklanders on this corridor, and the Project area residents are subject to worse air quality and associated health outcomes compared to Citywide trends.
This Project will address disparities by improving the safety of all road users; improving accessibility and mobility options for residents, especially residents without vehicles; and improving air quality and related health outcomes in an area with a high proportion of residents who are Black and who are low-income.
Additionally, the Project follows all applicable City contracting requirements that aim to provide the City’s residents and businesses with equitable access to the economic opportunities created by its contracts. The City’s contracting policies aim to use the power of the public purse to stimulate economic development through the support and empowerment of the local community, especially those that have been placed at a disadvantage in the past.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
The Project is exempt under CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 21080.25(b) (Pedestrian and Bicycle), 15301(c) (Existing Facilities, Highways and Streets), 15302(c) (Replacement or Reconstruction), 15303(d) (Small Structures), and 15304(h) (minor alterations to land). Each of the above exemptions provides a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance. The City filed a Notice of Exemption with Alameda County and the Office of Elizabeth Lake, Interim City Administrator
Subject: MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements Construction Management Support Services Date: September 21, 2026 Page 6
Public Works and Transportation Committee
October 13, 2026
Planning and Research’s State Clearing House on March 8, 2024, for the MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution 1) Awarding A Professional Services Agreement To Azad Engineering PC For An Amount Of Four Million Dollars ($4,000,000) To Provide Construction Management Support Services For The Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements Project (Number 1008516); And 2) Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings For questions regarding this report, please contact Edmond Siu, Supervising Civil Engineer at (510) 238-3172.
Respectfully submitted,
Josh Rowan
Director, Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Emily Ehlers, Interim Assistant Director
Edmond Siu, Supervising Civil Engineer
Beaver Boonsook, Transportation Engineer
Prepared by:
Audrey Harris, Supervising Transportation
Planner
Attachment (1):
Attachment A: Project’s Compliance Analysis Memorandum