CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: MAY 27, 2026 CONSENT CALENDAR
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS & ESTIMATE (PS&E), AND
AUTHORIZATION TO BID THE RACQUET CLUB ROAD
RECONFIGURATION, CITY PROJECT 22-21B
FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: Engineering Services Department
SUMMARY:
The construction documents (Plans, Specifications and Estimate) are completed, and in accordance with Section 7.03.04 of the Procurement and Contracting Code, the City Council shall approve and adopt the plans, specifications and work details, and authorize the bid request for all public projects in excess of $220,000. Approval of this item will allow Staff to proceed with bidding for the Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration, City Project 22- 21B (“the Project”).
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve the plans, specifications and estimate, and authorize Staff to advertise and solicit bids for the Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration, City Project 22- 21B;
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents.
BACKGROUND:
In December 2021, the City developed the Palm Springs Pedestrian Master Plan, which identified 37 locations, consisting of street segments and intersections, for further evaluation of potential pedestrian safety enhancements. One such project was the Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration. The focus of this project is to improve pedestrian, bicyclist, and vehicle safety through lane reconfiguration, bike lanes, enhanced crossings, and sidewalk gap closures where feasible. The limits of the proposed lane reconfiguration are shown in Figure 1 on the following page.
City Council Staff Report
May 27, 2026 -- Page 2
Authorize RFB for City Project 22-21B Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration Figure 1: Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration, City Project 22-21B On January 10, 2024, staff solicited proposals from the City’s on-call traffic engineering consultants to prepare a traffic study, conduct extensive community outreach, and develop Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) for the Project.
On February 29, 2024, the City Council approved a Task Order with Kimley-Horn for traffic engineering services.
Between September 2024 and September 2025, four in-person & online community meetings were held to gather feedback and keep residents engaged as the project progressed through the conceptual design stage. An online interactive map tool and a dedicated project email address were also used to collect additional input. Affected communities and businesses were notified via email and mailed notices. Throughout the process, more than 200 comments were received, and all feedback was considered in the design.
Of these comments, 125 comments were focused on traffic calming (i.e. issues with noise, trucks, speeding, pedestrian and bike safety). Thirty comments were not in support of bike lanes, lane reductions, or traffic calming ideas, or the comment received did not specifically apply to the project.
During this stage, the design team and Staff coordinated with the Fire Department and Police Department to confirm if there were any emergency response concerns regarding the proposed road reconfiguration along Racquet Club Road. There were no concerns stated by the Police Department, however at the Fire Department’s request, a Fire Response Study was prepared to evaluate potential impacts on emergency response
City Council Staff Report
May 27, 2026 -- Page 3
Authorize RFB for City Project 22-21B Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration times within the area served by Fire Station No. 3. The study focused on the response data provided by the Fire Department, existing conditions with and without the road reconfiguration, and projected conditions through the year 2040. The study showed that, with the road reconfiguration and no other corridor changes, emergency response times are projected to increase by between 2.7 to 63 seconds.
The fire response travel study was coordinated with the Fire Department and travel time data indicates a worst-case scenario for increases in travel time. The proposed design will incorporate countermeasures with associated crash reduction factors that can provide a safer environment for all users of the corridor with the potential to reduce collisions. The reconfiguration will consist of painted lane markings only, with no barriers or obstructions that would prevent emergency vehicles from maneuvering as needed.
On February 3, 2025, a call for projects was published by RCTC seeking applications for the SB 821 Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program. This year, the program’s maximum funding request was $727,986 per application and $1,455,973 per jurisdiction. The City submitted two applications, with one being the Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration, and the other being the South Palm Canyon Road Reconfiguration.
On June 11, 2025, RCTC approved 13 projects for funding out of the 33 applications received. The Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration was selected as one of six in the Coachella Valley. The South Palm Canyon Road Reconfiguration project was also selected by RCTC.
On September 17, 2025 the findings of the Response Study were shared with the community at the fourth and final community meeting of the Project. Resident feedback from this community meeting included addressing speeding throughout the corridor, retaining on-street parking on Racquet Club Road, managing vehicle delay along the corridor through traffic signal improvements, and increasing pedestrian and cyclist safety and visibility. The overall consensus was that the community supports the implementation of the Project.
On October 22, 2025, the City Council approved an agreement with RCTC to accept SB 821 grant funding in an amount not to exceed $727,986 for the Project.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
The contract documents for the Project prepared by our traffic engineering consultant Kimley-Horn have been reviewed and approved by Staff. The scope of the Project consists of a roadway reconfiguration along Racquet Club Road, including the conversion of the existing four-lane roadway to a three-lane configuration with one travel lane in each direction and a center two-way left turn lane. The reconfiguration will provide Class II bicycle lanes with a striped buffer on both sides of the roadway and incorporate curbside parking where feasible. The typical existing and proposed cross sections are shown in Figure 2 & 3 as follows.
City Council Staff Report
May 27, 2026 -- Page 4
Authorize RFB for City Project 22-21B Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration Figure 2: Typical existing cross section along Racquet Club Road Figure 3: Typical proposed cross section along Racquet Club Road
City Council Staff Report
May 27, 2026 -- Page 5
Authorize RFB for City Project 22-21B Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration Additional improvements include pavement rehabilitation, upgraded signing and striping, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements to address non-compliant sidewalks, curb ramps, and pedestrian facilities. The Project also includes sidewalk gap closures where feasible, enhanced pedestrian crossing treatments, and other safety enhancements to improve overall multimodal access and connectivity along the corridor.
With City Council approval, Staff will advertise the Project in the Desert Sun, and utilize the procurement program, “PlanetBids” ™, to allow the submission of bids electronically.
The following tentative schedule has been identified for the bid process:
Action Date
Notice Inviting Bids to be posted May 13, 2026
Deadline for receipt of bids/ bid opening June 11, 2026 Contract awarded by City Council July 8, 2026
The contract documents will be provided free of charge to prospective bidders through the PlanetBids™ system. Staff recommends that the City Council approve the contract documents and authorize Staff to formally solicit construction bids for the Project.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) Guidelines Section 15301 “Existing Facilities”, Class 1 projects consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public structures, facilities, mechanical equipment or topographical features involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Therefore, Staff has determined that the Project is considered categorically exempt from CEQA and Notice of Exemption will be filed with the Riverside County Clerk.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING:
This item aligns with the following City Council Strategic Plan Broad Goal: Public Safety and Community Services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Project construction cost is estimated to be $3,450,000, excluding any contingency.
The Project will be funded through a combination of SB 821 grant funds, Measure A, Measure J, and Capital funds, which have already been allocated for this purpose.
City Council Staff Report
May 27, 2026 -- Page 6
Authorize RFB for City Project 22-21B Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration REVIEWED BY:
City Engineer: Joel Montalvo
Assistant City Manager: Flinn Fagg
City Manager: Scott Stiles
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Project Plans for Bidding