City Council Memorandum
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
DATE: DECEMBER 3, 2024
FROM:
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
WARDS: 2 AND 3
SUBJECT: AWARD BID NO. 8120 FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CRIDGE STREET AT-GRADE RAIL CROSSING QUIET ZONE STREET IMPROVEMENTS TO SOL CONSTRUCTION, INC. OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, IN THE AMOUNT OF $644,477 ISSUE:
Award Bid No. 8120 for the construction of Cridge Street At-Grade Rail Crossing Street Improvements Project to Sol Construction, Inc. of Riverside, California, in the amount of $644,477.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Award Bid No. 8120 for Cridge Street At-Grade Rail Crossing Street Improvements Project to Sol Construction, Inc. of Riverside, California, in the amount of $644,477; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the Construction Contract with Sol Construction, Inc., including making minor non-substantial changes.
BACKGROUND:
On June 18, 2024, the City Council received a report on the approval of construction and maintenance agreements with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company, Union Pacific Railroad, and Southern California Regional Rail Authority for rail crossing improvements related to the establishment of a railroad quiet zone at Cridge Street rail crossing. The community benefits from railroad quite zone crossings which in general eliminate the use of train horns. Trains will occasionally sound their horns at quiet zone locations as safety protocol dictates; however, these instances are exceptions and noise associated with trains in the vicinity of a quiet zone crossing is greatly reduced.
Following discussion, the City Council unanimously approved the Construction and Maintenance Agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway Company in the amount of $4,736,444.84; approved the Construction and Maintenance Agreement with Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) in the amount of $1,079,804.00; approved the Authorization and Reimbursement Agreement with Union Pacific (UP) Railroad in the amount of $520,240.00; authorized the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record a transfer in the amount of $2,250,000 in surplus Measure A funds from the Misc Railroad Project Management account to the BNSF/UP QZ-Panorama/Cridge account; and authorized the City Manager, or designee, to execute the railroad agreements with BNSF, SCRRA, and UP.
DISCUSSION:
On August 29, 2024, Bid No. 8120 for the construction of Cridge Street At-Grade Rail Crossing Street Improvements (Project) was posted on PlanetBids to reconstruct the concrete sidewalk on the north side of Cridge Street and to repave the street between Commerce Street and Vine Street, to facilitate the establishment of a railroad Quiet Zone through this crossing. Work includes the installation of new fencing, hand railing, pedestrian emergency exit gate system, and signing and striping (Attachment 1). The notification is summarized in the following table.
Table 1 – Bid No. 8120, Bidding Notification Summary Table Action
Number of Vendors
Vendors Notified
582
Vendors Who Downloaded Bid No. 8120
41 Questions and Answers Received
0 Addenda Submitted
0 Proposals Received
3 On September 26, 2024, three bids were received for the construction of the Project (Attachment 2). The lowest responsive bid was from Sol Construction, Inc. in the amount of $644,477.00, which is 18.9% under the Engineer’s Estimate of $794,311.
Table 2: Bids Received and Scored
Bidder
City Location
Bid Amount
Rank
Sol Construction, Inc.
Riverside, CA
$644,477.00
1 Voltaire Engineering, Inc.
Redlands, CA
$802,281.50
2 US Builders & Consultants
Irvine, CA
$868,343.90
3 Purchasing Resolution 24101, Article Five, Section 508 states, “Contracts procured through Formal Procurement shall be awarded by the Awarding Entity to the Lowest Responsive and Responsible Bidder.” The Purchasing Manager concurs that the recommended actions comply with Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 508.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This project supports Strategic Priority 6 – Infrastructure, Mobility and Connectivity and Goal No. 6.2 – Maintain, protect, and improve assets and infrastructure within the City’s built environment to ensure and enhance reliability, resiliency, sustainability, and facilitate connectivity.
The project aligns with each of the Cross-Cutting threads as follows:
Community Trust – This Project will construct facilities to provide enhanced roadway and concrete sidewalk improvements across the railroad tracks and eliminate the use of train horns at the crossing.
Equity – After Project completion and upon regulatory approval, the train horn will be eliminated to allow for improved quality of life for all the neighborhoods surrounding the Cridge Street crossing.
Fiscal Responsibility – This Project was publicly bid and construction contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
Innovation – This project utilizes the most up-to-date warning devices and sensors to ensure efficiency and safety at the Cridge Street rail crossing for all modes of transportation.
Sustainability & Resiliency – Riverside is committed to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future and ensuring the City’s capacity to persevere, adapt and grow during good and difficult times alike. The construction materials specified for this project are considered the most reliable and sustainable in the industry standards for these applications.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action is $644,477. Sufficient funds are budgeted and available in the Measure A Fund, BNSF/UP QZ-Panorama/Cridge project account number 9593430-440313, to award the construction contract and complete the Project. The estimated total project cost including design, construction, construction engineering, construction work by the railroads, railroad flagging, and contingencies is itemized in Table 3.
Table 3. Project Costs
Task
Amount
Design Engineering (In House) - Includes $49,500 in administrative costs by BNSF $ 400,000.00
Construction Contract - Includes railroad flagging
$ 644,477.00
Construction Engineering, Inspection, and Survey (In House) $100,000.00
Construction Work (by Railroad)
$6,336,488.84
Contingencies
$519,034.16
Total Estimated Project Cost:
$8,000,000.00
Prepared by: Farshid Mohammadi, Engineering Manager
Approved by: Gilbert Hernandez, Public Works Director
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Jack Liu, Interim City Attorney
Attachments:
Project Location Map
Bid Award Recommendation
Award Bid 8120 ● Page 2