2 4
7 7
CONSENT CALENDAR
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: April 15, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Lynn Merrill, Director of Public Works;
Azzam Jabsheh, Deputy Director of Public Works/City Engineer Department: Public Works
Subject: Award Design Services Agreement in the Amount of $269,242.50 for E Street Median Safety Improvements
(HSIP Cycle 12 – 5033(060)) to Willdan Engineering (Wards 1 & 3)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute a Design Services Agreement with Willdan Engineering for the E Street Median Safety Improvements Project (Fairway Drive to 10th Street), HSIP Cycle 12 – Federal Project No. 5033(060), for Preliminary Engineering (PS&E) services in the amount of $269,242.50.
City Manager's Comments
City Manager recommends approval.
Executive Summary
The E Street Median Safety Improvements Project (Fairway Drive to 10th Street) is funded through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 12 to enhance corridor safety through installation of a raised median and related roadway improvements.
This action authorizes execution of a Design Services Agreement with Willdan Engineering in the amount of $269,242.50 for preparation of environmental clearance documentation and final Plans, Specifications, and Cost Estimates (PS&E). Approval will allow the City to proceed with environmental clearance, design, and preparation of bid-ready construction documents in accordance with Caltrans requirements.
The construction phase will be brought to the Mayor and City Council for authorization at a future date following completion of design and Caltrans approval. 2 4
7 7
Background
The E Street Median Safety Improvements Project (Fairway Drive to 10th Street) was awarded funding under the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 12.
The project is identified as Federal Project No. 5033(060) and State Project No. 0825000150L and is administered through Caltrans District 8 under the Local Assistance Program.
On July 14, 2025, Caltrans authorized the Preliminary Engineering (PE) phase of the project. The Project End Date (PED) is November 30, 2027.
E Street is a major north–south arterial serving commercial, transit, and local traffic within the City of San Bernardino. The corridor includes dedicated sbX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes and multiple driveway access points. Safety concerns have been identified where vehicles make left turns or enter driveways across the dedicated bus lanes. Temporary delineators previously installed along the corridor have not provided a long-term solution.
The proposed project includes installation of a raised (hard) median between Fairway Drive and 10th Street to better manage turning movements, reduce conflict points, and enhance overall roadway safety. In addition to the median improvements, pavement conditions within the project limits warrant rehabilitation. A preliminary review indicates varying levels of pavement distress, including longitudinal cracking and localized areas requiring repair.
The project scope also includes pavement rehabilitation treatments such as cold milling and overlay or slurry seal where appropriate, along with comprehensive striping and restriping of travel lanes, bus lanes, bike lanes (if applicable), edge lines, crosswalks, and related pavement markings. Signing improvements and drainage review are included as part of the coordinated corridor upgrade.
The Preliminary Engineering phase includes environmental clearance, site investigation, surveying, utility coordination, public outreach, and preparation of final Plans, Specifications, and Cost Estimates (PS&E) necessary to advance the project to construction authorization under the HSIP program.
Discussion
The proposed Design Services Agreement with Willdan Engineering will provide Preliminary Engineering (PS&E) services to advance the E Street Median Safety Improvements Project from design to construction. The scope of work includes preparation of environmental clearance documentation, field investigations, surveying, utility coordination, traffic analysis and safety evaluation, and public outreach, as well as development of final Plans, Specifications, and Cost Estimates (PS&E). The design will incorporate raised median improvements, pavement rehabilitation treatments, signing and striping plans, and related roadway safety enhancements consistent with project objectives and Caltrans Local Assistance Program requirements.
2 4
7 7
Following City Council approval, contract execution, and issuance of a Notice to Proceed, the project is anticipated to progress in accordance with the schedule outlined below:
Milestone Anticipated Timeframe
Contract Execution and Purchase Order Issuance June 2026 Notice to Proceed (NTP) July 2026
Completion of Plans, Specifications, and Cost
Estimates (PS&E) January 2027
Request for Authorization (RFA) – Construction
Approval by Caltrans April 2027
Bid Package Preparation and Procurement Solicitation May 2027 Construction Contract Award (City Council) July 2027
Start of Construction September 2027
Completion of the design phase and approval of the Request for Authorization (RFA) by Caltrans will allow the City to proceed to construction. Upon completion of the procurement process, the project will return to the Mayor and City Council for award of the construction contract.
Procurement Process
In August 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for professional design engineering services for the E Street Median Safety Improvements Project.
The initial solicitation resulted in one responsive proposal. Following coordination with Caltrans District 8 and internal evaluation, the City submitted a Public Interest Finding (PIF 12-F) request to the District Local Assistance Engineer (DLAE) seeking approval to proceed with the single proposer; however, the request was not approved.
Accordingly, the City re-advertised the project under RFP F-26-1044 on January 12, 2026. The solicitation closed on February 2, 2026. The City received proposals from the following firms:
Firm Name
AYCE
Willdan Engineering
Engineering Resources of Southern California, Inc. (ERSC) 2 4
7 7
TKE Engineering
Michael Baker International
Sikand Engineering
An evaluation committee reviewed and scored the proposals in accordance with the criteria established in the RFP. Based on the evaluation results, Willdan Engineering was identified as the top-ranked firm.
In accordance with federal Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) requirements under the Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual (LAPM), consultant selection was based solely on qualifications and demonstrated experience. Fee proposals were not used as an evaluation criterion and were only considered during negotiations with the top-ranked firm. Consistent with these requirements, fee proposals from competing firms are not presented in this report.
Following selection, the City entered into negotiations with Willdan Engineering as the top-ranked firm. Willdan’s original fee proposal for the Preliminary Engineering (PS&E) phase totaled $306,492.50.
Through negotiations, the scope and fee structure were refined to align with project requirements and funding constraints. Willdan subsequently submitted a revised fee proposal totaling $269,242.50 for the PS&E phase, representing a reduction of $37,250.00 from the original proposal.
The negotiated design services fee of $269,242.50 is within the authorized Preliminary Engineering (PE) funding for the project, as approved by Caltrans under the E-76 authorization, and is consistent with available project funding for the Preliminary Engineering phase. Staff recommends awarding the design services contract to Willdan Engineering to proceed with preparation of the Plans, Specifications, and Cost Estimates (PS&E) necessary to advance the project toward construction.
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
This project is consistent with Goal No. 4: Improve Quality of Life – Evaluate and enhance the quality of public safety services. The E Street Median Safety Improvements Project addresses documented roadway safety concerns by installing a raised median and associated pavement, signing, and striping improvements. These enhancements are intended to reduce traffic conflicts, improve corridor operations, and enhance overall safety for motorists and the surrounding community, while supporting the objectives of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).
2 4
7 7
Fiscal Impact
The total approved budget for the E Street Median Safety Improvements Project is $3,503,000, funded through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 12 federal grant program in the amount of $3,152,700, with a required local match of $350,300 from the City’s Traffic Safety funds.
The current action authorizes execution of a design services agreement with Willdan Engineering in the amount of $269,242.50 for the Preliminary Engineering (PS&E) phase of the project. Sufficient funding is available within the approved project budget, and no additional appropriation is required at this time.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute a Design Services Agreement with Willdan Engineering for the E Street Median Safety Improvements Project (Fairway Drive to 10th Street), HSIP Cycle 12 – Federal Project No. 5033(060), for Preliminary Engineering (PS&E) services in the amount of $269,242.50.
Attachments
Attachment 1- Design Services Agreement, Willdan Engineering Attachment 2- Proposal, Willdan Engineering
Attachment 3- Project Location Map
Ward:
Ward 1 and Ward 3
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
July 2, 2025 The Mayor and City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-322 accepting the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 12 grant award in the amount of $3,152,700, approving the required local match from the Traffic Safety Fund, and amending the FY 2025/26 CIP budget to establish a total project budget of $3,503,000 for the E Street Median Safety Improvements Project.