Public Works Agency
www.santa-ana.gov/pw/
Item # 15
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
September 15, 2026
TOPIC: Establish a Cooperative Agreement and Award of a Design and Build Agreement for the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project
AGENDA TITLE
Cooperative Agreement with the Cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach for the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project and Agreement with Iteris, Inc. for the Design and Build of the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project (Project No. 26-6721) (Non-General Fund)
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Approve an appropriation adjustment recognizing $394,118 in matching funding from Cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, into the Select Street Construction, Expense Reimbursement revenue account and appropriate the same amount into the Select Street Construction, Improvements Other Than Building expenditure account. (Requires five affirmative votes)
2. Approve an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Capital Improvement Program to include expense reimbursement funding in the amount of $394,118 for the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project (Project No. 26-6721).
3. Approve the Project Cost Analysis for a total estimated delivery cost of $4,218,657, which includes $4,178,657 for the design and build contract and $40,000 for in-kind staff support.
4. Authorize the City Manager to execute a Cooperative Agreement with the Cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, which identifies each city’s roles and responsibilities to implement the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project, for a term beginning upon full approval of the agreement by all parties and effective until December 31, 2031, with an option for extension (Agreement No. A-2026-XXX).
5. Award and authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Iteris, Inc. to design and build the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal
Establish a Cooperative Agreement and Award of a Design and Build Agreement for the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project September 15, 2026
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Synchronization Project for an amount not to exceed $4,178,657, for a term beginning September 15, 2026 and ending September 15, 2029, with provisions for two one-year extensions (Agreement No. A-2026-XXX).
6. Determine that, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, the recommended actions are exempt from further review. Categorical Exemption Environmental Review No. ER-2026-46 will be filed for Project No. 26-6721.
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes
DISCUSSION
Santa Ana’s traffic signal system consists of 328 interconnected signals that communicate through various technologies, including 232 signals connected via fiber- optic cable. These signals are synchronized using real-time traffic data to enhance traffic flow and minimize congestion. Because major arterial corridors extend beyond City boundaries, effective traffic signal synchronization requires coordination with neighboring jurisdictions.
Over the past five years, the City has successfully completed six Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization projects along the First Street, Edinger Avenue, Warner Avenue, Segerstrom Avenue/Dyer Road, MacArthur Boulevard, and Tustin Avenue corridors within Santa Ana. Each corridor extends from city limit to city limit, providing coordinated signal operations across the full length of the corridor within the City. Collectively, these projects achieved an average 13% reduction in total travel time, a 20% reduction in traffic delay, and a 25% reduction in the number of stops. These operational improvements have also reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, demonstrating the effectiveness of regional signal synchronization in improving transportation system performance and sustainability. Each project also included two years of on-call signal system and timing support services following implementation.
These services included ongoing signal timing adjustments and fine-tuning, as well as repairs to newly installed field equipment. Upon completion of the two-year support period, responsibility for ongoing maintenance transitioned to the City. The City continues to perform routine and emergency signal maintenance annually, funded through the Special Gas Tax Fund for Traffic Signal Maintenance, at an estimated annual cost of $6,800 per traffic signal.
In addition to improving traffic operations, coordinated signal timing can enhance safety and quality of life by promoting more consistent traffic flow, reducing unnecessary stops and vehicle queuing, and improving travel-time reliability along the corridor. These improvements benefit residents, commuters, businesses, transit users, and visitors by providing a more efficient and predictable transportation network.
On November 19, 2024, City Council authorized staff to submit a competitive grant Establish a Cooperative Agreement and Award of a Design and Build Agreement for the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project September 15, 2026
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application for the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project with participating agencies for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Measure M2 Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Program (Program P). The Bristol Street corridor extends 10.5 miles from State Route 22 in the City of Santa Ana to Jamboree Road in the City of Newport Beach. The corridor encompasses 45 signalized intersections controlled by the cities of Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, and Caltrans (Exhibit 1). The corridor serves a diverse mix of residential neighborhoods, schools, retail centers, hotels, commercial businesses, and John Wayne Airport with daily traffic volumes ranging from 20,000 vehicles in Newport Beach to 40,000 vehicles in Costa Mesa and more than 50,000 vehicles in Santa Ana.
The corridor's high traffic volumes and diverse land uses require a well-coordinated traffic signal network to effectively manage peak-period traffic demand. The proposed traffic signal synchronization and intelligent transportation system improvements are anticipated to improve traffic flow by reducing travel times, stops, delays, and congestion.
On April 14, 2025, the OCTA Board of Directors approved $3,374,926 in Measure M2 funding for the City of Santa Ana and partnering agencies. The grant requires a 20% local match totaling $843,731, of which Santa Ana’s share is $449,614.
On June 17, 2025, as part of Fiscal Year 2025-26 adopted City budget, City Council recognized the Measure M2 grant funding for the project. To complete the project’s funding plan, approval of a cooperative agreement is necessary to formalize the participating agencies’ funding commitments and establish their respective roles and responsibilities.
The City of Santa Ana elected to serve as the lead agency because of the corridor’s significance to the City’s traffic signal synchronization network and because the majority of the signalized intersections along the corridor are owned and operated by the City.
Under the proposed cooperative agreement, the participating cities will contribute a combined total of $394,118 toward the required local match. Santa Ana’s matching contribution is $449,614, which includes a $40,000 match in-kind (staff time). Each participating city’s contribution is proportional to the improvements located within its respective segment of the corridor, with Santa Ana accounting for the largest share of the proposed improvements.
The Measure M2 grant funding and required matching contributions from all participating agencies, including Santa Ana, total $4,218,657. This funding will support the design and build of intelligent transportation system improvements, implementation of inter-jurisdictional traffic signal synchronization, and associated operations and maintenance for a two-year period. At the conclusion of the two-year period, responsibility for ongoing signal timing maintenance will revert to the respective local Establish a Cooperative Agreement and Award of a Design and Build Agreement for the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project September 15, 2026
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agencies. Funding for Santa Ana’s ongoing routine signal timing maintenance is budgeted annually in the Special Gas Tax Fund for Traffic Signal Maintenance.
Grant Funding
The City of Santa Ana, in partnership with the cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, received $3,374,926 through OCTA’s Measure M2 Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Program (Project P) for the implementation of the project. Project P provides funding to coordinate traffic signals across jurisdictional boundaries, including eligible project implementation, operations, and maintenance costs. OCTA-funded project activities are required to be completed by September 30, 2029. The overall contract extends through January 2030 to accommodate final reporting and closeout activity.
Project Advertisement and Consultant Procurement
On March 10, 2026, the Public Works Agency released Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 26-026, by which it sought the Design-Build services of a qualified consulting firm to implement the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project.
The RFP was advertised and proposals were received electronically on the City’s online procurement management and publication system, PlanetBids, on April 8, 2026. The City notified a total of 990 regional vendors via PlanetBids, 45 of which are Santa Ana based. Forty-two vendors requested bidding documents and two proposals were received and evaluated by a selection committee comprised of personnel from each participating agency/city. Based on criteria outlined in the RFP, the following summarizes the top responding firms:
Firm City Ranking
Iteris, Inc. Santa Ana, CA 1
Advantec Consulting Irvine, CA 2
Iteris, Inc. (Iteris) is an engineering and intelligent transportation systems consulting firm with more than 20 years of experience working with public and private agencies throughout the country and Southern California. Iteris has a highly skilled and efficient Design-Build team that combines local experience with national expertise in managing large regional traffic signal synchronization projects. The Design Build team includes one other engineering firm, Arcadis US, Inc., for engineering design services, and Yunex Traffic for construction. Iteris recently completed the City’s first Traffic Signal and Intelligent Transportation Systems Master Plan and prepared the City’s Local Signal Synchronization Plan Update. Based on the firm’s qualifications, technical approach, relevant project experience, and evaluation results, staff recommends awarding the agreement to Iteris to implement the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project (Exhibit 3).
Establish a Cooperative Agreement and Award of a Design and Build Agreement for the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project September 15, 2026
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Project Schedule and Contract Time
The overall project schedule extends through January 2030 and includes data collection, design, construction, signal timing optimization, and the required operations and maintenance period. System construction is estimated to be completed September 2027, barring unforeseen conditions such as rain, natural disasters, or other delays beyond the control of the City and the Contractor. The design-build contract will provide both design and construction services, streamlining the project delivery from start to finish
The actual completion of each project phase will depend on the consultant’s schedule, material procurement lead times, construction conditions, and other factors that may affect project delivery. The anticipated project schedule is summarized below; Project Milestones
Milestone Estimated
Completion Date
Notes
Primary Implementation-
Phase 1 September 2027
Data Collection December 2026 Field Review, Traffic Counts, Before and After Studies
Signal Timing Optimization
and Implementation September 2027
Concept of Operations,
Optimized Timing, Field
Implementation, Fine-Tuning
Project Report September 2027 Executive Summary
System Design and
Construction September 2027
Design Plans and
Specifications, Material
Procurement, Construction,
Construction Administration,
Inspections
Operation & Maintenance
Phase 2 September 2029
Continuing Support September 2029 On Call Signal System and Timing Support
Final Technical
Memorandum September 2029 Technical Memorandum
The project will be delivered in two phases: Primary Implementation (PI) and Operations & Maintenance (O&M). The PI phase will include the design and construction of the proposed improvements, as well as implementation and optimization of traffic signal timing. Upon completion of the PI phase, the project will enter a two-year O&M period to provide continued support and fine-tuning of the newly implemented signal timing. The two-phase approach will fulfill the scope of work established in the OCTA grant Establish a Cooperative Agreement and Award of a Design and Build Agreement for the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project September 15, 2026
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documents. The consultant will be responsible for scheduling and sequencing project activities based on their proposed means and methods to ensure both phases are completed within the required timeframe.
Construction activities for the ongoing Bristol Street widening project and the proposed Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization project will be closely coordinated to minimize construction conflicts, avoid duplicative work, and ensure timely implementation of both projects. The work associated with this project includes replacing traffic signal control cabinets and installing monitoring systems and other technology devices. The widening project will increase roadway capacity and improve traffic flow, while the Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization project will optimize signal timing to better accommodate changing traffic conditions and reduce delays and unnecessary stops. Together, these investments will enhance the operational performance of the Bristol Street corridor, improve travel time reliability and safety, reduce fuel consumption, and lower greenhouse gas emissions for all roadway users.
Project Delivery
In addition to the design-build contract, the total project delivery cost includes funding for engineering administration and inspection. Engineering administration and inspection services may include construction management, inspection of the contractor’s work for compliance with contract requirements and quality standards, and administration of applicable labor compliance requirements.
As detailed in the Cost Analysis (Exhibit 4) and as summarized in the table below, the estimated project delivery cost is $4,218,657.
Project Item Total
Design-Build Contract Amount $4,178,657
Engineering Administration (Staff Time) $40,000
TOTAL ESTIMATED DESIGN-BUILD DELIVERY COST $4,218,657
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the recommended actions are exempt from further review pursuant to Section 15301(b) of the CEQA Guidelines for projects consisting of repair/maintenance of existing public facilities. The proposed project continues to meet these parameters of the CEQA Guidelines, and Categorical Exemption Environmental Review No. ER-2026-046 will be filed for Project 26-6721 (Exhibit 5).
FISCAL IMPACT
As indicated in the Cost Analysis, the estimated total delivery cost of the project is $4,218,657. With the approval of the requested appropriation adjustment, all funds will be available for expenditure in Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Any remaining balances not Establish a Cooperative Agreement and Award of a Design and Build Agreement for the Bristol Street Corridor Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Project September 15, 2026
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expended at the end of the fiscal year will be presented to City Council for approval of carryovers into Fiscal Year 2027-2028.
With the approval of the requested appropriation adjustment, $394,118 in matching funds will be recognized in the Public Works Select Street Construction, Expense Reimbursement revenue account (No. 05917002-57000) and appropriated for spending into the Public Works Select Street Construction, Improvements Other Than Building expenditure account (Acct. No. 05917660-66220).
Fiscal
Year
Accounting
Unit – Account
No. (Project
No.)
Fund
Description
Accounting Unit –
Account No.
Description
Amount
CURRENT BUDGET
2026-27 03217662-
66220
(26-6721)
Measure M –
Street
Construction
Measure M2 Local
Fairshare St,
Improvements Other
Than Buildings
$449,614
2026-27 03217663-
66220
(26-6721)
Measure M –
Street
Construction
Measure M2
Competitive Street,
Improvements Other
Than Buildings
$3,374,926
APPROPRIATION ADJUSTMENT
2026-27 05917660-
66220
(26-6721)
Select Street
Construction
Select Street
Construction,
Improvements Other
Than Buildings
$394,118
TOTAL $4,218,658
EXHIBIT(S)
1. Location Map
2. Cooperative Agreement
3. Agreement with Iteris, Inc.
4. Cost Analysis
5. Environmental Determination
6. CIP Project Sheet
Submitted By: Rodolfo Rosas, P.E., Acting Executive Director of Public Works Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager