City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: May 9, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.J
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Edward F King, Director, Mobility (DOT)
Subject: Approval of Modification of the Professional Services Agreement for the Safe Routes to School Pedestrian Improvements at Six Schools Project to extend the term
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of statutory exemption pursuant to Section 21080.25 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and categorical exemptions pursuant to Sections 15301 and 15304 of the CEQA Guidelines.
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a first modification to Contract Agreement #10968 (Attachment A) with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. for the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Pedestrian Improvements at Six Schools Project, to extend the term of the agreement through December 31, 2024.
Summary
Santa Monica’s Department of Transportation (DOT) is advancing the Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) Pedestrian Improvement at Six Schools project, which will help achieve the City’s priorities of Clean and Safe and Sustainable and Connected Community; and the City Council’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries caused by traffic collisions by 2026. The project encourages walking and bicycling to six schools by enhancing access and safety conditions surrounding McKinley Elementary, Edison Language Academy, Santa Monica Alternative Schoolhouse (SMASH), John Muir Elementary, Franklin Elementary, and Grant Elementary.
The project was delayed due to staff capacity limitations and the prioritization of other grant-funded capital projects with inflexible funding deadline requirements, and the Six 2 of 4
Schools agreement for the project’s transportation planning and engineering design services with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. expires on June 30, 2023. While project design has resumed, the work will not be completed before the contract expiration. A no-cost contract modification to extend the term to December 31, 2024, is required to complete the project.
Discussion
The Bicycle Action Plan (2011) calls for the City’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) efforts to focus on infrastructure improvements at conflict zones and evaluate program and network effectiveness in increasing bicycle mode share of school children. The Pedestrian Action Plan (2016) identifies the SRTS program as aiding in the implementation of infrastructure improvements that support walking and bicycling and references a systematic evaluation of streets within a quarter mile of the city’s K-12 schools to help prioritize improvements.
In October 2018, the SRTS Walk Audit Report was released and includes preliminary recommendations including, but not limited to, curb extensions, curb ramp improvements, new or improved crosswalks, installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs), and other safety countermeasures. The Pedestrian Improvements at Six Schools Project will advance the recommendations identified for the six schools in the 2018 SRTS Walk Audit Report by delivering a community-supported constructionready Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) package for improvements at all six schools.
Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. was awarded the contract to provide transportation planning and engineering design services for the SRTS Pedestrian Improvements at Six Schools Project on November 12, 2019. The project is funded by local transportation funds. Due to restructuring, staff prioritized capital projects funded by state and federal grants with immediate grant funding deadlines, and the completion of the Pedestrian Improvement at Six Schools project was delayed as a result. While the project has now resumed, extending the term of the contract is necessary to complete the project design and move the project toward construction in the summer of 2024. 3 of 4
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
11/12/19 (Attachment B) Original award of Professional Services Agreement with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. to provide
transportation planning and engineering design services for the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Pedestrian
Improvements at Six Schools Project
Environmental Review
The modification of the professional services agreement would provide planning and engineering design services for the SRTS Pedestrian Improvements at Six Schools Project. The SRTS projects are exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 21080.25 of the State Implementation Guidelines in that the projects consists of pedestrian and bicycle facilities that improve safety, access, or mobility within the public right-of-way.
Additionally, the project is categorically exempt per Section 15301 (Class 1- existing facilities) and Section 15304 (Class 4 - minor alterations to land) in that the project would make minor changes to existing roadways and minor alterations to land to implement pedestrian improvements.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to modify the contract agreement with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. to extend the term through December 31, 2024. The not-to-exceed amount of the contract remains unchanged.
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Prepared By: Shayne Smith, Transportation Planning Associate Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Attachment A: 6 Schools Contract 10968
B. Attachment B: November 12, 2019 Staff Report (Web Link) C. ITEM.5.J.Written Comments