Agenda Item #13.1
For Council Meeting of: February 13, 2024
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JAMES JENSEN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ENGINEERING TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SUBJECT: MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA FOR THE HIGHWAY 101 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN OVERCROSSING PROJECT AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Transportation and Public Works Department that the Council, by resolution, approve Project Specific Maintenance Agreement No. TR04-22-HB15 between the State of California, acting through its Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the City of Santa Rosa outlining the requirements and procedures for inspecting, evaluating, and maintaining bridges on public roads to guarantee they meet certain safety standards.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This proposed action will approve Project Specific Maintenance Agreement No. TR04-22-HB15 (Maintenance Agreement) between Caltrans and the City of Santa Rosa (City) regarding inspection, evaluation, and maintenance responsibilities within State right of way for the Highway 101 (U.S. 101) Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing project (Project).
This resolution supports Council Goal 5 by building sustainable infrastructure. The bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing connecting Edwards Avenue to Elliot Avenue proposes to close a gap in east to west bicycle and pedestrian travel caused by the U.S. 101 in the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) area. The Project will be inviting to bicyclists and pedestrians crossing over the U.S. 101 while reducing vehicle and pedestrian conflict on College Avenue and Steele Lane.
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Rosa, in coordination with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), has been in plans for several years to construct a bicycle and pedestrian shared-use overcrossing spanning U.S. Highway 101. The Project is needed to accommodate and provide safe access to bicyclists and pedestrians in areas east and west of U.S. 101 in the northern half of Santa Rosa.
The City is proposing to construct the Project to include a 5-foot wide sidewalk and an 8-foot wide bike path, which will improve existing pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, reduce pedestrian/vehicle conflict, and increase opportunity for alternative transportation. The Elliott Avenue and Edwards Avenue location is preferred because it provides direct connections between commercial areas on the west and a college campus and residential areas on the east.
The National Bridge Inspection Standards ("NBIS") is a set of regulations established by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the United States to ensure the safety and integrity of bridges. The NBIS outlines the requirements and procedures for inspecting, evaluating, and maintaining bridges on public roads to guarantee they meet certain safety standards.
There is an existing Freeway Maintenance Agreement, dated January 7, 1965. This Agreement is not meant to supersede the earlier agreement(s).
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
On May 12, 2008, the City Council, by Resolution No. 27078, approved the Cooperative Funding Agreement No. M71406 with Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) to provide $50,000 in funding to the City for the feasibility study of the Santa Rosa Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge at Highway 101.
On November 30, 2010, the City Council, by Resolution No. 27774, accepted the Santa Rosa Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge Feasibility Study prepared by Steven Grover & Associates.
On November 15, 2011, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 28013, approving the Cooperative Agreement between Caltrans and the City of Santa Rosa for completion of the Project Initiation Document for the Santa Rosa Junior College Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge on US Highway 101.
On September 1, 2015, the City Council, by Resolution No. 28681, approved the first amendment to Cooperative Agreement M71406 between SCTA and the City of Santa Rosa making available a total of $250,000 of Measure M Funding for the proposed Bike-Pedestrian Access across Highway 101 Project.
On June 15, 2016, the City Council, by Resolution No. 28801, approved the Budget for the City of Santa Rosa for Fiscal Year 2016-17, which included $500,000 for the preparation of US Highway 101 – Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge Project Approval and Environmental Documentation (PA&ED) phase.
On September 13, 2016, the City Council, by Resolution No. 28859, approved Cooperative Agreement No. 04-2617 between the State of California and the City of Santa Rosa authorizing Caltrans to provide Independent Quality Assurance for the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED) phase for the US Highway 101 – Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge.
On June 20, 2017, the City Council, by motion, approved Project Work Order A010019-2016-01 with BKF Engineers for the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED) phase for the US Highway 101 – Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge not to exceed amount of $907,559.
On March 20, 2018, the City Council, by motion, approved Amendment No. 1 to Project Work Order with BKF Engineers to evaluate an additional project location, the Range Avenue-Bear Cub Way alignment, for the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA&ED) phase for the US Highway 101 – Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge increasing the contract amount by $379,344, for a total amount of $1,286,903.
On July 21, 2020, the City Council provided input on the draft environmental document for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing.
On September 15, 2020, the City Council, by Resolution No. RES-2020-151, approved a cooperative agreement between Caltrans and the City of Santa Rosa for independent quality management assessment during the preparation of the project plans, specification, and estimate for the improvements to the Highway 101 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing.
On April 27, 2021, the City Council, by motion approved two resolution(s): 1) adopt California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Local Assistance Procedures Manual (LAPM) Chapter 10 policies and procedures for state and federal funded projects; and 2) approve a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with BKF Engineers, of Santa Rosa, CA, to provide professional design and right of way services for the preliminary engineering (PE) phase of the Highway 101 Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing Project, in the amount of $3,842,952.
On August 17, 2021, the City Council, by Resolution No. RES-2021-146, authorized the filing of an application for grant funding through the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Active Transportation Program and authorized $2.5M of SB1 funds and $550,000 of Transportation Development Act (TDA) funds to match federal funds being requested for construction.
On October 26, 2021, the City Council, by Resolution No. RES-2021-180, authorized the filing of an application for MTC State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funding in the amount of $3.4M for construction.
On April 26, 2022, the City Council, by Resolution, requested MTC allocate $600,000 of FY 22/23 TDA3 funds, increase appropriations by $600,000 of TDA3 funds, and authorize submittal of the project to CTC in order to receive FY22/23 apportionment of SB1 funds in the amount of $3,914,094.
On August 9, 2022, the City Council, by Resolution, approved Cooperative Agreement No. 04-2837 between the State of California, acting through its Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the City of Santa Rosa authorizing Caltrans to provide quality management assessment for right of way support, right of way acquisition, and utility relocation activities for the Project.
ANALYSIS
Under the Maintenance Agreement, the City will maintain, at City expense, a safe facility for pedestrian and bicycle use along the entire length of the structure and the public use of the State Highway beneath by providing both structure inspection and structure maintenance. In the event that the City needs assistance with bridge inspection, the City may submit a written request to the State at least 120 days in advance of the required inspection date. Additionally, the City will perform structural maintenance for the entire pedestrian bridge, including deck, superstructure, and substructure elements, from east approach to west approach inclusive, including the portions inside State right of way.
Highlights are:
In the event that the City needs assistance with the routine bridge inspection, the State will conduct the inspection and bill the City.
At the parties’ option, the structural maintenance may subsequently be contracted as a State maintenance service to be paid for by the City.
In the event the City fails to perform structural inspection or maintenance obligations under this agreement, state may perform such work, if necessary, to protect the safety of the traveling public and integrity of the overcrossing structure.
The City is responsible for the debris removal near the structure, graffiti removal and general care of landscaped areas.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of this action does not have a fiscal impact on the General Fund at this time. Potential future Caltrans inspection, evaluations and maintenance may result from this action after construction of the Project.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), an Initial Study was performed for this project which resulted in the drafting and adoption of a Mitigated Negative Declaration by the lead environmental agency, Caltrans, in March 2021. A Categorical Exclusion under NEPA was also certified for this project by Caltrans in March 2021. No further environmental documentation is required.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
None.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Location Map
Resolution/Exhibit A
PRESENTER
Lisa Welsh, Supervising Engineer
Greg Mariscal, Supervising Engineer
MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA FOR THE HIGHWAY 101 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN OVERCROSSING PAGE 3 OF 3