Title
Recommendation to Authorize the Interim City Manager to Execute an 18 Month Agreement with CDM Smith in an Amount Not to Exceed $600,301, Including Contingency, for the Outreach, Planning and Design Services for the Clement Avenue Safety Improvements. (Transportation 91819)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: David L. Rudat, Interim City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Alameda is constructing a six mile “Cross Alameda Trail” from the Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point to the Miller Sweeney Bridge (Fruitvale Bridge). In 2018, work began on the segment from the Seaplane Lagoon to Main Street, and work was completed on the segment through Jean Sweeney Open Space Park from Constitution to Sherman Street. In 2019, work will begin on the portion between Main Street and Constitution.
In 2017, the City received over $5,000,000 from the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) for construction of the segment from Grand Avenue to Broadway, known as the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project. The City’s 2017-2019 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) includes the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement project to fund planning, outreach and design totaling $641,000 with $567,000 coming from the grant and $74,000 coming from the City’s Transportation Development Improvement Fund (DIF).
Consistent with the City’s 2017-19 CIP, staff is now recommending that the City Council authorize the Interim City Manager to execute an 18 month contract with CDM Smith in an amount not to exceed $600,301 for design services for the Clement Avenue Safety Improvements Project.
BACKGROUND
The City has identified Clement Avenue between Grand Street and Broadway, which is 1.2 miles in length, as a high priority for safety improvements (Exhibit 1). Clement Avenue is 48 to 50-foot wide, curb to curb, and has two travel lanes separated in the center by a single set of railroad tracks, on-street parking along both sides of the street and no bike lanes. Excessive speeds, challenging crossings for pedestrians and a lack of bicycle facilities cause safety concerns along this segment of Clement Avenue.
The Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project improves the bicycling and walking infrastructure and constructs a major portion of the Cross Alameda Trail. The project maintains the designated truck route, removes the railroad tracks, and adds a bikeway, curb extensions, rectangular rapid flashing beacons, bus shelters, sidewalk/curb ramp improvements, and street trees.
DISCUSSION
On October 17, 2017, Transportation Planning staff issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to prequalify firms for professional outreach, planning, and design services for transportation complete streets projects, including the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project. The RFQ due date was November 14, 2017, and the City received responses from13 firms. City staff interviewed 9 consultant teams, and selected the following five firms as qualified Engineering Teams on the Certified List: Alta Planning + Design, Carlson, Barbee & Gibson, Inc., CDM Smith, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. and Parisi/CSW Design Group.
On October 10, 2018, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to the five prequalified Engineering Teams on the Certified List. The City received timely submitted proposals from all five Engineering Teams on the Certified List, and selected the CDM Smith team, which is the Engineering Team that best meets the City’s needs. The selection was based on the consultant teams past experience, quality and experience of key staff, understanding of work scope, cost competitiveness, and ability to meet contract requirements.
Staff is recommending that the City Council approve an 18 month contract with CDM Smith in an amount not to exceed $600,301, which includes a 15 percent contingency of $78,300. Exhibits 2 and 3 are the final work scope and cost proposal. The contract with CDM Smith is attached as Exhibit 4. The work scope and cost proposal include planning, outreach and preliminary design, which are Tasks 1 to 5 in the work scope and cost proposal. The work scope does not include the construction drawings and construction bid support, which are Tasks 6 and 7 in the work scope and cost proposal. At this time, staff is recommending that the City prepare the initial design and environmental work, which must precede the final construction drawings and bid support. At a later date, once the community has provided input and the City Council has approved a final design concept, staff will return to Council for authorization to proceed and fund the construction drawings.
CDM Smith has assembled a team of highly qualified consultants that have complete streets, City, and CalTrans experience to bring the Clement Avenue project closer to implementation. CDM Smith was the prime consultant for the City’s Transportation Choices Plan and is the prime consultant for the Central Avenue Safety Improvement Project. They are also the prime consultant for the City of Seattle’s Madison Street complete street project and the City of San Francisco’s Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit project, which are comparable in complexity and scale to the Clement Avenue project. CDM Smith’s work on complex complete streets projects in high volume business corridors has positioned them as experts in providing improved mobility options for users of all modes and in promoting safety through context-sensitive planning and design. CDM Smith is a full service engineering and construction firm that has direct traffic engineering, multimodal and CalTrans experience in the Bay Area and across the country, and is on the cutting edge of implementing innovative transportation solutions. CDM Smith staff are based out of their San Francisco office, and are supported by 5,000 staff in 125 offices around the world. The CDM Smith team includes Parsons, PlaceWorks, Paleo Solutions, JRP Historical, CHS and Pacific Legacy.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The funds for this project are budgeted in the City’s 2017-19 Capital Improvement Program (Project 91819) totaling $641,000 for planning, outreach and design. The City has received a federal grant from the Alameda CTC totaling over $5 million, and when combined with local monies, the amount available for the project totals $5.7 million, which includes planning, outreach, design and construction. The construction phase of the project will be budgeted in the next biennial Budget cycle. The pre-construction costs are higher than expected because of the more extensive environmental review that are now expected. Exhibit 5 is a memorandum that explains the cost estimates and how the CDM Smith team costs are consistent with Alameda CTC’s Cost Estimating Guide. Thus, additional funds will be needed to complete the construction drawings totaling up to $400,000, which are shown as the unfunded Tasks 6 and 7 in the cost proposal and work scope.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The City Council approved the Transportation Element of the General Plan (2009), which lists Clement Avenue as a bicycle- and transit-priority street and a truck route, and lists other priorities that will be addressed in the Clement Avenue project, such as multimodal, safety and environmental improvements and considering needs for individuals with disabilities. The project is consistent with the Transportation Element of the General Plan Objective 4.1.1: Provide for the safe and efficient movement of people, goods, and services.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the Interim City Manager to execute an 18 month agreement with CDM Smith in an amount not to exceed $600,301, including contingency, for the Outreach, Planning and Design Services for the Clement Avenue Safety Improvements.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Acting Planning, Building and Transportation Director
By,
Gail Payne, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Project Area Map
2. Work Scope
3. Cost Proposal
4. Contract
5. Cost Estimating Memo