Title
Recommendation to Approve the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project Final Design Concept; and Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Second Amendment to the Service Provider Agreement with CDM Smith to Increase Compensation by $530,332, Including Contingencies, for a Total Aggregate Compensation Not to Exceed $1,130,633, to Complete the Plans, Specifications and Estimate for the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project. (Transportation 91819)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff is requesting City Council approval of the final design plans for the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project and Cross Alameda Trail improvements between Grand Street and Broadway. Staff is also requesting authorization to extend the CDM Smith contract to allow for the completion of the next phase of design work in preparation of project construction.
BACKGROUND
The City of Alameda (City) has been working for several years on a redesign of Clement Avenue and the Cross Alameda Trail between Alameda Point and the Miller-Sweeney Bridge. Parts of the Trail are complete, parts are under construction, and parts are still in the planning phase. The Cross Alameda Trail and the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project support City Council adopted policies regarding Vision Zero, greenhouse gas reduction, and transportation mode shift.
Clement Avenue between Grand Street and Broadway currently has two travel lanes separated in the center by a single set of paved over railroad tracks and on-street parking along both sides of the street. Currently there are no bicycle facilities, and the sidewalks are substandard. Excessive speeds averaging over 30 miles per hour, challenging crossings for pedestrians and a lack of bicycle facilities cause safety concerns along this segment of Clement Avenue for the most vulnerable users. The corridor averages over 8,000 vehicles per day, and over the last five years about 70 collisions have occurred along the corridor.
In an effort to address the safety concerns and create a safe and attractive Cross Alameda Trail, the City Council has taken a series of actions over the years to improve the corridor, including:
• In October 2016, the City Council approved a successful federal grant application for over $5 million for the proposed safety improvements.
• In June 2017, the City Council approved $641,000 from local and federal funding sources for fiscal years 2017 to 2019 for project approvals, environmental review and preliminary design.
• In December 2018, the City Council approved the CDM Smith consultant contract for planning, environmental review and preliminary design after City staff conducted a competitive selection process that involved issuing a request for qualifications in late 2017 and a request for proposals to prequalified teams in late 2018.
• In June 2019, the City Council approved a Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-21 budget allocation for $1 million in Clement Avenue expenditures from local and federal funding sources for the construction drawings and construction bid support.
• In September 2019, the City Council approved a preliminary design concept for the Clement Avenue project.
• In September 2019, the City Council passed the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, which requires construction of bicycle and pedestrian safety projects including the Clement Avenue project to reduce Alameda’s greenhouse gas emissions generated by the transportation sector from private automobile use.
• In November 2019, the City Council passed a Vision Zero policy eliminating fatal and severe injury collisions as a citywide guiding principle for transportation planning, the design of streets and sidewalks, and the maintenance of the public rights-of-way making safety the highest priority when balancing competing needs and demands for space within the public right-of-way.
• In April 2020, the City Council adopted a policy that provides guidance for standard street and parking lane widths and makes the safety of people walking and bicycling the highest priority when allocating right-of-way space, followed by transit efficiency and finally on-street parking.
On May 27, 2020, the Transportation Commission unanimously recommended that the City Council approve the final design for the Clement Avenue Safety Project.
DISCUSSION
Since the September 2019 City Council action to approve the preliminary design concept for the Clement Avenue project, the staff/consultant team has been working to finalize the design (Exhibit 1). At this time, staff is requesting that the City Council review and approve the final design prior to preparation of construction drawings and the commencement of construction. The Transportation Commission unanimously approved the final design at their meeting of May 27, 2020.
Design Process: The final Clement Avenue design is the culmination of an extensive community based design process that included community member comments received at public hearings, from on-line surveys and focus group meetings that occurred from 2015 through 2020. City staff announced these community input opportunities by distributing public notices to property owners within 300 feet of the project site and by providing announcements to the Clement Avenue project email list serve, the project web page - https://www.alamedaca.gov/Clement, social media and local news media outlets, as well as to key stakeholders - Downtown Area Business Association, Bike Walk Alameda, AC Transit and Caltrans. Exhibit 2 provides a summary of the most recent outreach received on the updated Clement Avenue concept, which state support of the pedestrian improvements, wider bikeway and travel lane area and request an all-way stop at the Clement Avenue/Willow Street intersection, which does not and is not expected to meet a stop sign warrant. One community member requested to make it possible to legally turn left from Clement Avenue into a driveway, which the new configuration allows, and another community member requested a marked crosswalk at Elm Street, which the City staff/consultant team will add. The City staff/consultant team also are looking for opportunities to plant additional street trees, bio swales or landscaping, which is challenged by the underground utilities.
Final Design Safety Improvements: Consistent with recent City Council Vision Zero and lane width policies, the primary design objective of the final design is to improve safety for all users of the 1.2 mile public right-of-way along Clement Avenue between Grand Street and Broadway. The proposed design is specifically designed to improve safety for people bicycling and walking along this portion of Cross Alameda Trail, which will ultimately provide a safe and convenient bicycle and pedestrian trail between Alameda Point in west Alameda and the Miller-Sweeney/Fruitvale Bridge in east Alameda.
As shown in the diagrams below as Figures 1 and 2 and in Exhibit 1, the final design provides for:
• Two 11 foot travel lanes for automobiles and trucks;
• One 14 foot protected, two-way bikeway from Grand Street to Walnut Street and from Elm Street to Oak Street, and one 9-10 foot two-way bikeway from Walnut Street to Elm Street and from Oak Street to Broadway; and
• One 8 foot parking lane on the south side of the street from Grand Street to Walnut Street and two 7 foot parking lanes on the south and north sides of the street from Walnut Street to Elm Street and from Park Street to Broadway.
The final design also includes shorter and higher visibility pedestrian and bicycle crossings, improved traffic controls at Grand Street and Broadway, disabled access improvements, drainage and landscape improvements, traffic signal upgrades at the intersection of Clement Avenue and Park Street, raised crosswalks at Oak Street, Everett Street and Alameda Marina Drive, and removal of the existing railroad tracks in the center of the roadway.
Figure 1: Final Design - Grand Street to Walnut Street and Elm Street to Oak Street
Figure 2: Final Design - Walnut Street to Elm Street and Oak Street to Broadway
Note: The Oak to Park segment is two feet wider, which allows for eight feet parking.
On-Street Public Parking: To provide for a safe Cross Alameda Trail, daylight intersections for pedestrian safety, comply with Americans with Disability Act (ADA) for a continuous path of travel, and provide adequate space for trucks servicing businesses along the corridor, the total number of public on-street parking spaces on Clement Avenue between Grand Street and Broadway will be reduced from approximately 300 to approximately 155 spaces. The 145 parking spaces to be removed include:
• 10 spaces to provide adequate visibility at existing intersections consistent with City Council policy and national and state standards for intersection safety;
• 55 spaces to enable widening of existing sidewalks around existing telephone and power poles to meet ADA requirements;
• 20 spaces to accommodate the protected two-way bikeway and to provide maximum visibility at driveway crossings;
• 50 spaces to widen the bikeway, buffer and parking lane on the south side of the street by restricting parking on the north side of the street between Grand Street and Willow Street; and
• 10 spaces to widen the bikeway, buffer and parking lane on the south side of the street by restricting parking on the north side of the street between Elm Street and Oak Street.
Currently, there are no disabled parking spaces along Clement Avenue, and the concept will include disabled parking spaces on Clement Avenue or on minor streets adjacent to Clement Avenue so as to comply with U.S. Access Board guidelines for on-street disabled parking.
Conclusions: Staff believes that the final design:
• Implements General Plan, Transportation Choices Plan and Climate Action and Resiliency Plan policy objectives;
• Implements the City Council’s Vision Zero Policy and Lane Width Policy to protect the health and safety of Alameda residents, employees and visitors walking, biking and driving on the Cross Alameda Trail;
• Provides adequate lane width to support use of Clement Avenue as a truck route and potential future transit route and support the transportation needs of Alameda’s business community; and
• Minimizes, to the extent possible, the loss of public on-street parking to make room for the necessary safety improvements.
In conclusion, staff recommends that the City Council approve the final design and direct staff to commence work on the construction drawings.
CDM Smith Consultant Agreement Amendment: The next required step of the Clement Avenue project is to complete the Plans, Specifications and Estimate (PS&E) phase. The primary milestones of the PS&E phase include the 65 percent, 95 percent and 100 percent plan development, the support services for storm water and hydrology and construction bid support. The PS&E must comply with all applicable federal, state and local regulations and procedures and be submitted to Caltrans for authorization to proceed with construction so as to comply with the federal grant requirements. Exhibits 3 through 8 include the CDM Smith Service Provider Agreement, First Amendment, Second Amendment and the proposed PS&E work scope, budget and schedule.
The original consultant selection of CDM Smith followed the Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual for federally funded transportation projects. The competitive consultant selection process involved issuing a request for qualifications in late 2017 and a request for proposals to prequalified teams in late 2018. In December 2018, the City Council approved the selection of the CDM Smith team because it was the engineering team that best met the contract requirements and the selection criteria that were based on past experience, quality and experience of key staff, understanding of work scope and ability to meet contract requirements. The First Amendment of the Agreement is a time extension. The Second Amendment is the subject of this request, and is consistent with the approval of the original contract, which stated that City staff would be back at a later date to request City Council authorization to proceed with the PS&E.
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 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 Truckee office, and CDM Smith employs 5,000 staff in 125 offices around the world. The CDM Smith team includes Paleo Solutions, JRP Historical, CHS, Pacific Legacy and A3GEO, Inc.
In conclusion, staff is recommending that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a Second Amendment to the Service Provider Agreement with CDM Smith to Increase Compensation by $530,332, including contingencies, for a total aggregate compensation not to exceed $1,130,633, to complete the PS&E for the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project.
ALTERNATIVES
The City Council may consider a range of alternatives:
• Approve the final design (Exhibit 1) and authorize the recommended contract amendment to proceed with PS&E documents.
• Direct staff to make specific changes to the final design and authorize the recommended contract amendment to proceed with PS&E documents.
• Reject the final design and direct staff to return with an alternative design and contract amendment at a future date.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The proposed CDM Smith consultant budget for the PS&E phase of the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project totals $530,332 for this Second Amendment to the Agreement and includes contingencies. This last pre-construction phase will be funded by a federal grant and Measure B and BB Local Streets and Roads monies per the approved Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Year 2019-21. The costs are higher than other corridor projects because the City has obtained federal monies, which necessitate the City to fulfill federal requirements. The City Council previously approved the original contract; the First Amendment is a time extension; the Second Amendment is the purpose of this request (Table 1).
Table 1: Clement Avenue Project - Costs by Contract Phase
|
Contract |
Approval Date |
Authorized Amount |
Expended (as of May 2020) |
|
Original Contract |
December 18, 2018 |
$600,301 |
$487,407 |
|
1st Amendment |
June 10, 2020 |
Time extension |
Not applicable |
|
2nd Amendment (if approved) |
July 7, 2020 |
$530,332 |
Not applicable |
|
Total |
|
$1,130,633 |
$487,407 |
Table 2 shows the Clement Avenue project cost allocations by project phase. The PA&ED phase, which is currently underway and will be completed this fall, is funded for a total of $641,000 with federal grant and local match monies. The next PS&E phase totals $530,332, and is funded by local monies. Construction, which is expected to start in 2021, is funded mainly by a federal grant with required local match monies totaling $5 million. In total, the project will cost approximately $6.2 million with 81 percent coming from a federal grant and 19 percent coming from local monies.
Table 2: Clement Avenue - Cost Allocations by Project Phase
|
|
PA&ED |
PS&E |
Construction |
Total |
% |
|
Grants |
$567,000 |
$0 |
$4,451,000 |
$5,018,000 |
81 |
|
Local Match |
$74,000 |
$530,332 |
$590,555 |
$1,194,887 |
19 |
|
Total Cost |
$641,000 |
$530,332 |
$5,041,555 |
$6,212,887 |
100 |
|
Schedule |
2018-20 |
2020-21 |
2021-22 |
|
|
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The Clement Avenue project is consistent with the following City documents:
• The Safety and Noise Element of the General Plan (Policy SN-5) states: “Ensure that the City prioritize public safety through the implementation of a Vision Zero policy to reduce annual pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and serious injuries resulting from collisions with faster moving vehicles and unsafe street design.”
• The Transportation Element of the General Plan lists Clement Avenue as a transit priority street, a bicycle priority street and a truck route, and lists other priorities that will be addressed in the Clement Avenue concept such as multimodal, safety and environmental improvements and considering needs for individuals with disabilities.
• The Pedestrian Plan identifies the Clement Avenue improvements as a priority.
• The Bicycle Plan identifies the Clement Avenue bikeway project as a high-priority project.
• The Transportation Choices Plan lists the Clement Avenue project as a Vision Zero Safety Improvements and Traffic Calming priority.
• The Vision Zero Policy that focuses on eliminating fatal and severe injury collisions, and is the citywide guiding principle for transportation planning, the design of streets and sidewalks, and the maintenance of the public rights-of-way making safety as the highest priority when balancing competing needs and demands for space within the public right-of-way.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Approval of the updated Clement Avenue Safety Improvement final design is categorically exempt pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines section 15301(c) Existing Facilities (Minor alterations to existing facilities including bicycle facilities) and Section 15304(h) Minor Alterations to Land and the creation of bicycle lanes on existing public rights of way.
As a separate and independent basis, the project is statutorily exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.20.5 (restriping of streets and highways for bike lanes in an urbanized area that is consistent with a bike plan).
To further protect environmental resources the project design includes the following features:
Cultural Resources: To protect any potential impacts to cultural resources, the project design limits all disturbance of native soils between Alameda Marina Drive and Willow Street. Construction activities in this sensitive area consists of making sidewalk repairs and upgrades, restriping the roadway and adding surface mounted signs. Excavation associated with these activities will be limited to removal and replacement of asphalt or concrete paving and the underlying base material, with no disturbance of the native soil subgrade. The adjacent Alameda Marina development project will be removing the railroad ties and tracks and covering these areas between Alameda Marina Drive and Willow Street, and has a cultural resources program in place that includes monitoring and archeological experts. In the event of fortuitous discoveries of buried or concealed heritage resources, ground disturbance activities shall cease in the area of the find and the project sponsor shall consult a qualified archaeologist for recommended procedures.
Hazardous Materials: The former track and railroad ties currently buried under asphalt will be removed in accordance with applicable regulatory hazardous material and other requirements. The removal is needed to ensure long-term street maintenance.
Construction Noise and Vibration: During construction, heavy equipment will be used for excavation, paving and installation of proposed improvements. The construction activities will cause temporary increases of noise and vibration within and adjacent to the project area. No blasting, use of explosives or pile driving activities are required to install the proposed improvements, and it is no excessive vibrations will be caused during construction that would damage buildings or nearby infrastructure.
Visual Resources: The project will not impact the visual environment, nor will it impact any designated scenic resources. The project will increase visual access to waterfront resources because of improved ingress and egress to the estuary and improved ADA considerations due to its designation as part of the Cross Alameda Trail, which is proposed to extend between Alameda Point and Miller-Sweeney/Fruitvale Bridge. The proposed landscaping features in the eastern portion of the project corridor also will improve its visual character.
Land Use and Community Resources: The project will not result in any land use or community impacts. All work will be conducted in the public right of way. No trees will be removed, and no rights-of-way need to be acquired for the project. Minor temporary construction easements will be necessary.
Transportation and Parking. As described above, the proposed project does not reduce the number of existing travel lanes, does not close any existing cross streets, and does not result in any additional vehicle miles traveled. In fact, the proposed project is designed to support safe and convenient mode shift and reduce automobile congestion and automobile greenhouse gas emissions by creating a safe and convenient alternative to automobile travel across the city. Finally, loss of on-street parking is not an impact on the environment under CEQA.
CLIMATE IMPACTS
Vehicle miles traveled in Alameda is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Alameda. In 2020, automobiles are estimated to generate approximately 70% of Alameda’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Clement Avenue Safety Project implements the City’s Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (2019), which calls for the construction of additional bicycle lanes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Updated Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project Concept.
Authorize the City Manager to execute a Second Amendment to the Service Provider Agreement with CDM Smith to increase compensation by $530,332, including contingencies, for a total aggregate compensation not to exceed $1,130,633, to complete the plans, specifications and estimate for the Clement Avenue Safety Improvement Project.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager concurs with staff recommendation.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
By,
Gail Payne, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Nancy Bronstein, Interim Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Updated Clement Avenue Concept
2. Compilation of Community Comments
3. Agreement
4. First Amendment
5. Second Amendment
6. Proposed Work Scope
7. Proposed Budget
8. Proposed Schedule
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager