Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Second Amendment to the Agreement with Kittelson & Associates to Increase Compensation by $270,906, for a Total Aggregate Compensation Not to Exceed $345,876 to Continue Providing Technical Services Related to Roundabouts. (Transportation 20962743) [Continued from December 7, 2021]
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
City of Alameda (City) staff is seeking City Council approval of the second amendment of the Service Provider Agreement with Kittelson & Associates (Kittelson) to: 1) complete the citywide roundabout screening analysis; 2) provide concept development and grant writing support on roundabouts; 3) continue peer review for Central Avenue and Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific corridors; and 4) complete the planning/scoping phase of the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Safety Improvement Project. Roundabouts implement the Vision Zero policy, which prioritizes the reduction of fatal and severe injury collisions to zero. In November 2019, the City Council adopted a resolution establishing Vision Zero as the City’s guiding principle for transportation planning, design and maintenance. Roundabouts reduce the types of crashes where people are seriously hurt or killed by 78-82 percent when compared to conventional stop-controlled and signalized intersections, per the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual.
BACKGROUND
Roundabouts can be an important tool in the implementation of the Vision Zero policy, which prioritizes the reduction of fatal and severe injury collisions to zero. In November 2019, the City Council adopted a resolution establishing Vision Zero as the City’s guiding principle for transportation planning, design, and maintenance. In 2021, the City is completing a Vision Zero Action Plan that includes specific actions and policy changes to increase street safety in Alameda. The Vision Zero webpage is at www.alamedaca.gov/VisionZero <https://www.alamedaca.gov/VisionZero>
Roundabouts reduce the types of crashes where people are seriously hurt or killed by 78-82 percent when compared to conventional stop-controlled and signalized intersections, per the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual. Roundabouts result in lower vehicle speeds, generally 15-25 miles per hour, around the roundabout. Crashes that occur will be less severe because of this reduced speed and will be more “sideswipe” in nature. Pedestrians are generally safer at roundabouts, and are faced with fewer decisions at any one time. Roundabouts also: reduce delays compared to traffic signals, provide landscaping and flood reduction opportunities, and have lower maintenance costs.
Due to the benefits of modern roundabouts, the City’s Annual Report on Transportation (January 2021) stated that staff would hire Kittelson to provide an educational presentation on roundabouts, to identify top locations for potential roundabouts, to peer review the proposed Central Avenue roundabouts, and to add policies related to roundabouts in the General Plan update. The first amendment of the agreement included an evaluation of the Mecartney Road/Island Drive intersection for a potential roundabout, a peer review of the proposed roundabout at Sherman Street/Encinal Avenue/Central Avenue with potential right-of-way acquisition and grant writing, which was switched to a screening of roundabouts in the Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue corridor.
As a second amendment to the Kittelson contract on roundabouts, staff is seeking City Council approval of the Kittelson agreement to: 1) complete the citywide roundabout screening analysis; 2) provide concept development and grant writing support on roundabouts; 3) provide roundabout peer review for the Central Avenue and Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Avenue/Pacific Avenue Safety Improvement Projects; and 4) complete the planning/scoping phase of the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Safety Improvement Project.
DISCUSSION
This discussion section highlights work done to date on modern roundabouts including: 1) an education presentation, 2) an initial citywide screening of top locations for potential roundabouts, 3) a status on the Central Avenue/Sherman Street/Encinal Avenue proposed roundabout with potential for right-of-way acquisition, 4) roundabout policies in the General Plan update; and 5) a recommendation for City Council approval of next steps.
1) Roundabout Education
As part of Vision Zero safety, staff contracted with Kittelson consultants to provide an educational presentation on roundabouts. On January 27, 2021, the Transportation Commission focused on roundabout education with the presentation as Exhibit 1 and the video link shown here and starting at the 30 minute mark: <http://alameda.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=6&clip_id=2716>
Modern roundabouts are a type of intersection characterized by a generally circular shape, yield control on entry, and features that create a low-speed environment while traveling counterclockwise around a central island. Mini-roundabouts are a type of roundabout characterized by a small diameter and traversable islands, and are best suited to environments where speeds are already low and environmental constraints would preclude the use of a larger roundabout with a raised central island. Modern roundabouts have been demonstrated to provide a number of safety, operational and other benefits when compared to other types of intersections including as follows:
• Traffic Safety: The physical shape of roundabouts reduces potential conflict points and the most severe of those conflict points.
• Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety: The splitter island refuge area allows people walking and bicycling to focus on one traffic stream at a time while crossing. Specific design treatments for visually impaired pedestrians need to be implemented while including these community members in the design and construction process.
• Traffic Calming: Roundabouts reduce vehicle speeds using design rather than relying on traffic control devices.
• Operational Performance: Roundabouts typically have lower overall delay than signalized and all-way stop-controlled intersections, and the reduced delay is often most significant during non-peak traffic periods. These performance benefits can often result in reduced lane requirements between intersections.
• Operations and Maintenance: Roundabouts typically have lower operating and maintenance costs than a traffic signal due to the lack of technical hardware, signal timing equipment and electricity needs. Roundabouts provide cost savings to society due to the reduction in crashes, particularly fatal and injury crashes.
• Environment: Roundabouts can reduce vehicle delay, the number and duration of stops and impermeable surface area, which can reduce noise and air quality impacts and fuel consumption and can increase the space for green stormwater measures such as bioswales.
• Aesthetics: The central island and splitter islands provide attractive gateways or centerpieces for communities through the use of landscaping, monuments and art.
Source: Federal Highway Administration, Roundabouts: An Informational Guide
2) Citywide Screening Analysis of Top Locations for Potential Roundabouts
Exhibit 2 shows the results of the citywide analysis to identify the top locations for potential roundabouts. The top locations were selected by using the following screening criteria: high injury corridor and intersection, AC Transit bus route, existing or planned bikeway, socially vulnerable area and geographic equity, and did not consider roundabouts on the two existing Smart City corridors along Webster Street and Park Street. The roundabout feasibility memorandum lists the top locations using the screening criteria as well as other locations previously studied in the City, and these combined locations for roundabouts are grouped as follows to better understand how to proceed with next steps:
City Council Approved
• Central Avenue/Main Street/Pacific Avenue (funded)
• Central Avenue/Third Street/Taylor Avenue (funded)
• Central Avenue/Fourth Street/Ballena Blvd. (unfunded)
• Central Avenue/Sherman Street/Encinal Avenue (unfunded)
• Otis Drive/Grand Street (unfunded)
Evaluation in Process
• Tilden Way/Blanding Avenue/Fernside Blvd. (recommending approval to amend Kittelson agreement to complete the planning/scope phase as part of the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Safety Improvement Project; webpage: www.alamedaca.gov/ClementTilden <https://www.alamedaca.gov/ClementTilden>) (funded)
• Mcartney Road/Island Drive (virtual community workshop will be on Wednesday, December 1 at 6:30 p.m. as part of the current Kittelson agreement; webpage: www.alamedaca.gov/MecartneyIsland <http://www.alamedaca.gov/MecartneyIsland>) (funded)
Further Evaluation Needed
• Encinal Avenue/Fernside Blvd (unfunded)
• Main Street/Willie Stargell Avenue (unfunded, could be added to the Stargell Avenue Safety Improvement Project)
• Atlantic Avenue/Main Street/Appezzato Parkway (unfunded, could be added to the Appezzato Parkway Bus Improvement Project)
• Atlantic Avenue/Constitution Way (unfunded)
On July 28, 2021, staff and the Kittelson consultant team presented the findings of this initial citywide roundabouts screening to the Transportation Commission. The Transportation Commission agreed that the next steps should be to complete the citywide roundabout screening focusing on the remaining arterials and collectors in the City, and staff is now requesting City Council approval of it as part of this agenda item. Staff will use the results from the citywide roundabout analysis to seek grant funds to construct roundabouts at recommended locations and to coordinate with efforts to modernize traffic signals so that locations recommended for roundabouts are de-prioritized for traffic signal modernization, which include Smart City upgrades.
3) Sherman Street/Encinal Avenue/Central Avenue Proposed Roundabout
On April 20, 2021, City Council directed the staff and the CDM Smith consultant team to consider a right-of-way (ROW) purchase of the adjacent gas station property area to allow for a full access roundabout at the Sherman Street/Encinal Avenue/Central Avenue intersection that would not restrict travel movements as does the City Council approved Slip Lane option, which restricts northbound travel movements going straight on Sherman Street. After conducting this analysis, staff continues to recommend the Slip Lane option because the gas station area ROW purchase would not allow for a full access roundabout that meets national safety guidelines (Exhibit 3). To meet these safety guidelines, multiple residential properties in the southwest corner would need to be purchased and then demolished to construct a full access roundabout, which is not recommended. In a peer review, Kittelson concurred with the recommendation to continue with the City Council approved Slip Lane option. The City Engineer concurs with the memorandum. Thus, staff and the consultant team will continue to design the Slip Lane option, and also will continue to seek funding to construct it as part of the Central Avenue Safety Improvement Project.
4) Roundabout Proposed Policies in the General Plan Update
Staff requested that Kittelson provide policies related to roundabouts that could be incorporated into the General Plan update (www.alameda2040.org <http://www.alameda2040.org>). The General Plan update mentions roundabouts as follows:
• Spotlight on Roundabouts: Highlights the benefits of roundabouts similar to the above summary in the educational section of this staff report.
• ME-7: Safe Streets:
o “e. Roundabouts. Increase the use of roundabouts at intersections to improve the safety and lower maintenance costs compared to traffic signals.”
o “j. Intersection Safety. To improve safety at a stop controlled or signalized intersections, consider a roundabout design or eliminating right turns on red and adding pedestrian scrambles to existing signals.”
o “k. Roundabouts and Traffic Circles. When considering modification to an intersection, prioritize roundabouts and traffic circles for consideration recognizing that land acquisition needs, operational considerations, or other engineering factors or constraints may result in other intersection solutions on a case-by-case basis.”
5) Recommendation to Approve Next Steps
The purpose of this agenda item is to provide an overview of work to date on modern roundabouts and to seek approval of recommended next steps related to roundabouts (Exhibits 4-6), which are summarized as follows:
• Project Initiation/Management (Task 1): Kittelson will manage project tasks, including communication, budget tracking, and strategy for successful project completion totaling $21,340.
• Completion of the Citywide Screening Analysis (Task 2): Kittelson will review the remaining arterials and collectors, and will recommend locations for potential roundabouts totaling $18,330.
• Concept Development/Grant Writing (Task 3): Kittelson will continue to support the City’s work in developing roundabouts, which includes concept development and grant writing, to ensure successful funding, design and construction totaling $64,890.
• Peer Review (Task 4): Kittelson will continue to support the City’s work in developing roundabouts by providing peer reviews for the 1) Central Avenue Safety Improvement Project roundabout designs, and 2) Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue Safety Improvement Project potential roundabouts totaling $8,265. Instead of the grant writing task in the first amendment, Kittelson reviewed the potential for roundabouts along the Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue corridor, and is recommended to continue to assist the Parisi consultant team on potential roundabouts along this corridor as part of this second amendment task.
• Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Planning/Scoping (Tasks 5-9): Kittelson will complete the planning/scoping phase of the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Safety Improvement Project, which includes 1) an evaluation of existing conditions and the potential for roundabouts along the Tilden Way corridor, bikeway and pedestrian improvements, and other safety, aesthetic and flood reduction components, 2) outreach to community members with an on-line survey and community workshops as well as a simulation such as the one shown here: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I13PDObKdYI&list=PLiCpIfP-UWcBk4P4e8OOoJektEC0tbnBW&index=5>,
and 3) concept approvals by the Transportation Commission and the City Council totaling $133,980.
• Contingency (10 percent): Kittelson will use contingency only if approved by City project manager up to $24,101.
• Total Kittelson Second Amendment = $270,906
On December 19, 2019, the City issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for on-call consulting services for four service categories, planning, urban design, and architectural services; transportation planning and engineering services; environmental review services; and financial/economic services. Eighteen Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) were received for the Transportation Planning and Engineering Services category. An evaluation panel comprised of City staff reviewed each firm based on the SOQ packages submitted. The SOQs were evaluated based on years of professional experience, letter of interest, relevant experience, including local experience, responsiveness to the RFQ, fee structure, client references, and overall completeness of their SOQ and project approach. Bonus points were given for being either an Alameda Local Business or holding an Alameda County Local Business Certification. Based on the results of the evaluation, Kittelson ranked second out of the eighteen SOQs.
Kittelson is a national leader in the planning, design, and operation of roundabouts, and developed a national roundabouts database: <https://roundabouts.kittelson.com/>. The firm, founded in 1985, has 290 employees and 26 offices, including four offices in California (Oakland, Sacramento, San Diego, and Orange). Kittelson is a national leader in the planning, design and operation of roundabouts. The firm led the most comprehensive research study of roundabouts in the U.S. (NCHRP Report 572: Applying Roundabouts in the United States), and has led the development of the Federal Highway Administration’s Roundabouts: An Information Guide (first, second, and in-progress third editions). Kittelson’s roundabout experts and technical staff (28 staff, located in Kittelson offices in 11 states across the country) have been involved in more than 1,000 roundabout projects (planned and constructed) in the U.S. and Canada. Kittelson staff are involved in conducting roundabout/Intersection feasibility studies, peer reviews, and research and preparation of policy documents (at the local, state, or federal level), teaching courses, assisting with or leading public involvement activities, and preparing preliminary and final design documents for roundabouts. Kittelson’s roundabout project work in California includes:
• A citywide roundabout analysis for the City;
• An analysis of roundabout alternatives for I-80/Gilman Street in Berkeley;
• Conceptual design of interchange roundabouts at I-880/Whipple Road and Industrial Parkway in Hayward;
• Traffic operations analysis and design review of two multi-lane roundabouts for UC Davis;
• Design of three roundabouts for the Cordova Hills Master Plan/EIR;
• Intersection improvements and roundabout design for the City of Elk Grove at Sheldon/Waterman (roundabout concept and final design) and Sheldon/Bradshaw (concept design);
• The Cliff Drive/Las Positas Road roundabout design and Hot Springs Road/Cabrillo Boulevard roundabout conceptual design for the City of Santa Barbara;
• Review of a roundabout at I-5/La Novia in San Juan Capistrano;
• Geometric design of three roundabout alternatives in Weaverville;
• Preliminary engineering for four roundabouts along the Rancho California Road corridor in Temecula; and
• A feasibility study of roundabouts at two intersections in Ceres.
Kittelson also has been a trusted adviser to Caltrans since 1999, supporting the development and adoption of intersection control evaluation (ICE) policy directives and conducting advanced roundabout training for Caltrans staff.
ALTERNATIVES
The City Council may:
• Approve the contract amendment as recommended;
• Approve the contract amendment with revisions determined necessary by the City Council; or
• Not approve the contract amendment and direct staff to proceed with another approach, which would have a serious impact on staff’s ability to efficiently complete traffic safety improvement projects at intersections and corridors with high collision rates.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The second amendment of the agreement would be allocated as shown in the below table and summary text by task.
|
# |
Task Name |
Funding Source |
Amount |
|
1 |
Project Initiation, Coordination and Management |
Funded proportionally according to the tasks below. |
$21,340 |
|
2 |
Completion of the Citywide Screening Analysis |
Measures B and BB Local Streets & Roads out of the Transportation Planning Unit for Multi-modal Projects (20962743) |
$18,330 |
|
3 |
Concept Development and Grant Writing |
Measures B and BB Local Streets & Roads out of the Transportation Planning Unit for Multi-modal Projects (20962743) |
$64,890 |
|
4 |
Peer Review |
Central Avenue Safety Improvement Capital Improvement Project (CIP) project (C65200) or the Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue Safety Improvement CIP project (C65700), as applicable |
$8,265 |
|
5-9 |
Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Safety Improvement Project Planning/Scoping |
Clement and Tilden CIP project (C65300) |
$133,980 |
|
|
Contingency (10%) |
Funded according to the task, if needed |
$24,101 |
|
|
Total |
|
$270,906 |
For Task 1, the management will be split proportionately according to Tasks 2-9, totaling $21,340.
For Tasks 2 and 3, the citywide screening of potential roundabout locations and the concept development/grant writing are funded by Measures B and BB Local Streets & Roads out of the Transportation Planning Unit for Multi-modal Projects (20962743) totaling $83,220, which are transportation sales tax monies administered by the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC).
For Task 4, the peer review will be funded by the Central Avenue Safety Improvement CIP project (C65200) or the Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue Safety Improvement CIP project (C65700), as applicable, totaling $8,265.
For Tasks 5-9, the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Safety Improvement Project planning/scoping work scope, the funds are available in the budget of the Clement and Tilden CIP project (C65300) for the $133,980 expenditure request.
The original contract and the contract amendments are presented below with the original agreement and the first amendment as only needing City Manager approval in that the amounts were under $75,000.
|
Contract |
Approval Date |
Authorized Amount |
Expended to Date |
|
Original Contract |
11/10/20 |
$37,850 |
$37,850 |
|
1st Amendment |
6/29/21 |
$37,120 |
$20,000 |
|
2nd Amendment (new) |
11/16/21 |
$270,906 |
$0 |
|
Total |
|
$345,876 |
$57,850 |
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is in conformance with the Alameda Municipal Code and all policy documents, and is consistent with the Transportation Choices Plan (2018) and the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (2019).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is not a project under Public Resources Code section 21065 and California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378(b)(4).
CLIMATE IMPACT
The roundabouts analysis effort will further the implementation of the Transportation Choices Plan (2018) and the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (2019) to improve transportation operations and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Second Amendment to the Agreement with Kittelson & Associates to Increase Compensation by $270,906, for a Total Aggregate Compensation Not to Exceed $345,876 to Continue Providing Technical Services Related to Roundabouts.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
Based on City Council approval to move forward with the initial roundabouts and request to review other opportunities, the City Manager is recommending the Second Amendment as presented.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
By,
Gail Payne, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Annie To, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Roundabout Education Presentation
2. Citywide Roundabout Screening and Feasibility Memorandum
3. Central Avenue/Sherman Street/Encinal Avenue Roundabout Evaluation
4. Original Agreement - Kittelson & Associates
5. First Amendment - Kittelson & Associates
6. Second Amendment - Kittelson & Associates
cc: Eric Levitt, City Manager
Erin Smith, Public Works Director