For City Council Meeting April 9, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: David N. Carmany, City Manager
FROM: Tim Sullivan, Director of Maintenance and Facilities
Title
Consideration of Award of a Professional Services Agreement with Alta Planning + Design Inc., in the Amount of $903,838 for Pacific Electric Trail Design Services.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) Award a Professional Services Agreement with Alta Planning + Design, Inc., in the Amount of $903,838 for Pacific Electric Trail Design Services; and
2) Authorize the City Manager to Execute all Documents.
Body
BACKGROUND
On November 30, 2018, staff submitted an application for an SB1 - 2018 Sustainable Communities Grant to conduct a feasibility analysis for the expansion of the City’s Pacific Electric Trail. The grant program was structured to fund projects directly benefiting the multi-modal transportation system while improving public health, social equity, and the environment. Further, it focused on addressing the needs of disadvantaged communities, engaging the public and community stakeholders, and integrating transportation and land use planning. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) currently own the right-of-way of the proposed Pacific Electric Trail extension. SBCTA supported the City’s grant application through a letter of support.
The City of Rialto (City) received an award letter dated May 17, 2018, from the Caltrans Office of Transportation Planning stating that the State selected the City of Rialto to receive a grant award of $264,705 with a local match of $34,295 for a total amount of $299,000 toward the proposed Pacific Electric Trail Feasibility Study.
The City Council accepted the grant on June 11, 2019. The California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated the funds, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) issued a Notice to Proceed effective November 15, 2019.
On September 22, 2020, the City Council awarded a Professional Service Agreement to Alta Planning + Design in the amount of $268,875 for the Pacific Electric Trail Expansion Feasibility Study, and on April 12, 2022, the City Council adopted the Study.
On May 10, 2022, the City Council authorized the submission of an ATP Cycle 6 Grant Application to Caltrans for the Pacific Electric Trail Extension project. Staff subsequently submitted the application for the ATP funding opportunity in the amount of $7,037,000. The local match proposed for the Pacific Electric Trail Project was $785,000, bringing the total project cost to $7.82 million.
The City was awarded the Active Transportation Program Cycle 6 grant, and on August 22, 2023, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 8131, formally accepting and budgeting the grant in the amount of $7,037,000. Additionally, $785,000 for the 10% local match was budgeted in the Measure I funds.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The Rialto Pacific Electric Trail Extension (PE Trail) is a comprehensive infrastructure and non-infrastructure project that is the direct result of extensive outreach, engagement, data collection, and feasibility analysis conducted as part of the 2022 Rialto Pacific Electric Trail Extension Feasibility Study, a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Grant funded project. The City Council adopted the study on April 12, 2022.
The project will create a 1.75-mile extension to the PE Trail network, a heavily used, regionally significant, multi-use path, with a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle trail along a currently blighted rail-to-trail corridor. After it is extended, the PE Trail will form a 21-mile continuous facility for bicycles and pedestrians from Los Angeles County through the heart of San Bernardino County. The project runs through census tracts that qualify under the CTC’s definition of disadvantaged communities; low vehicle ownership and a high need for active transportation dominate these census tracts. Foothill Boulevard and Merrill Avenue, which are streets bordering the PE Trail, have histories of high bicycle and pedestrian collisions and high traffic stress levels.
The Rialto PE Trail Extension will improve the health, safety, and convenience of residents actively commuting and will increase the number of residents who walk and bike. The project will create infrastructure improvements, tentatively anticipated to construct a 12ft wide Portland Cement Concrete (Class I) multi-use trail with 2-ft graded shoulders; a 4-ft high barrier fence the full length of the trail, wayfinding signage; pedestrian-scale lighting the full-length of the trail; ADA compliant curb ramps and driveways at all street crossings; landscape and irrigation improvements; new and/or modified existing railroad crossing signals; other amenities such as bike racks, hydration stations, and benches, along the trail; and signage and striping per the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD).
On January 29, 2024, the City released Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 24-012 for Pacific Electric Trail Design Services on Planetbids.com, the City website, and the local newspaper.
On February 29, 2024, the City received four (4) proposals from the following firms listed in alphabetical order:
1. Alta Planning + Design
2. Huitt-Zollars
3. IDS Group
4. Sherwood Design Engineers
After the evaluation panel reviewed the proposals, Alta Planning + Design Inc. was identified as the top-ranked firm. The primary factors involved in the selection process were the firm’s qualifications, experience, background, and understanding of the scope of work and approach for design.
On this basis, staff recommends that the City Council approve a new Professional Services Agreement with Alta Planning + Design, Inc. for the project. A copy of the PSA with Alta Planning + Design, Inc. is included as Attachment 1, and their Disclosure Statement is included as Attachment 2.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This request is not a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has the potential to result in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include: (5) Organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The City of Rialto has outlined key Goals and Objectives through which the City looks to minimize congestion on the local road network and maintain a circulation system that supports local businesses’ needs. The proposed actions comply with the following Goal and Policy outlined in the City’s General Plan.
Goal 3-11: Provide community facilities that adequately support established programs, can accommodate future needs, and are accessible to all members of the community.
Goal 4-1: Provide transportation improvements to reduce traffic congestion associated with regional and local trip increases.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed the resolution and agreement and approved them as to form.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
The proposed action does not have an impact on the Operating Budget.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
The project is currently funded by the Active Transportation Plan grant in the amount of $7,037,000 in the Special Grant Project Fund Account No. 22234427-53001-240801. A 10% local match of $785,000 has been budgeted through the Measure I Fund Account No. 22014310-53001-240801.
The project’s ATP-funded components include a budget of $185,000 for the Project Approval and Environmental (PA&ED) phase and $725,000 for the Plans Specifications and Estimates (PS&E) phase, for a total of $910,000. The award of the Professional Services Agreement with Alta Planning + Design, Inc., in the Amount of $903,838 for Pacific Electric Trail Design Services falls within the approved ATP budgets. It will be funded from the Special Grant Project Fund, Account No. 22234427-53001-240801-01.
Licensing
Alta Planning + Design, Inc. will pay a Business License Tax before commencing the service for this project.