For City Council Meeting [January 8, 2019]
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Ahmad R. Ansari, Interim City Administrator
Sean Grayson, Interim City Administrator
FROM: Robert G. Eisenbeisz, P.E., Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Request City Council to Approve the Second Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Alta Planning + Design for Professional Services related to the City of Rialto Active Transportation Program, Safe Routes to School Program, in the Amount of $39,200.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The Active Transportation Program (ATP) was created by Senate Bill 99 (Chapter 359, Statutes of 2013) and Assembly Bill 101 (Chapter 354, Statutes of 2013) to encourage increased use of active modes of transportation, such as biking and walking. The ATP consolidates various transportation programs, including the Federal Transportation Alternatives Program, State Bicycle Transportation Account, and Federal and State Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs into a single program.
Pursuant to the statute, the goals of the ATP are to:
• Increase the proportion of trips accomplished by biking and walking.
• Increase the safety and mobility of non-motorized users.
• Advance the active transportation efforts of regional agencies to achieve greenhouse gas reduction goals as established pursuant to Senate Bill 375 (Chapter 728, Statutes of 2008) and Senate Bill 391 (Chapter 585, Statutes of 2009).
• Enhance public health, including reduction of childhood obesity with programs including, but not limited to, projects eligible for SRTS Program funding.
• Ensure that disadvantaged communities fully share in the benefits of the program.
• Provide a broad spectrum of projects to benefit many types of active transportation users.
On May 21, 2014, the City of Rialto submitted a grant application to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) proposing to work with the Rialto Unified School District to develop a citywide Safe Routes to School plan. On June 25, 2015, Caltrans approved the Plan for the City’s Non-Infrastructure project. On August 25, 2015, the City Council accepted the Active Transportation Program grant funds for $1,450,000.
On February 23, 2016, City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with Alta Planning + Design for the City of Rialto, Active Transportation Program, Safe Routes to School Program Development and Engineering Services in the amount of $1,121,420.
On May 25, 2017, the City of Rialto, Alta, and the Rialto Unified School District executed the first amendment to the professional services agreement to include Rialto Unified School District as an additional insured entity to the contract. The first amendment is included as Attachment 1.
On April 10, 2018, City Council approved the Infrastructure Prioritization Report, which is a prioritized preliminary cost estimate of identified street improvements within a quarter mile of each of the 29 schools within the Rialto Unified School District. The planning document will help the City apply for grant funding based upon the prioritized list of capital improvements. The SRTS plan identifies infrastructure improvements at a total estimated cost of $17,292,130. The $17 million estimate includes the estimated construction costs and anticipated soft costs (design, environmental, and inspection).
Organized by topic area, the progress on tasks delivered by Alta for the SRTS Program are as follows:
Education
• Conducted Bicycle and Pedestrian Rodeos at the schools, where students get hands-on instruction in bicycle and/or pedestrian safety in a real-world simulation courses.
• Conducted Safety Assemblies at the schools, where students receive age-appropriate, engaging, and fun instruction on being a safe pedestrian, and bicyclist.
• A majority of the Rialto schools have benefitted from these educational programs during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years.
Encouragement
• Alta conducted Bicycle and Pedestrian Rodeos and/or informational tables at community events. Team member, Safe Moves, set up the “Safe Moves City” pedestrian and bicycle display at a number of local events, including Run Watcha Brung, July 19th Farmers Market, 4th of July Event, Earth to Table, Family Festival and the Right on Rialto, Go Human Campaign.
• Alta team developed Suggested Route to School Maps for each project school, depicting suggested routes to and from the school within the school enrollment area. The maps take into account current infrastructure, observed traffic patterns, and other factors.
• Development of promotional materials to spread safety messaging, including a Tri-Fold handout detailing the program benefits and components, Half Sheet flyer describing pedestrian and bicycle safety considerations, reflective bracelets for child bicyclists and pedestrians to wear featuring a safety message, and pencils featuring a safety message.
• The consultant developed social media, newsletter contents, and outreach articles for Rialto Progress.
Enforcement
• The Rialto Police Department (PD), as well as the RUSD Safety staff are members of the Rialto SRTS Task Force organized and supported by Alta, attending meetings and providing valuable information and consultation to the project on suggested routes to school and suggested infrastructure and non-infrastructure improvements near the schools.
• Production of an Enforcement Memorandum documenting collision patterns within the vicinity of the schools and discussing recommendations to overcome those barriers.
• Production of a School Crossing Guard Memorandum analyzing related activities and discussing recommendations to encourage safe pedestrian and bicyclist crossing habits and related activities.
Evaluation
• As is recommended practice for newly established SRTS programs, the Rialto SRTS program conducted student tallies and parent surveys during the fall for both academic school years of 2016-2017 and 2017-2018.
• Student tallies measure how students travel to and from school, and establish a baseline of participation in each mode. The tallies were repeated in spring of 2018 to allow evaluation of change in mode split.
• Parent surveys measure parent and caregiver attitudes toward active transportation, and provide information on the factors that influence parent mode choice for student travel. RUSD distributed the surveys electronically through Peach Jar and other school media and events.
• Conducted evaluation during the initial implementation of SRTS helping to develop processes for future evaluation implementation. The SRTS Plan will include information and recommendations on the continuation and evaluation beyond the grant program.
Engineering
• The Alta team, led by sub-consultant, KOA Corporation for this task, conducted site assessments (or walk audits) at all 29 project schools during the fall of 2016 to assess the circulation patterns, infrastructure conditions, and ascertain needs for improvements. The Site Assessments included parents, school staff, principals, and Task Force members to observe drop-off and/or pick-up conditions and to document challenges and opportunities.
• Infrastructure Improvement Plans approved by City Council on April 10, 2018, for each school, document recommendations for infrastructure changes based on research, site assessments, and consultation with the Task Force. These Plans involved an extensive review process, and editing based on comments provided by City staff, RUSD staff, and the SRTS Task Force.
Alta is assisting in prioritizing and developing cost estimates for the List of Improvements. The prioritized List of Improvements, along with Suggested Route Maps, will be included in the final SRTS Plan. Alta will present the Final SRTS Plan to the City Council at the close of the program in 2019, for final adoption.
• In addition to the Infrastructure Improvement Plans, Alta and the team developed a Non-infrastructure Recommendation Memorandum detailing the non-infrastructure (or “soft”) recommendations that stemmed from the site assessment observations. These recommendations include modifications to circulation patterns, staff observation of drop-off and pick-up zones, and enforcement components. The Soft Improvements Memo will begin a dialogue on evaluating current practices and consider alternatives, which can help improve safe, active transportation modes for students, while meeting the needs and constraints of involved agencies.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Alta and their sub-consultants have completed two full academic years of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation, and engineering tasks at the 29 project schools throughout the City of Rialto. A SRTS Task Force was formed and met monthly, including members of the City Council, Transportation Commission, City staff, RUSD personnel, and project team members.
The completion date approved in the extension of the grant is August 31, 2019. Caltrans added an additional six months to the life of the grant. This academic year will be the last school term with the grant funding. Alta’s original contract will expire February 2019, however, due to the extension of the grant timeline; staff requested Alta to extend the contract services for work on the SRTS plan through the life of the grant.
Staff negotiated an additional scope of work with Alta to:
• Include conducting additional pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle counts;
• Procure a Safe Moves City that will be available to City staff for use in safety demonstrations at City events; and
• Provide additional technical assistance to complete the project through the extended period of the grant.
Alta agreed to include this additional scope at an additional fee of $39,200, increasing the agreement amount of $1,121,420 to $1,160,620. The scope of work for the Second Amendment is included in Attachment 2.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
The requested City Council action 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 a potential for resulting 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 General Plan establishes various guiding principles, goals and objectives through which the City looks to improve the community and protect the quality of life for our residents. This action is consistent with Guiding Principle 3A in the General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and responsive manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
Approval of this action complies with the City of Rialto General Plan Goals and Policy:
Goal 4-9: Promote walking.
Policy 4-9.3: Provide pedestrian-friendly and safety improvements, such as crosswalks and pedestrian signals, in all pedestrian activity areas.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved the staff report and the Second Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Operating Budget Impact
Funds are budgeted and available in the project Grant Fund Account No. 223-500-4427-2011-160809-01 in the additional amount of $39,200 for the Second Amendment to the PSA with Alta Planning + Design.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
The proposed action will not affect the Capital Improvement Budget.
Licensing
Prior to execution of the Professional Service Agreement/Purchase Order/Construction Contract, the vendor shall submit a business license application and pay a Business License tax at the Professional Service rate of $104.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Second Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Alta Planning + Design in the additional amount of $39,200 for additional services related to the Active Transportation Program - Safe Routes to School Program Development.