TITLE:
title
ADAMS AVENUE BICYCLE FACILITY PROJECT (FROM HARBOR BOULEVARD TO FAIRVIEW ROAD), FEDERAL PROJECT NO. STPL-5312(108), CITY PROJECT NO. 25-11
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DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT/TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DIVISION
PRESENTED BY: RAJA SETHURAMAN, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
CONTACT INFORMATION: Paul MARTIN, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES MANAGER (714) 754-5343
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt plans, specifications, and working details for the Adams Avenue Bicycle Facility Project (From Harbor Boulevard to Fairview Road), Federal Project No. STPL-5312(108), City Project No. 25-11, and find the project categorically exempt from CEQA.
2. Approve a Public Works Agreement (PWA) in the amount of $2,268,636, and a ten percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $226,864 to Excel Paving Company, 2230 Lemon Avenue, Long Beach CA 90806.
3. Approve a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) in the amount of $241,374 and a ten percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $24,137, to Z&K Consultants, Inc., 17130 Van Buren Blvd. #122, Riverside, CA 92504, for construction management and inspection support services for the Adams Avenue Bicycle Facility Project.
4. Authorize the City Manager and the City Clerk to execute the PWA and the PSA and any future amendments to the agreements within Council authorized limits.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
The proposed project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The project involves an organizational or administrative activity of government that will not result in direct or indirect physical change in the environment. The proposed project is categorically exempt under Section 15301 relating to the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, and/or minor alteration of existing public facilities. A Notice of Exemption was prepared by City Staff, was posted to the Office of Planning and Research on August 3, 2023, and was filed and posted at the Orange County Clerk-Recorder Department on August 10, 2023.
The proposed project is categorically excluded from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Per the Code of Federal Regulations 23 CFR 771.117(c)(3), the construction of bicycle and pedestrian lanes, paths, and facilities are considered actions that meet the criteria for categorical exclusions from NEPA and are deemed to not have any significant environmental impacts. A Preliminary Environmental Study classifying the project as categorically excluded was submitted to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) on February 3, 2025. On March 20, 2025, Caltrans provided concurrence with the NEPA determination of Categorical Exclusion.
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BACKGROUND:
The Adams Avenue Bicycle Facility Project (From Harbor Boulevard to Fairview Road), Federal Project No. STPL-5312(108), City Project No. 25-11 (Project), is a federally funded project that seeks to improve bicyclist accessibility and safety. It provides enhanced bikeways along Adams Avenue from Harbor Boulevard to Fairview Road that provide improved mobility consistent with the City’s adopted Active Transportation Plan (ATP).
The Project will narrow the raised center medians to provide enhanced bike facilities without reducing the number of vehicular lanes along Adams Avenue. From Harbor Boulevard to Pinecreek Drive, the project will construct new Cycle Track bikeways on both sides of Adams Avenue. From Pinecreek Drive to Fairview Road, the project will construct a new Cycle Track along eastbound Adams Avenue and a new Class II Buffered Bike Lane along westbound Adams Avenue adjacent to existing on-street parking. The Project will also include slurry seal, new landscaping and irrigation, new streetlighting, green bicycle markings, and traffic signal and bikeway modifications at the intersection of Adams Avenue and Fairview Road.
The new bicycle facilities will connect to the City’s award-winning multi-use bicycle and pedestrian pathways constructed at the intersection of Adams Avenue and Pinecreek Drive that finished construction in May 2025. These new improvements will create a continuous low-stress bikeway from Harbor Boulevard to Fairview Road and will improve mobility and connectivity to Orange Coast College (OCC) and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The Project is being implemented in partnership with OCC. Staff made presentations to the OCC Facilities Committee during various stages of design and received support for project implementation. The City’s Active Transportation Committee (ATC) also reviewed the project design plans at various stages and provided input and approval for the Project. A community outreach meeting was also held for the project during the design phase, where the public voiced support and provided input.
The contractor is required to complete all tasks necessary to perform the scope of work as outlined in the contract documents, plans, and specifications. A copy of the specifications and working details are available for review in the Office of the City Clerk.
City Staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a well-qualified consultant to lead the construction management and inspection operations of this project. A copy of the RFP is available for review in the Office of the City Clerk.
ANALYSIS:
Project Construction:
The City received and opened six (6) bids for this project on October 15, 2025. Excel Paving Company (Excel), is the apparent low bidder with a base bid proposal of $2,268,636. The bid abstract for this project is included as Attachment 1.
Staff analyzed the bid proposal submitted by Excel and found no errors or irregularities. Staff recommends that the City Council authorize and award a construction contract to the apparent lowest bidder, Excel Paving Company. The license and references of Excel have been checked and staff has found them to be in good standing.
Upon City Council authorization to execute the Public Works Agreement (PWA), (Attachment 2) Excel will furnish the necessary bonds and insurance, which will be approved as to form by Risk Management. After the award and subsequent execution of the agreement, a “Notice to Proceed” will be issued.
Project Construction Management and Inspection Support:
On September 5, 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Construction Management and Inspection Support Services for the Adams Avenue Bicycle Facility Project. Eleven (11) consultant proposals were received on September 23, 2025.
Proposals were reviewed for compliance with the City’s RFP process, and the proposed consultants were evaluated based on project understanding, depth of experience, technical expertise, and associated evaluation criteria. The City’s evaluation and selection process was conducted in accordance with Chapter V, Article 2 of the City's Municipal Code (Code). In accordance with the Code, the responsive responsible proposer shall be determined based on evaluation of qualitative factors in addition to cost. During the evaluation process, the following criteria was used:
1. Project Approach, Scope, & Methodology ------------------------------------- 20%
2. Qualifications, Organization & Key Staff Experience ------------------------ 40%
3. Experience and Record of Success on Similar Federal Projects --------- 30%
4. Cost Effectiveness -------------------------------------------------------------------- 10%
After careful review of the proposals, the evaluation team determined the top three ranked consultants (in order):
1. Z&K Consultants, Inc. (Z&K)
2. Interwest Consulting Group, Inc.
3. Reddy Engineering
Staff determined that the highest-ranked consultant, Z&K, is well qualified to perform the requested construction management and inspection support services for the project. The proposal showed that Z&K has a thorough understanding of the project and the contract documents. They identified potential issues that could arise in construction and provided recommendations tailored specifically for the project to address those issues. Z&K’s proposed team consists of a construction manager and inspector who both have experience working on numerous federally funded projects administered through Caltrans. Z&K’s proposal showcased many federally funded projects they have assisted other cities with and included detailed information regarding the scope of those projects. The fees proposed by Z&K were determined to be very competitive and commensurate with the requested services.
The second highest ranked consultant, Interwest Consulting Group, was qualified to perform the construction management and inspection support services. They proposed the same construction manager and inspector that worked on the recently completed Adams Avenue and Pinecreek Drive Intersection Project, and they have experience working on federally funded projects. During the evaluation, however, staff discovered that Interwest had made a mistake in their understanding of the work duration of the project, which significantly increased their fees and negatively affected their overall score.
As the third highest ranked consultant, Reddy Engineering proposed a well-organized project team with some experience working on federally funded projects in San Diego County. They did a good job of providing details about their involvement in various projects and the challenges that they faced and addressed during each project. Reddy Engineering, however, did not provide adequate details and examples about the federally funded projects and their scope of services, providing only cursory mentions of the federal requirements for the project.
Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council authorize the execution of a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Z&K Consultants, Inc., (Attachment 3) in the amount of $241,374 for construction management and inspection support services.
Contingency:
Staff requests approval of a ten percent (10%) contingency for both the construction and construction management agreements for unforeseen costs that may arise.
Community Workforce Agreement:
The Adams Avenue Bicycle Facility Project is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement (CWA). The City Council approved the CWA on February 1, 2022, in order to promote efforts to increase employment opportunities for residents of Costa Mesa and to facilitate training and employment for the City’s students and veterans in the construction trades through apprenticeships and to encourage efficiency in construction operations. Previous CWA-administered capital improvement projects include the Adams Avenue Improvement Project, the Fire Station No. 4 Training Tower and Site Improvements Project, and the Citywide Parkway Maintenance Street Rehabilitation and Slurry Seal Project.
On March 7, 2023, the City Council awarded a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) to The Solís Group (Solís) to assist the City in administering the CWA. Solís will render its services to manage the provisions of the CWA for this project, including the preparation and submission of the final report.
ALTERNATIVES:
The alternative would be to reject all bids, re-advertise, and re-bid the construction project. Staff has determined that re-advertising and re-bidding the project will not result in lower bids and will delay the project and adversely affect the project’s federal grant funding. In addition, the alternative to reject all proposals and re-advertise the RFP for construction management services will not result in lower cost proposals and will only delay the project delivery.
FISCAL REVIEW:
The funding for the construction and construction management, inclusive of the 10% contingency, for a total amount of $2,761,011 is available in the FY 2025-26 Capital Improvement Program budget, consisting of Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) in the Federal Grant Fund (Fund 230), Traffic Impact Fee (TIF) Fund (Fund 214), and Regional Measure M2 Fairshare Fund (Fund 416).
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed this agenda report, prepared the agreements, and approves them all as to form.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES:
This project works toward achieving the following City Council goals:
• Strengthen the Public’s Safety and Improve the Quality of Life
• Maintain and enhance the City’s facilities, equipment, and technology.
• Advance environmental sustainability and climate resiliency.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt plans, specifications, and working details for the Adams Avenue Bicycle Facility Project (From Harbor Boulevard to Fairview Road), Federal Project No. STPL-5312(108), City Project No. 25-11, and find the project categorically exempt from CEQA.
2. Approve a Public Works Agreement (PWA) in the amount of $2,268,636, and a ten percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $226,864 to Excel Paving Company, 2230 Lemon Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90806.
3. Approve a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) in the amount of $241,374 and a ten percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $24,137, to Z&K Consultants, Inc., 17130 Van Buren Blvd. #122, Riverside, CA 92504, for construction management and inspection support services for the Adams Avenue Bicycle Facility Project.
4. Authorize the City Manager and the City Clerk to execute the PWA and the PSA and any future amendments to the agreements within Council authorized limits.