TITLE:
title
FAIRVIEW ROAD ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS - ADAMS AVENUE TO FAIR DRIVE
end
DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT/ TRANSPORTATION SERVICES DIVISION
PRESENTED BY: RAJA SETHURAMAN, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
CONTACT INFORMATION: RAMIN NIKOUI, SENIOR ENGINEER; BRETT ATENCIO THOMAS, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council:
1. Award a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) to Onward Engineering for professional engineering design services for the Fairview Road Active Transportation Improvements - Adams Avenue to Fair Drive project (Federal Project No. STPL-5312(109)) in the amount of $313,081, in final form approved by the City Attorney.
2. Authorize a ten percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $31,308 for any unforeseen costs that may be required by the project.
3. Authorize the City Manager and the City Clerk to execute the PSA and any future amendments to the agreement.
end
BACKGROUND:
The City has identified the need for various Active Transportation infrastructure improvements to provide a higher quality and more inviting bicycling and walking experience to the community. The Fairview Road Active Transportation Improvements Project (Project) will improve bicycle and pedestrian access and mobility along Fairview Road from Adams Avenue to Fair Drive. The Project will enhance the bicycle facility along the street which will serve to enhance operations by providing separation between bicyclists and vehicles. The Project is also planned to include high-visibility crosswalks, green bicycle conflict markings, and landscape and irrigation to improve pedestrian connectivity and safety. The Project will design a Class IV Cycle Track on Fairview Road and connect to the proposed Fairview Road Cycle Track from Fair Drive to Newport Boulevard, which is expected to begin construction in Fall 2025.
In 2024, the City secured a federal Orange County Complete Streets Program (OCCSP) grant to design and construct the Project. Due to the advancement of federal funding deadlines for the grant, the design of the project needs to be expedited and federal construction authorization obtained by June 2026.
ANALYSIS:
The procurement was handled in accordance with federal procedures outlined in the Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual (LAPM) Chapter 10, Consultant Selection, for architectural and engineering (A&E) services. Proposals are evaluated and ranked in accordance with the qualifications of the firm, staffing, work plan, and familiarity with federal procedures. A&E procurement prohibits cost as an evaluation criterion, and evaluation of the proposals shall be conducted only based on qualifications because this is a federally funded project. The highest-ranked firm is requested to submit a cost proposal, and the final agreement is negotiated with the City. Should negotiations fail with the highest-ranked firm, a cost proposal will be solicited from the next highest-ranked consultant until an agreement is reached.
On January 23, 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on PlanetBids for professional engineering design services for the Project. Two (2) proposals were received to provide professional engineering design services. Proposals were reviewed for compliance with the RFP, and consultants were evaluated based on project understanding, depth of experience, technical expertise, and knowledge of federal procedures. The proposals were evaluated utilizing the following evaluation criteria and weightings:
In developing the criteria and weightings, several factors were considered. The firm’s qualifications and experience performing relevant work of similar scope, size and complexity are important to the success of the Project. The proposed team should include key personnel who are experienced in working on active transportation projects. Given the project is federally funded, the firm’s familiarity with federal procedures is important for successfully completing all federal requirements, and this was added as an additional evaluation criterion and assigned a weighting of 10%.
After a thorough evaluation of the two proposals, one of the proposers was found nonresponsive and disqualified due to not submitting the required materials as outlined in the RFP. Staff found the remaining firm, Onward Engineering (Onward) to be responsive to the requirements in the RFP, responsive to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise goal of 20% outlined in the RFP, and found Onward well qualified to perform the requested engineering design services for the project.
Onward Engineering has been providing engineering design services for over 20 years and is based in Anaheim, California. Onward offers professional services including design engineering, project management, construction management, staff augmentation, plan check, construction inspection, and surveying. They are experienced working on active transportation projects and have worked on federally funded projects. Some of Onward’s recent projects include the design of multi-use pathways at The Tracks at Brea, bike lane improvements in El Monte, and the Olive Grove Park Multi-use Trail Project. Onward is currently working on the City’s Adams Avenue Active Transportation Improvements - Multipurpose Trails project to design Class I Multi-use paths along Adams Avenue from the Santa Ana River to Royal Palm Drive.
The proposal submitted by Onward represents a thorough understanding of the Project. Onward provided a comprehensive and viable work plan and schedule that demonstrated an understanding of the project requirements and the expedited project timeline required to meet the federal funding deadline for construction obligations. Onward’s proposal complies with City requirements and contains all required federal forms. The proposal documents Onward’s technical ability and experience with similar projects and includes a project team consisting of staff with multiple years of experience working on active transportation and federally funded projects. Onward’s design fees were finalized through multiple rounds of negotiations with City staff and determined to be competitive and commensurate with the requested services.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council could choose to not approve the PSA and conduct the project using in-house resources. However, the technical expertise and volume of the work associated with the project far exceed the staff’s available resources and time. The City Council could also choose to readvertise the RFP. Both of these options would result in significant delays in the completion of the design and would result in not meeting the federal grant timelines required to obtain federal authorization for construction. Therefore, staff does not recommend the alternatives.
FISCAL REVIEW:
The total amount for the proposed contract inclusive of contingency will not exceed $344,389. Funding for the Fairview Road Improvement project in the amount of $300,000 is available in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget, in multiple Capital Improvement projects, including Federal Grants (Funds 230), Capital Improvement Fund (Fund 401), and Measure “M2” Fairshare (Fund 416). The remaining amount of $44,389 will be funded by the Class II and III Bicycle Project in the Traffic Impact Fund (Fund 214) and Capital Improvement Fund (Fund 401).
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed this report, prepared the proposed PSA and approves them both as to form.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES:
This item supports 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 the City Council:
1. Award a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) to Onward Engineering for professional engineering design services for the Fairview Road Active Transportation Improvements - Adams Avenue to Fair Drive project (Federal Project No. STPL-5312(109)) in the amount of $313,081, in final form approved by the City Attorney.
2. Authorize a ten percent (10%) contingency in the amount of $31,308 for any unforeseen costs that may be required by the project.
3. Authorize the City Manager and the City Clerk to execute the PSA and any future amendments to the agreement.