REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Award a Contract to Kimley Horn for Design Services for Mary at Evelyn Caltrain Grade Crossing and Traffic Signal Improvements (F19-132)
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Approval is requested to award a contract in the amount of $97,594 to Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc. of Pleasanton for the professional design services for Mary at Evelyn Caltrain Grade Crossing and Traffic Signal Improvements. Approval is also requested for a 10% contingency in the amount of $9,759.
EXISTING POLICY
Pursuant to Chapter 2.08 of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code, contracts for this type of service are awarded pursuant to a Request for Proposals (RFP) best value process, unless otherwise exempt from the competitive bidding process. Additionally, City Council approval is required for the procurement of goods and/or services exceeding $100,000 in any one transaction.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being consider does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environmental.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In late 2017, staff received a concern about the traffic signal timing for the Caltrain railroad crossing on N. Mary Avenue. After calculating the railroad interconnection system’s existing preemption timings, potential improvements were identified and presented to Caltrain who confirmed staff’s initial findings. These findings became a priority safety improvement project which resulted in award of a $3.8 million Caltrain grant to upgrade the railroad crossing interconnect system located at the intersection of Mary Avenue and West Evelyn Avenue. A collection of related projects are now under deployment and funded entirely by Railway-Highway Crossings (Section 130) Program through the California Department of Transportation.
Project 833890 - Mary Avenue at Caltrain Tracks Grade Crossing Safety Improvements has a scope of work that includes professional design related to reconstruction of a portion of the sidewalk and north median; relocation of the West Evelyn Avenue crosswalk and traffic signal; installation of four new accessible curb ramps, new street lighting and raised reflective pavement markers; and utilization of advanced pre-emption traffic signal phasing.
In addition to these improvements, Caltrain created a separate project to implement additional advanced railroad preemption to increase the warning time to clear the tracks before the train gates go down which will cost $3.1 million.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) was posted on the Demandstar public procurement network on February 22, 2019 and specifically distributed to multiple California-based traffic and transportation firms. Two proposals were received on March 15, 2019 from Kimley Horn and TJKM Transportation Consultants. Proposals were evaluated by staff from the Department of Public Works based on their qualifications, experience, programmatic approach, and approach for completing of the project.
Both proposers were invited to an evaluative interview and presentation based on the merits of its proposals. Following the interviews, Kimley Horn was unanimously selected as the highest ranked proposer due to their extensive experience with similar projects and Caltrain requirements.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Railway-Highway Crossings grant was awarded to Caltrain, a reimbursement agreement for the City to complete the work within its jurisdiction was signed on July 2018. Council appropriated the funds on June 28, 2018 (RTC No.18-0447). $698,625 is available in Project 833890 - Mary Avenue at Caltrain Tracks Grade Crossing Safety Improvements.
Funding Source
Project 833890 - Mary Avenue at Caltrain Tracks Grade Crossing Safety is funded by Railway-Highway Crossings Grant.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Take the following actions:
- Award a contract in substantially the same form as Attachment 1 to the report in the amount of $97,594 to Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc.,
- Authorize the City Manager to execute the contract when all necessary conditions have been met, and
- Approve a 10% contingency in the amount of $9,759.
Staff
Prepared by: Gregory S. Card, Purchasing Officer
Reviewed by: Timothy J. Kirby, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Chip Taylor, Director of Public Works
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Consultant Services Agreement