REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Award of Contract for Professional Services to Study Alternatives for Traffic Improvements along the Wolfe Road Corridor (F15-81)
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Approval is requested to award a contract to Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. (KHA) in an amount not-to-exceed $147,995 (base services for $139,760 and optional services for $8,235) to study alternatives for traffic improvements along the Wolfe Road Corridor between Homestead Road and El Camino Real. Approval is also requested for a 10% contract contingency in the amount of $14,800.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This contract award for a traffic study is not a project as defined in Section 15262 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), because it is a feasibility or planning study that will not result in a physical change to the environment.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
In 2014, Budget Supplement Number 4 was approved for the Wolfe Road Corridor Traffic Improvement Study - El Camino Real to Homestead Road. For efficiency purposes, the budget supplement combined two 2014 Study Issues: DPW14-14 "Optimization of Wolfe Road for Neighborhood and Commuter Reconfiguration and Signalization", and DPW14-17 "Analysis of Reconfiguration or Other Capacity Improvement Alternatives for the Wolfe Road/El Camino Real/Fremont Avenue Intersection Complex".
The Wolfe Corridor currently experiences congestion during mornings and evenings due to heavy commute traffic, particularly at the El Camino Real/Fremont Avenue/Wolfe Road confluence and at Homestead Road.
Wolfe Road at El Camino Real was studied in 1991 and 2000 for potential widening. The studies found that widening Wolfe Road in this location would require significant amounts of right-of-way from private property owners. Public sentiment was opposed to the widening, and Council ultimately decided not to pursue the project.
The intent of this proposed study is to take a fresh look at traffic patterns utilizing new count data currently being obtained by the City. This study will look at developing alternatives to reduce congestion without road widening at Wolfe Avenue/El Camino Real/Fremont Avenue. In addition, the Wolfe Road corridor between Homestead Road and Fremont Avenue will be analyzed for optimization of traffic flow, including bicycle lane transitions, reversible lanes, and restoration of on-street parking.
Modified Competitive Proposal Process
With increased infrastructure work taking place in the City, the Purchasing Division is experiencing a significant increase in competitive bidding requests, especially Requests for Proposals (RFPs) which are inherently time intensive. During this fiscal year, RFPs have taken an average of 5 months to complete, considerably higher than desired. Under a prequalification program established during the Sunnyvale Works! local economic stimulus program, Purchasing has been utilizing a modified process in order to expedite the increase in RFPs and reduce cycle time, creating efficiencies by providing work opportunities directly to a shortlist of selected consultants. Establishing prequalified shortlists of consultants, vendors and other service providers is a standard practice utilized by cities to procure goods and/or services more efficiently. For this procurement, the RFP was sent to Fehr and Peers, Hexagon Consulting and Kimley-Horn and Associates. Citing existing workload commitments, both Fehr and Peers and Hexagon Consulting declined to submit. One responsive proposal was received from Kimley Horn and Associates (KHA).
Public Works staff from the Engineering and Transportation and Traffic Divisions evaluated the proposal based on qualifications, experience and project approach, and an interview was conducted which confirmed that KHA has the necessary qualifications and experience to perform the study. KHA's proposed pricing, including a number of traffic simulation options and analyses, ranged from $150,000 to $225,000. Subsequent scope and fee clarifications resulted in an agreement for baselines services in the amount of $139,760 and optional services in the amount of $8,235, for a total of $147,995.
It should be noted that the proposed contract amount is substantially lower than the $250,000 budgeted to complete the study. The lower cost was due to traffic counts being performed as part of a separate contract to ensure that they were completed prior to the end of the school year and by reducing the number of simulation runs the consultant was proposing.
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted funds are available in Capital Project 830970 (Wolfe Road Corridor Traffic Improvement Study).
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
1) Award a contract, in substantially the same format as Attachment 1 and in an amount not-to-exceed $147,995, to Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., for the subject project, and authorize the City Manager to execute the contract when all the necessary conditions have been met; and 2) Approve a 10% contract contingency in the amount of $14,800.
Staff
Prepared by: Pete Gonda, Purchasing Officer
Reviewed by: Grace K. Leung, Director of Finance
Review by: Manuel Pineda, Director of Public Works
Reviewed by: Robert A. Walker, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Consultant Services Agreement