REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: GREGORY A. BARFIELD, M.A., Director
Department of Transportation
THROUGH: DREW WILSON, Planning Manager
Department of Transportation
BY: CAROL ABATE, Planner I
Department of Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to FAX Shade Structure Designs with California State University, Fresno Intelligent Design Visualization Lab:
1. Affirm the City Manager’s finding that the California State University, Fresno Intelligent Design Visualization Lab is Uniquely Qualified to perform service related to finalizing innovative Shade Structures Design Sets and a FAX Facilities Digital Twin and Project, in accordance with Administrative Order 6-19;
2. Approve a suspension of the competitive bid process to award a contract in the amount of $165,099 to California State University, Fresno Intelligent Design Visualization Lab through the California State University, Fresno Foundation, based on their unique qualifications to guide architectural and interior design students to finalize design sets for permit and fabrication, as well as, performing temperature research to produce the necessary data needed in order to conduct the FAX Facilities Digital Twin Project to identify high-need areas for innovative shade structures at bus stops throughout the FAX service area.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
The Department of Transportation Fresno Area Express (FAX), requests that Council (1) Affirm the City Manager’s finding that the California State University, Fresno Intelligent Design Visualization Lab is Uniquely Qualified to perform service related to finalizing innovative Shade Structures Design Sets and a FAX Facilities Digital Twin and Project, in accordance with Administrative Order 6-19; and (2) Approve a suspension of the competitive bid process to award a contract in the amount of $165,099 to California State University, Fresno intelligent Design Visualization Lab through the California State University, Fresno Foundation, based on their unique qualifications to guide architectural and interior design students to finalize design sets for permit and fabrication, as well as, performing temperature research to produce the necessary data needed in order to conduct the FAX Facilities Digital Twin Project to identify high-need areas for innovative shade structures at bus stops throughout the FAX service area.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FAX requests approval from the Office of the City Manager to suspend the competitive bid process and to award a contract to the California State University (CSU), Fresno’s Intelligent Design Visualization Lab (IDVL), through the California State University Fresno Foundation. Their unique qualifications will assist in their guidance to architectural and interior design students, identifying high-need areas for innovative shade structures at bus stops throughout the FAX service area, and the creation of Finalized Innovative Shade Structures Design Sets and FAX Facilities Digital Twin Project.
This project will assist in addressing one of our priorities of increasing ridership and enhancing customer satisfaction by identifying high-need areas for innovative shade structures at bus stops within our service area. To achieve this goal, we require the finalization of the Innovative Shade Structures Design Sets to receive permits and fabricate the shade structures. As well as the performance of temperature research to produce the necessary data needed in order to create a digital replica that models the real-world conditions of stops in our service area, known as a Digital Twin. The finalization of the Innovative Shade Structures Design Sets, temperature research, and Digital Twin will be developed by architectural and interior design students, using the Intelligent Design Visualization Lab (IDVL) of California State University, Fresno (CSU Fresno), and will intend to improve transit equity and rider comfort through simulation analysis of the area’s environmental and socio-economic conditions.
The proposed agreement allows for consultant-level work to be produced by local students, giving them hands-on, real-world experience as they acquire relevant knowledge and educational hours. Project costs will be significantly offset, and innovative perspectives will be gathered, while ties between the City and a local educational institute are strengthened. CSU Fresno is uniquely qualified to enter into this agreement, as its IDVL students participated in the first phase to develop the innovative shade structure concepts, and as such are well-versed in the designs and research.
The award of this contract to finalization of the Innovative Shade Structures Design Sets, perform necessary temperature research, and create the Digital Twin will ultimately provide increased comfort and convenience to FAX passengers, allowing them to travel safely despite weather conditions throughout the FAX system. Further, the added shade infrastructure may also increase access to and use of the transit system, particularly by those riders most vulnerable to the negative effects of harsh heat and sun exposure. Finally, the tool will provide the potential to decrease bus stop maintenance expenses by recommending more effective materials and efficient universal designs for future bus shelters.
BACKGROUND
Transit agencies across the nation attempting to address extreme heat concerns for its customers have struggled to find adequate bus shelters solutions.
During a visit to Arizona in May of 2024, Director Gregory Barfield observed unique shade structures. Once he returned, he directed FAX Planning Manager Drew Wilson to investigate further. FAX met with its current amenities’ provider, Tolar, to explore options. However, their offerings were limited, oversized for a neighborhood bus stop which highlighted the need to explore more innovative solutions.
Next, Planning Manager Wilson contacted the City of Tucson to learn more about the shelters and the partnership model used to develop them who had just completed a bus stop design project with students and faculty from the University of Arizona that was recently highlighted in a transit trade magazine.
Inspired by this model, Director Barfield directed staff to reach out to the Fresno State Transportation Institute (FSTI). The Institute is a collaboration between the 15 cities within Fresno County, College of Social Sciences, Lyles College of Engineering and the Craig School of Business established to collaborate with other researchers on advanced transportation technologies, multi-modal and transit systems and global transportation issues. After several meetings and in-depth discussions, it became clear that CSU Fresno was well-positioned to deliver the type of creative, community-centered design FAX was seeking.
The Fresno State Transportation Institute put together a team from the Fresno’s Intelligent Design Visualization Lab (IDVL) of the College of Social Science, and the Lyles School of Engineer to fund a research grant to provide extensive field research and stakeholder engagement to further study the need for developing a solution.
Three IDVL and three architectural students were hired by the University as interns led by faculty members Holly Sowles and Uris Giron of the IDVL, beginning the Summer of 2024 with the grant funds received.
During the summer of 2024, students and staff conducted field surveys and interviews with FAX riders, bus drivers, Assets and Facilities staff, Planners, and Capital Development team members to determine the issues to address related to shade, as well as to better understand the needs and concerns, including the ADA needs. This feedback, as well as personal experience from riding buses and visiting stops, was used to develop the initial alternative shade structure designs. In addition to providing shade, goals included the use of sustainable materials for durability and cost-efficiency, as well as meeting all building codes while ensuring ADA compliance.
Collection for data included data on FAX, its ridership, priorities, and concerns extreme heat including ongoing extreme heat research underway by the Fresno COG to address regional extreme heat concerns in various communities and neighborhoods in Fresno County.
Internally, students, and the faculty team met weekly with FAX staff from Planning, Capital Development, Operations, and Community Engagement to confirm data points collected and make needed adjustments in approach as needed from Summer 2024 to the end of the 2025 Spring semester.
With all the needed research, data, and knowledge the students and faculty then moved forward with the formal designs of 10-15 models that were produced to address various conditions and factors of heat based on location, heat index of the neighborhoods at the high sun point of the day that would be ADA accessible even if the sidewalk size was that of a typical 6 foot width or smaller.
Design charrettes were held, allowing FAX staff to provide feedback on potential designs. The final charrette was a City Hall event in February 2025, entitled “Exploring Innovative Bus Stop Shade Solutions”. CSU Fresno students and staff presented their 10-15 designs and discussed the potential benefits if implemented. Attendees were then invited to interact with informational posters, 3D printed models of the bus stop design concepts, and a VR experience for each design. A vote was held, and a total of four designs were then chosen to be considered for the next project phase.
The design of the alternative shade structures inspired the development of the Digital Twin, a digital replica that models the real-world conditions of stops in our service area. The intent of the Digital Twin is that environments can be replicated to real-life renderings, giving FAX more accessible data, such as dimensions, and real-time temperature data. This will reduce the time needed in the future to conduct studies such as heat analyses. A timeline of the activities that have been completed to date is listed below:
|
Task |
Start Date: |
Finish Date: |
|
Project Initiation and Research Development |
May 2024 |
August 2024 |
|
Field Studies / SWOT Analysis |
June 2024 |
August 2024 |
|
Schematic and Design Development |
September 2024 |
December 2024 |
|
Integration, Engagement, and Iteration |
January 2025 |
March 2025 |
|
Fabrication, Presentation, and Closure |
April 2025 |
May 2025 |
The Digital Twin will be developed using GIS mapping tools that analyze transit data (such as bus stop locations, dimensions, routes, and ridership), environmental data (such as temperature, solar exposure, and urban heat island effect), and 3D built environment modeling (such as existing buildings, roads, tree canopy, and materials). The final Digital Twin product will include an interactive, publicly accessible Geographical Information System Online web map identifying the potential sites most suited for the new innovative shade structures designed by CSU Fresno IDVL students.
The design sets that students previously produced, will be refined to certify they are ready for approval as construction documents. Students and staff will ensure layouts, materials, and systems are finalized so that they are fully detailed drawings. Once permitted, the finalized construction documents will then be used for fabrication. This will then move students and staff into continued temperature research to produce data that will be used to conduct the FAX Facilities Digital Twin Project.
Once completed, the Digital Twin tool will include a heat risk index of the service area, enabling FAX to prioritize locations that are highest in need of shading interventions. Once identified, the installation of prototypes are to be placed at 50 bus stops throughout the service area. It will also provide the foundation for future modeling work, including seasonal analysis, material performance, and climate-resilient design strategies. A timeline of the activities that will be completed under this agreement is listed below:
|
Task |
Start Date: |
Finish Date: |
|
Kickoff Data and Acquisition |
October 2025 |
November 2025 |
|
3D Model Creation / Environmental Simulation |
November 2025 |
January 2026 |
|
Transit Analysis Integration / ArcGIS Dashboard Building |
November 2025 |
January 2026 |
|
Output and Visualization |
November 2025 |
January 2026 |
|
Final Design Deliverables |
December 2025 |
March 2026 |
The proposed agreement allows for consultant-level work to be produced by local students, giving them hands-on, real-world experience as they also possess equivalent knowledge and educational hours. This presents the opportunity to significantly offset project costs and offer innovative perspectives, while strengthening ties between the City and a local educational institute. Additionally, CSU Fresno's IDVL has already invested considerable resources in the project's preliminary phases. The agreement provides the opportunity to establish a collaborative framework that will expand relationships with additional local institutes through a guidance and resource network. This collaborative group will oversee the engineering and fabrication of shade structure prototypes during Spring 2026, with installation of prototypes to be placed at 50 bus stops throughout the service area scheduled for Summer 2026. Partner institutions proposed include the Fresno Unified School District's Career and Technical Education Program, Fresno County Office of Education's Career and Technical Education Program, State Center Community College District's Advanced Manufacturing Program, various Apprenticeship Programs, Manufacturing Alliances, and CSU Fresno's IDVL. The IDVL of CSU Fresno has already been a partner in developing alternative shade structures, making them uniquely qualified to be awarded this agreement for the Digital Twin.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDING
This item is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented because this request to award the agreement is based upon the unique qualifications of the awardee and did not include a competitive bid process.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact on the General Fund from this action. Expenses from this agreement shall be funded primarily through FTA Program 5307 funds. FAX Enterprise Funds will make up the required local match. Sufficient appropriations were included and are available in the FAX FY2026 budget.
Attachments:
Agreement
CSU, Fresno Finalize Innovative Shade Structures Design Sets and Digital Twin Budget
Project Schedule
Uniquely Qualified Memo