REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
November 19, 2020
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
THROUGH: Randall W. Morrison, PE, Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Engineering Division
BY: JOHN STANBOULIAN, Public Works Manager
Public Works Department, Traffic Operations Center
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street Corridors (from Divisadero Street to Olive Avenue) Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Adaptive Project - Bid File No. 3759 (Council Districts 3 and 7)
1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption per staff’s determination, pursuant to Section 15301(c) Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines (CEQA)
2. ***RESOLUTION - 42nd Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2020-159 appropriating $301,000 for the Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Adaptive Project from McKinley Avenue to Divisadero Street (Requires 5 affirmative votes) (Subject to Mayor’s veto)
3. Award a construction contract in the amount of $1,420,012 to Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian of Fresno, CA, as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that City Council (1) adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15301(c) Class 1 of the CEQA Guidelines, (2) adopt the 42nd Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution (AAR) No. 2020-159, (3) award a construction contract with Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian, of Fresno, CA, in the amount of $1,420,012 as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, and authorize the Public Works Director or Designee to sign a standardized contract on behalf of the City.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street Adaptive ITS project will expand upon the Blackstone Avenue-Friant Road Adaptive ITS Project (currently under construction) to extend adaptive ITS infrastructure along southern Blackstone Avenue, one of the most traveled and congested corridors in Fresno. The Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street corridors connects businesses, hospitals, State Route 41 with downtown Fresno, and is the key bus route for FAX’s Bus Rapid Transit Q-Line. This ITS adaptive project includes the installation of ITS infrastructure, technology components, and updated vehicle detection that will prepare the Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street corridors for the deployment of state-of-the-art real-time adaptive traffic synchronization. Separate from this contract, but as part of the overall Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street Corridors ITS Adaptive Project, staff will be bringing to Council a contract for the purchase of the traffic signal adaptive modules. This system will bring Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street corridors to the same level of adaptive, real-time traffic synchronization as the Shaw Avenue and Herndon Avenue corridors, improving Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street corridors operations by up to 20%, while reducing energy consumption and vehicle emissions. This project is funded by a Federal grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program and Proposition 111 Gas Tax as the local match.
BACKGROUND
The Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street Corridors ITS Adaptive Project from Divisadero Street to Olive Avenue was initiated in FY17 when the City was awarded a Federal grant from the CMAQ Improvement Program. The project was designed by Public Works staff after the project was budgeted in the adopted FY20 Capital Budget and the funds were obligated. The preliminary engineering design took approximately 16 months to complete.
The Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street Corridors ITS Adaptive Project construction contract includes the installation of ITS infrastructure, including conduits, conductors/cables, pull boxes, termination of fiber optic cables, communication cabinets, service cabinets, traffic signal cabinets, networking equipment, cameras, signal loop detectors, as well as the upgrade of affected concrete curb ramps. The project will provide the corridor with the necessary ITS infrastructure improvements for the deployment of an adaptive traffic synchronization system.
Staff prepared a Notice Inviting Bids, which was then published in the Fresno Business Journal on August 5, 2020, posted on the City’s website, and faxed to thirteen (13) building exchanges. Project plans and specifications were distributed to twenty-two (22) prospective bidders. Two sealed bid proposals were received and opened in a public bid opening on September 1, 2020; bids are $1,420,012 and $1,555,854.60. Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian, of Fresno, CA, with their bid of $1,420,012, was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The expiration date of the extended bids is December 19, 2020. If the bids are rejected or expire, the project must be rebid which will result in a delay of approximately 60 days.
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved as to form the proposed Standardized Construction Contract.
Staff recommends that Council award a construction contract to Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian of Fresno, California, in the amount of $1,420,012 to construct the Blackstone Avenue and Abby Street Corridors ITS Adaptive Project from Divisadero Street to Olive Avenue as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, and to authorize the Public Works Director or designee to sign and execute the contract on behalf of the City of Fresno.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
Staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this project and has determined that it falls within the Categorical Exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) Class 1 (existing facilities) which exempts projects involving a negligible or no expansion of an existing facility. This exemption applies because this project involves improving efficiency of an existing roadway through coordinating the operation of existing traffic signals to reduce congestion without expansion of the roadway. The project will install conductor cables in existing conduits; will install communication equipment in existing cabinets; will install wiring in existing signal cabinets, and will install signal loop detectors on existing pavement as required. Staff determined under the CEQA Guidelines this project fits within the definition of existing facilities in Section 15301(c) Class 1, as Categorically Exempt from further CEQA review. Furthermore, Staff has determined that none of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to this project.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
The local preference was not implemented based on conditions of the Federal CMAQ grant.
FISCAL IMPACT
The project is located in the City of Fresno Council Districts 3 and 7. The overall cost of the project is $1,964,600 and is funded with a Federal CMAQ grant and Proposition 111 Gas Tax as the local match. The project will not have any impact to the General Fund. Of the total project cost, $1,420,012 will be used for the construction contract award. Adoption of the attached AAR amendment resolution will appropriate the necessary funding to award the construction contract in the current fiscal year. Additional appropriations for the remaining project costs will be included in the City’s fiscal year 2022 budget.
Attachments:
Vicinity Map
CEQA Notice of Exception
42nd Amendment to the Annual Appropriation Resolution No. 2020-159
Bid Evaluation
Fiscal Impact Statement
Standardized Contract