SR-11-23-2010-3C~®
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Santa Monica
City Council Report
City Council Meeting: November 23, 2010
Agenda Item:J'r'G
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Susan Cline, Acting Director of Public Works
Subject: Construction Contract to Implement the Downtown Farmers' Market Traffic
Control Plan
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Traffic
Development Services, aCalifornia-based company, in the amount of $199,143,
including a 10% contingency, for implementation of the Downtown Farmers' Market
Traffic Control Plan.
2. Approve the budget changes outlined in the Financial Impact and Budget Actions
section of the report.
3. Authorize the Director of Public Works to issue necessary change orders to complete
additional work within budget authority.
Executive Summary
The Downtown Farmers' Market Traffic Control Plan consists of the following measures to
enhance pedestrian and traffic safety, and reduce annual operating costs:
Installation of permanent and temporary traffic signs consistent with State and City
requirements to .alert roadway users, including vehicles and bicycles, of roadway
closures related to regularly scheduled Farmers' Market events in downtown Santa
Monica.
• Construction of a removable vehicle arresting barrier system at the market entrances,
consistent with the approved traffic control plan.
Implementation of the traffic control plan will result in reductions in the annual operating costs
by an estimated $121,418, reducing the number of Santa Monica Police Department staff
required to work at the Wednesday and Saturday Farmers' Market events. Traffic
Development Services is recommended for implementation of the traffic control plan at a cost
of $199,143.
Background
Staff has prepared an updated traffic control plan (TCP) for the Downtown Farmers' Market.
Implementation of the TCP will result in enhanced pedestrian and traffic safety, and
significant reductions in the annual operating costs ($121,418 of saving per year) by reducing
the number of Santa Monica Police Department staff who are required to work at the
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Wednesday and Saturday Farmers' Markets. Currently, the Police Department provides six
Traffic Service Officers (TSO). Once the TCP is implemented, one TSO will be required to
direct pedestrian and vehicular traffic at the Arizona Avenue and Third Court intersection for
each Farmers' Market event.
Discussion
In 2009, the City engaged Crain and Associates, certified and licensed traffic engineering
consultants, to develop a complete traffic control plan for the Downtown Farmers' Markets.
This work was strongly recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board in
response to investigations following the July 2003 traffic accident at the Wednesday Farmers'
Market. The new Farmers' Market TCP has been developed in accordance with State,
County, and City standards and conforms to standards set forth in the California Mariual on
Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the American Public Works Association's Work Area Traffic
Control Handbook, and the American with Disabilities Act.
The .plan requires new signage, Type III barricades (a portable road barricade made of
recycled plastic with reflective markings and safety flashers), and other traffic safety devices
including Dragnet Vehicle Arresting Barriers. The Type III barricades and Dragnet barriers will
be located at the market entrances (Arizona Avenue east of 3rd Court and west of 2nd Court,
and on 2nd Street, at either end of the market). The barricades and barriers will be set-up
prior to and removed after each Farmers' Market event.
Dragnet barriers are non-lethal barriers that safely decelerate and stop a vehicle. The
system is comprised of a double set of chain. link nets attached between two energy
absorbers, which are supported by anchor posts embedded into concrete footings
underneath the sidewalk. The net is four feet in height and up to 75 feet in length, depending
on the width of the road. To soften the appearance of the Dragnet, the Farmers' Market staff
would hang a welcome banner, public art, or some other appropriate information relating to
the Farmers' Market on the net. The system has been identified by the National Highway
Safety Board as a top safety measure and has been used in road closure and road
construction projects throughout the United States for over 30 years. This type of arresting
barrier is also preferred by the Santa Monica Fire and Police Departments as the desired
safety mechanism due to its high safety standards and ease of operation and maintenance.
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Other options considered included road bollards and guardrails, but these options do not
conform to the National Cooperative Highway Research Program 350 crash test standards.
Bollards typically break off upon impact and can result in death of .the driver. Other more
intensive temporary barriers were also considered, but were eventually rejected due to the
potential for lethal damage to vehicle drivers.
The TCP was developed by Crain and Associates in consultation with representatives of the
Farmers' Market, Transportation Management Division, Police, Fire, City Attorney's Office
and Economic Development.
Contractor/Consultant Selection
On September 29 and 30, 2010 the City published a Notice Inviting Bids in the Santa Monica
Daily Press. The Notice Inviting Bids and bid documents were made available on the City's
online bidding system, PlanetBids. Eighteen prospective bidders made requests for the bid
documents. The City Clerk's Office received two formal bids that were publicly opened by the
Deputy City Clerk on October 21, 2010. The bid results are as follows:
Bidder Base Bid
Traffic Development Services $181,039
Statewide Safety & Signs
City Engineer's Estimate
$380,990
$175,000
Staff recommends Traffic Development Services, located in Moorpark, California, as the best
bidder based on their price, quality of services offered, and experience with similar projects.
Traffic Development Services' previous work includes traffic signal and roadwork for the City
of Palmdale, and installation of traffic signals, signs, and channelizers for Caltrans. These
projects were completed within the last year. Staff checked references for these projects and
all reported that the contractor's work quality was good and that the projects were completed
in a timely and cost efficient manner. The State Contractor's License Board verified that the
Contractor's license is active and in good standing.
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Public Outreach
Staff will conduct public outreach during the construction of this project. The outreach
process will consist of public notifications on the scope of the project, potential impacts,
schedule, and periodic project updates to adjacent residents and businesses.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The total project cost to implement the Farmers' Market Traffic Control Plan is $199,143.
Funds in the amount of $195,860 are currently available at account number 0017038.589000
- Farmers Market Traffic Control. Additional funds for this project are budgeted under
operating fund account number 01421.511490. A fund transfer in the amount of $3,283 from
operating fund account 01421.511490 into capital improvement project account
0017038.589000 is required to cover the shortage.
Implementation of the TCP will result in reductions in annual operating costs by reducing the
number of Santa Monica Police Department staff who are required to work at the Wednesday
and Saturday Farmers' Market events. Currently, the Santa Monica Police Department
provides six police personnel for traffic control at the Downtown Farmers' Markets at an
annual cost of $172,000. Once implemented, the new TCP will only require an annual
allocation of $45,382 for personnel implementing the traffic control equipment and operations
at each market, and $5,200 for ongoing maintenance costs, resulting in a total annual
savings of $121,418.
Prepared by: Allan Sheth, Civil Engineering Associate
Approved: Forwarded to Council:
y_
~a ~ Rod Gould
Acting Director of Public Works City Manager
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Pictures of Dragnet Vehicle Arresting Barrier
ATTACHMENT A
Reference Contract No.
9296 (CCS).