sr-061212-3yCity of
City ouch Report
Santa Monica'
City Council Meeting: June 12, 2012
Agenda Item: 3�
To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director Planning and Community Development
Subject: School -Based Bicycle and Pedestrian Training Program Contract Award
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a professional services agreement with Alta Planning + Design, a California -
based company, in an amount not to exceed $328,000 to provide grant- funded school -
based bicycle and pedestrian training for elementary and middle school students.
Authorize the City Manager to accept a grant awarded in the amount of $85,000 from Metro
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program. Authorize budget changes as outlined in
the Financial Impacts and Budget Actions section of this report.
Executive Summary
The City was awarded a grant from Metro in the amount of $85,000 to complete bicycle
safety training at the Lincoln Middle School and John Adams Middle School, and
another grant from the federal Safe Routes to School program for $197,000 for a bicycle
and pedestrian pilot project, which would include these middle schools as well as two
elementary schools. The overall effort is intended to create a Safe Routes to School
Program. Following a formal review process, the consultant selection panel is
recommending Alta Planning + Design develop and coordinate bicycle and pedestrian
education, encouragement, training, and evaluation at the four schools. The cost of the
contract will not exceed $328,000.
Background
In July 2005, Congress passed federal legislation that established a National Safe
Routes to School (SRTS) Program to address the lack of walking and biking to school.
At its core, the SRTS Program empowers communities to make walking and bicycling to
school a safe and routine activity. The Program makes funding available for a wide
variety of programs and projects, from building safer street crossings to establishing
programs that encourage children and their parents to walk and bicycle safely to school.
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Locally, students, parents and school administrators have expressed support for
increased bicycling and walking to Santa Monica - Malibu Unified School District (District)
schools. The Santa Monica High School Solar Alliance first initiated Walk It Bike It Day
in 2007. Since that time, each middle school has annually held a "Bike or Walk to
School Day" with participation steadily increasing. These events have grown to include
participation from three - quarters of all schools within the District, which has increased
the interest in walking and biking safety education.
This project seeks to facilitate a change in behavior among school children and parents
to increase walking and biking to school, an objective of the City's Land Use and
Circulation Element (LUCE) and BicVcle Action Plan. Safe Routes to School projects
facilitate the implementation of City policy by teaching rules of the road and encouraging
safe travel behavior which decreases the likelihood of accident and injury. Increased
walking and biking can reduce traffic in school zones which lowers the potential for
incidents, and promotes a healthy lifestyle that can reduce the incidence of chronic
diseases like diabetes and obesity among children. The LUCE also supports the City
partnering with the District to create a SRTS program that will become self - supporting.
Discussion
This project builds upon the existing grassroots efforts of volunteers, teachers, and
faculty to enhance and formalize a comprehensive safe- routes -to- school program by
designing and implementing two coordinated education and encouragement programs
for students and parents: one for John Adams Middle School and Lincoln Middle
School, and one for two elementary schools yet to be determined. The overall objective
is to create a model bicycle and pedestrian program that encourages more students to
bicycle and walk to school, teaches the rules of the road, and considers operations and
enforcement strategies to assist children in arriving to school safely. Each of the four
campuses would receive a full school year of walk and bike to school programs that can
be easily implemented, evaluated, and replicated from year to year. The final
curriculum and encouragement materials would be a transferrable program that may be
used at other schools and locations. The Project is intended to enhance safety through
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education, training and encouragement and does not involve the construction of
infrastructure improvements.
Consultant Selection
On March 15, 2012, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued to select a consultant to
complete the work. Responses to the RFP were reviewed by a selection panel of staff
from the Planning and Community Development Department, Police Department,
Community and Cultural Services, and the Santa Monica - Malibu Unified School District.
Submitted materials were evaluated based on the following selection criteria:
• Project Approach and Understanding
• Project Manager and Team Experience
• Qualifications and Past Work Experience
• Staffing Capacity & Quality
• Past Performance and References
• Capacity to perform the contract on- schedule and within budget
Pursuant to Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual, which must be used due to
the grant funding source, cost proposals were not a factor in the selection process.
However, the City required cost proposals to be submitted and confirmed that the
proposed contract is within the amount budgeted for this project.
A total of four firms responded to the RFP which was advertised on the City's online
bidding system. The selection panel unanimously recommends Alta Planning + Design
(Alta) as the Best Bidder.
Alta Planning & Design (Alta) is a California corporation, with an emphasis in
transportation planning and design. They were the lead consultant for the Safe Routes
to School Program in Santa Clarita, California which is an educational and
encouragement program for elementary school students. Furthermore, Alta is currently
P
leading the process to develop a School and Youth Outreach Program for the San
Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
Next Steps
Following execution of the agreement with Alta, the consultant would begin developing
an integrated curriculum for bicycle and pedestrian education to be implemented during
the 2012/13 school year.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The contract to be awarded to Alta is for $328,000. This project is funded by a
$197,000 Federal Safe Routes to School grant (C207042.589200 — FY 2011/12
$150,000 and FY 2012/13 $47,000), an $85,000 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
grant (20415.544480 — FY 2012/13), and $46,000 local Proposition C funding
(20415.544242 — FY 2011/12).
Award of an $85,000 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant from Metro requires
the following FY 2012/13 budget changes:
1. Establish revenue account 20415.408350 in the amount of $85,000
2. Appropriate operating expenditures in the amount of $85,000 at account
20415.544480 to reflect receipt of the Metro grant.
Prepared by: Peter Dzewaltowski, Transportation Planning Associate
Approved:
David Martin, Director
Planning and Community Development
Forwarded to Council:
~Rod uld
City Manager
El
Reference Contract No.
9603 (CCS).