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City of
Santa Monica°
City Council Report
City Council Meeting: August 14, 2012
Agenda Item: 34—
To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director of Planning and Community Development
Subject: Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway Contract Award
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a professional service
agreement with Melendrez, a California -based company, in an amount not to
exceed $164,000 to provide outreach and design services for the Michigan
Avenue Neighborhood Greenway.
2. Authorize the budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts and Budget
Actions section of this report.
Executive Summary
The City was awarded a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
Environmental Justice grant to provide outreach and design services for the Michigan
Avenue Neighborhood Greenway. In June 2012, staff issued a Request for Proposals to
assist with the project. City staff reviewed and ranked the seven proposals received
based on the advertised selection criteria, and interviews were held with the top three
firms. The team lead by Melendrez, with IBI Group and CARS, is recommended for the
project. The cost of the contract shall not exceed $164,000.
Background
On March 22, 2011, Council authorized staff to apply for an Environmental Justice grant
to provide public outreach and concept design services for the Michigan Avenue
Neighborhood Greenway.
Discussion
The Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway is a backbone bicycle facility of the
network envisioned in the Bike Action Plan, which was adopted by Council on
November 22, 2011. It would be a vital east/west bikeway, linking the beach, Downtown
and Civic Center with the Pico Neighborhood, the Bergamot Station area and the
Exposition Line Bike /Pedestrian Path connecting Santa Monica to the greater Los
E
Angeles region. A key component of the No Net New Trips strategy outlined in the
LUCE, it is envisioned to be a bike route that would be comfortable for cyclists of all
ages and skill levels, as well as a livable street environment for pedestrians and
vehicles. It will generally run along Michigan Avenue with a beach connection on its
west end and various separated bike path or shared use path connections on its east
end. The facility will be a functional circulation link to connect residents and visitors with
many significant community and regional institutions, jobs, and educational facilities.
Consultant Selection
In June 2012, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was advertised on the City's online
bidding site. A total of seven firms responded to the RFP. Responses were reviewed
and ranked by a selection panel of staff from the Planning and Community Development
and the Public Works Departments. Bids were evaluated based on the price, the firm's
experience with community outreach and bicycle and pedestrian facilities, the
innovation demonstrated in the approach, staff quality and project management ability,
and compliance with City specifications. Interviews with the three top- ranked teams
were held in July. Based upon these criteria and the interview process, Melendrez is
recommended as the best firm to provide outreach and design services for the Michigan
Avenue Neighborhood Greenway in accordance with City specifications.
A core component of the Environmental Justice Grant Program is the engagement of
underrepresented communities in transportation planning projects. To this end, the
Melendrez team proposed two community meetings: a walk/bike audit and a festival -like
community event to demonstrate proposed components of the design using mock -ups.
Both events would take place in and along the proposed Michigan Avenue
Neighborhood Greenway to maximize opportunities for resident participation. The
meetings would differ from traditional workshops in that they would be experiential
events that involve on -site discussions and visualizations. The events are designed to
be fun, free and interactive. In addition to their unique approach to community outreach,
the Melendrez team has bicycle and pedestrian planning experience most recently
displayed in the proposed redesign of Figueroa Street in Los Angeles, which will
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introduce a buffered bike lane ( "cycletrack ") and enhanced sidewalks and landscaping
on a busy thoroughfare.
The team also includes IBI Group and CARS as sub consultants. IBI Group will
contribute knowledge of bicycle and pedestrian planning best practices and has worked
with City staff on previous bikeway design projects, including the Bicycle Center Access
Improvements in the Downtown. CARS will primarily be involved in the community
engagement and outreach efforts. CARS has produced the Santa Monica Festival since
1992 and Cicl-Avia since 2010. Based on the innovative approach to community
outreach and strong design experience, the Melendrez team was identified as the
recommended consultant.
Next Steps
If authorized, the consultant would begin field work and outreach to guide concept
design for the Michigan Avenue Neighborhood Greenway. Staff anticipates returning to
Council in spring 2013 with an update.
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Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The project is funded by a Caltrans Environmental Justice grant (account
C207045.589000), a local match from the Agensys Development Agreement for studies
related to implementation of the LUCE Bicycle Network and improvements thereto
(account C047045.589000), and Planning and Community Development operating
funds (operating account 01267.555060). The contract to be awarded Melendrez shall
not exceed $164,000. Award of the contract requires a release of $5,000 in restricted
fund balance from account 4.366575 (Transit Infrastructure LUCE Bike funds), and an
appropriation of $5,000 to account C047045.589000.
The contract would be charged to the following accounts in FY 2012 -13:
C207045.589000 $139,000
C047045.589000 $ 20,000
01267.555060 $ 5,000
TOTAL $164,000
Prepared by: Jason Kligier, AICP, Transportation Planning Associate
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
David Martin Rod Gould
Director, Planning and Community City Manager
Development
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Reference Contract No.
9629 (CCS)