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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Approval of a Professional Services Agreement with Nelson\Nygaard Engineering, Inc. for Planning, Design, Public Outreach, and Data Analysis Services in Support of the Downtown, Sepulveda, and Jefferson Corridors of the MOVE Culver City Project in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $1,285,032.07; and (2) Authorization to the City Manager to Approve Amendments to the Agreement for Contingency Costs of 20% Not-to-Exceed $257,006.41.
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Meeting Date: December 11, 2023
Contact Person/Dept: Diana Chang/Transportation Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6566
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (12/05/2023)
Department Approval: Diana Chang, Chief Transportation Officer (11/29/2023)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve a professional services agreement with Nelson\Nygaard Engineering, Inc. (Nelson\Nygaard) for planning, design, public outreach, and data analysis services in support of the Downtown, Sepulveda, and Jefferson Corridors of the MOVE Culver City Project in an amount not-to-exceed $1,285,032.07; and (2) authorize the City Manager to approve amendments to the agreement for contingency costs of 20% not-to-exceed $257,006.41.
BACKGROUND
On May 18, 2020, the City Council directed the Transportation Department to capitalize on reduced traffic as a result of the pandemic by transforming space on the street and installing dedicated bus lanes to improve mobility throughout the City. Subsequently, staff conducted preliminary planning work and returned to the Council on July 13, 2020, with a recommendation to implement mobility lanes on three major arterial corridors (Culver Blvd./Washington Blvd., Sepulveda Blvd., and Jefferson Blvd.) to bring positive and impactful changes to mobility throughout the City. The City Council directed staff to implement a bus and bike lane pilot using the quick-build model. Quick-build projects use low-cost, temporary materials that allow cities to test and implement changes to roadway design in advance of making more costly, permanent improvements.
The main goal of the MOVE Culver City Pilot Project (MCC Project, also referred to as the MOVE Culver City- Tactical Mobility Lane Pilot Project) is to improve the infrastructure and services for the alternative modes and to offer the community equitable, convenient, and sustainable mobility options (walking, riding, and taking transit). This goal aligns with the City’s draft General Plan 2045, Short Range Mobility Plan, City Council’s Strategic Plan, and the Transit-Oriented Development Visioning Report in developing an integrated multi- modal transportation system to provide transportation options and access to all residents and visitors and leveraging mass transit and other alternative modes to accommodate the growth of and maintain the long-term vitality of the Culver City community. The MCC Project strives to prioritize efficient, safe, and sustainable modes of travel while minimizing the impact to vehicular traffic.
Project design took place from October 22, 2020, to January 1, 2021. On November 20, 2021, the MCC Project opened to the public following a six-week construction period. After minor adjustments based on public feedback, the Project’s yearlong pilot data collection period began in January 2022.
On April 24, 2023, the City Council received a presentation from staff on the results of the Downtown Corridor pilot. Following the presentation, the Council directed staff to prepare a modified design for the MCC Project for a maximum evaluation period of two years. Staff also indicated that they intended to begin early planning work on the Sepulveda Blvd. Corridor in Fiscal Year 2024.
DISCUSSION
On September 14, 2023, the City released a Request for Proposals for a consultant to assist with planning, design, public outreach, and data analysis services for the MOVE Culver City project. The consultant will assist with project management, implementation, public engagement, data collection, and evaluation for all three MOVE Culver City corridors. The consultant will additionally support the City with conceptual and final design services for the Sepulveda and Jefferson Corridors. As part of the design development process, the Project team will work with the community to create design options that are sensitive to the context of the Sepulveda and Jefferson corridors and will return to the City Council for direction. Multiple design options will be provided, which may not include the removal of general-purpose travel lanes. The scope of work does not include any construction work; it also does not include the design work associated with the overall modification of the Downtown corridor.
The work will be structured into two phases as described below:
• The first phase consists of work for the Downtown and Sepulveda Corridors and is built into the base contract scope.
• The second phase consists of work for the Jefferson Corridor and is a contract option. Staff will return to Council in a future annual budget cycle to seek funding for this work.
A non-mandatory preproposal meeting was held on September 20, 2023, with representatives from eleven (11) firms attending. Responses to all questions received were posted to PlanetBids on September 27, 2023. A total of two proposals were received on October 19, 2023. The proposers are listed below in alphabetical order:
1. Nelson\Nygaard Engineering, Inc.
2. RTI Consulting, Inc.
A proposal evaluation team, consisting of staff from City’s Transportation Department and Public Works Department, conducted a comprehensive technical evaluation of the proposals received. The proposals were evaluated based on the criteria below:
• Qualifications and Experience (40%)
• Questions/Responses to Scope of Services (35%)
• Total Proposed Costs (25%)
After careful evaluation of the proposals and preliminary screening based on qualifications and experience, the City determined that the proposal submitted by RTI Consulting was not responsive to the Request for Proposals and eliminated it from consideration. Nelson\Nygaard was selected as a finalist, and the proposal evaluation team conducted an interview on November 2, 2023.
Nelson\Nygaard has extensive experience in the design and evaluation of quick-build active transportation and transit projects. Nelson\Nygaard will be supported by Michael Baker International, an engineering firm with a long history of effective project delivery in Southern California, and Arellano Associates, a local firm specializing in community engagement. The consultant team demonstrated a strong understanding of the goals and challenges of the project, and proposed a context-sensitive approach to design and public engagement that is built on decades of experience in implementing multimodal projects that seek to create a balanced transportation system.
Nelson\Nygaard has implemented quick-build transit and active transportation projects in Seattle, Portland, Honolulu, and Vancouver. They have significant experience in supporting public agencies with data collection and project evaluation and are committed as a firm to continuous improvement based on lessons learned from past projects. They are adept at facilitating design processes that bring stakeholders together to deliver projects that meet the needs of their communities. The proposed project manager has 25 years of experience in multimodal planning and street design. He has led more than a dozen major bus and bike lane projects and is an experienced facilitator with the ability to lead the complex discussions of tradeoffs needed to effectively deliver large capital projects.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the professional services agreement with Nelson\Nygaard for consultant services for planning, design, public outreach, and data analysis services in support of MOVE Culver City and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and approve the final terms of the agreement.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The contract with Nelson\Nygaard would be for $1,285,032.07 plus 20% contingency of $257,006.41. The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 includes sufficient funding for the contract in CIPs PS017 (Tactical Mobility Lane) and PB007 (Tactical Mobility Lane).
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Approve a professional services agreement with Nelson\Nygaard Engineering, Inc. for planning, design, public outreach, and data analysis services in support of the Downtown, Sepulveda, and Jefferson Corridors of the MOVE Culver City Project in an amount not-to-exceed $1,285,032.07;
2. Authorize the City Manager to approve amendments to the agreement for contingency costs of 20% not-to-exceed $257,006.41;
3. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
4. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City,