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(1) Discussion of Consultant Selection for the Preparation of a Visioning Study for the Culver City Transit Oriented Development (TOD) District; and (2) Direction to City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: December 5, 2016
Contact Person/Dept: Sol Blumenfeld
Phone Number: (310) 253-5700
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (11/28/16);
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (11/28/16)
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RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council:
(1) Receive presentations of proposals from three planning consultant firms for the preparation of a Visioning Study for the Culver City Transit Oriented Development (TOD) District;
(2) Receive public comments regarding the presentations; and
(3) Provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND:
On September 12, 2016, the City Council reviewed a final draft Request for Proposals (RFP), and directed staff to issue the RFP to obtain qualified consultant team proposals to conduct a TOD District Visioning Study around the Culver City Expo Station.
The City Council also established a TOD Subcommittee comprised of Council Members Cooper and Small to help vet the proposals and a refine the work scope.
The RFP was focused on:
§ Identifying long term goals for area mobility and development;
§ Building on the successes of the TOD District;
§ Identifying local area transportation problems; and
§ Identifying mobility alternatives to address traffic concerns, including separated bike lanes, incentives to use Expo through B-TAP programs, Transportation Demand Management programs for new development, car share and other mobility measures.
DISCUSSION:
On September 19, 2016, City staff issued the RFP and solicited proposals from seven firms with relevant planning and transportation expertise, received seven responses and invited five to an interview on October 27, 2016 with the City Council TOD Subcommittee (Subcommittee), City Manager and Community Development Director. Staff input on the proposal submittals was also requested from the City’s Traffic Engineer, Public Works Director and Transportation Director. The Subcommittee suggested that three firms be recommended for City Council consideration.
TOD Subcommittee
The TOD Subcommittee expressed their interest in improving mobility and, particularly, first and last mile travel solutions around the Culver City Expo station, in addition to improved circulation in and around neighborhoods adjacent to the Expo station. Their concerns were focused on how the area should develop in the future given new technologies and changing preferences for mobility. The Subcommittee also expressed interest in creating a shared sense of desired outcomes in order to reach consensus on an action plan for the area. They felt that development thresholds for the area should be considered with mobility; however, simply discouraging transit oriented development and growth without improving mobility was counter-productive in improving area circulation, both locally and regionally. The Subcommittee felt that growth and careful development are part of the solution, not the problem; and that emerging technologies, particularly related to autonomous vehicles, car sharing and bike sharing also present important new methods to address first and last mile travel needs, which can help inform citywide mobility solutions beyond the TOD District.
Proposal Submittal Requirements
The RFP required proposal submittals that addressed:
1. Firm background and experience;
2. Expertise in Traffic Analyses Relevant to the Visioning Project; and
3. Experience in community outreach to obtain consensus on an action plan.
Each proposal contains a summary of approach, scope of work, list of team members, work schedule, schedule of costs and references from relevant projects.
Summary of Proposals Recommended by Subcommittee
1. Nelson Nygaard / Raimi + Associates / Here Design Studio
Nelson Nygaard is a 123 person full service transportation planning firm specializing in network and neighborhood scale mobility. The firm is part of the architectural firm Perkins + Will and is design-focused on placemaking as well as developing mobility solutions and preparing transit system feasibility studies, paratransit studies, pedestrian and bike plans, parking management, multimodal, and on-demand studies, in addition to traffic analyses. They have assembled a team comprised of Raimi + Associates - a planning firm with relevant experience in planning and TOD studies; and Here Design Studio- a public outreach firm specializing interdisciplinary work.
Nelson Nygaard will lead the Visioning project team, overseeing technical studies and coordinating public outreach which includes workshops, walkshops and “pop-ups” that will be led by Here Design Studio. The team will prepare a “user friendly” report that identifies mobility problems, priorities and multimodal implementation measures, and related capital improvements that can be used to address land use policies, end of trip solutions and transit supportive codes.
The team proposal cites mobility and TOD related experience in the cities of Pomona, Washington DC, Baltimore, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Toronto, Raleigh and Pittsburgh, and indicates project work completed with the Southern California Council of Governments (SCAG), City of Los Angeles Transportation, Culver City Transportation, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) and Metro, among others.
Nelson Nygaard proposes to focus on mobility related to neighborhood scale, first and last mile connections and citywide multimodal network planning to help guide development, and estimates completion of the study in five months at a total cost of $150,051.
2. Gensler / CityFi / Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants / Mobility in Chain (MIC)
Gensler, a global architecture, design and strategic planning firm of over 4,000 professionals, has assembled a team comprised of CityFi - a technology focused, transportation strategist providing research on mobility change; Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants - a transportation engineering consultant providing direction on transportation related solutions; and Mobility in Chain (MIC) - a global transportation strategist.
Gensler will lead the Visioning project team, managing the process and coordinating technical studies, public outreach workshops, walkshops and presentations. MIC, CityFi and Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants will participate in all public outreach and the production of a “briefing book” that mirrors the outreach efforts and contains specific recommended strategies based upon mobility, design, planning, global and technological best practices for traffic control and other measures to address present and future TOD conditions, and land use and capital improvement planning. CityFi will focus on technological applications, including car sharing, detailed data collection and autonomous vehicles that are changing mobility patterns; and MIC will focus on global solutions that are applicable locally.
The team proposal cites mobility and TOD related experience in the cities of Los Angeles; Huntington Beach; Culver City; Guadalajara, Mexico; Boston; and London, and indicates project work completed with City of Los Angeles Transportation and Metro, among others.
Gensler proposes to address mobility and development as an interrelated issue to shape growth and estimates completion of the study in five months at a total cost of $226,758.
3. Johnson Fain / Steer Davies Gleave / KOA Corporation
Johnson Fain is an international, multi-disciplinary, architecture, planning and interior design firm. They have assembled a team comprised of Steer Davies Gleave - an international transportation planning firm with offices in the United States, Europe and Latin America; and KOA Corporation- a local transportation planning and traffic engineering company.
Johnson Fain will lead the Visioning project team, overseeing technical studies and coordinating public outreach, which includes convening a “Project Steering Committee” to guide the project, conducting workshops and interviews with stakeholders, and use of a social media web site tools as an additional service. The team will identify mobility patterns, traffic variables, research case studies, and identify applicable best practices that can be used as a “funding and legal toolbox” to address capital improvements, ordinances, transit supportive codes and General Plan goals and policies.
The team proposal cites mobility and TOD related experience in the cities of Glendale, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Culver City, Long Beach, Houston, Anaheim, Fullerton, Santa Ana, San Antonio, Vancouver and Moscow, and identifies project work completed with the Southern California Council of Governments (SCAG), Orange County Council of Governments, and South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority, among others.
Johnson Fain suggests the City focus on innovative measures beyond the TOD District to create a “Transit Oriented Community” framework over the next 10 years, and that it focus on mobility related to neighborhood scale and use to allow people to drive less and walk, bicycle and take transit more, and estimates completion of the study in five months at a total cost of $368,315
FISCAL IMPACT
The costs to conduct a visioning process are identified in the attached proposals. The final cost depends upon the consultant selected and finalized scope of work.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Proposals from Firms Interviewed
MOTIONS:
That the City Council:
1. Receive presentations of proposals from three planning consultant firms to prepare a TOD District Visioning Study;
2. Receive public comments regarding the proposals; and
3. Provide direction to City Manager as deemed appropriate.