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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Approval of Professional Services Agreement with Alta Planning + Design, Inc. for the Development of the Complete Streets Implementation Procedures and Update to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan in an Amount not to Exceed $565,559; and (2) Authorization to the Public Works Director/City Engineer to Approve Amendments to the Agreement in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $73,441 (13%) for Contingency Costs.
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Meeting Date: March 9, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Thomas Check/Public Works Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-5627
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [ ] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (03/04/2026)
Department Approval: Yanni Demitri, Public Works Director/City Engineer (02/18/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve a professional services agreement with Alta Planning + Design, Inc. for the development of the Complete Streets Implementation Procedures and update to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan in an amount not to exceed $565,559; and (2) authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to approve amendments to the agreement in an amount not-to-exceed $73,441 (13%) for contingency costs.
BACKGROUND
On June 23, 2025, the City Council adopted the first edition of the Complete Streets Design Standards (Standards). The Standards unify the City’s various mobility plans and policies into a consolidated set of public right-of-way design requirements, ensuring that the planning, design, and construction of streets enable safe access for all users, regardless of age or ability. Development of the Standards was funded through a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant that the City Council accepted in August 2021.
The Standards include a brief implementation chapter (Chapter 4), consistent with the scope of work and budget of the 2021 grant. However, during development, it became clear that to effectively implement Complete Streets, the City must holistically reevaluate how it approaches public right-of-way improvement projects across all departments. In addition, the Standards do not prescribe a clear reconciliation process or public-right-of-way dedication requirements in instances when the public right-of-way is constrained, which can make trade-off decisions complicated and implementation difficult.
To ensure the Standards can be implemented in a prescriptive, objective, and consistent manner citywide, the Public Works Department’s Mobility & Traffic Engineering Division submitted a grant application to Caltrans’ Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program to develop Complete Streets Implementation Procedures (Procedures). Caltrans selected this project for funding, and the City Council approved a budget amendment to accept the grant funds at the September 8, 2025, meeting. The City was awarded a $565,707 in grant funds and allocated $73,293 from the Mobility Improvement Fund (Fund 437) for the required local match. Key goals and outcomes of the procedures include:
• Analyze the City’s current approach to implementing roadway and mobility improvement projects.
• Recommending a new approach that makes Complete Streets implementation the guiding principle of every project that affects the roadway, ensuring that virtually every improvement contributes to making the street more “complete.”
• Identifying curb-to-curb and right-of-way widths for all street segments citywide to determine where constraints to Complete Streets implementation exist and identify a reconciliation process that clearly outlines what design elements take priority in these instances, such as preservation of on-street parking or removal of a travel lane.
• Developing public right-of-way dedication requirements. These requirements will provide staff and developers with clear expectations regarding when a dedication will be required as a condition of a development project, allowing developers to plan accordingly and reducing surprises during the entitlement process.
In tandem with developing the Procedures, the project will also update the City’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Action Plan (BPAP) to:
• Account for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure completed since the BPAP’s 2020 adoption.
• Update crash, vehicle volume, and speed data to ensure recommendations are data-driven and align with current best practices for bikeway selection.
• Ensure other recommendations (e.g., protected intersection designs) remain aligned with best practices and standards.
• Provide the Council and public with an opportunity to reassess bicycle and pedestrian needs and priorities.
DISCUSSION
A Request for Proposals (RFP) was posted on PlanetBids on December 23, 2025, inviting qualified firms to submit proposals to assist with the development of the Complete Streets Implementation Procedures and BPAP update. On January 29, 2026, the City’s Purchasing Division opened the bids. A summary of bids received is provided below:
• Alta Planning + Design, Inc. - $565,559
• General Technologies and Solutions, Inc. - $565,240
Staff evaluated each firm’s proposal based on the following criteria as set forth in the RFP:
• Qualifications & Experience, Ability to Meet Project Schedule
• Response to Scope of Services
• Cost
• References & Required Forms
After careful evaluation, staff recommends awarding this project to Alta Planning + Design, Inc. (Alta). Alta has extensive experience in the development of transportation planning plans and policies, including the National Association of City Transportation Official’s (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design Guide, the City’s current edition of the BPAP, and the City’s Complete Streets Design Standards. The project team also includes members who worked directly on the Mobility Element in the City’s General Plan that was adopted in 2024. Further, Alta’s proposal includes partnerships with key subconsultants with specialized experience on unique aspects of this project, namely, the public right-of-way dedication requirements that will serve as a core aspect of the Procedures.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The total budget for this project is $639,000. The Revised Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 includes sufficient funding for the proposed agreement in CIP Project No. PS039 (Caltrans Sustainable Transportation.) Of this amount, $565,559 is funded by the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program (Fund 423) and $73,293 is funded from the Mobility Improvement Fund (Fund 437).
ATTACHMENTS
None.
recommended action
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Approve a professional services agreement with Alta Planning + Design, Inc. for development of the Complete Streets Implementation Procedures and update to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan in an amount not to exceed $565,559;
2. Authorize the Public Works Director/City Engineer to approve amendments to the agreement in an amount not-to-exceed $73,441 (13%) for contingency costs;
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.