Actions pertaining to the Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Traffic Signal Modification Project, Bid File Number 12700173 at the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Van Ness Boulevard (Council Districts 1 and 7) 1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15301/Class1 and Section 15302/Class2 for the Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Traffic Signal Modification Project 2. Award a Construction Contract in the amount of $1,173,537.00 to American Paving Co. of Fresno, CA

REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: NICHOLAS D. MASCIA, PE, Assistant City Manager Interim Director, Capital Projects Department SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director Public Works Department BY: SCOTT P. SEHM, PE, Assistant Director Capital Projects Department, Design Services Division SAMEN SAMRA, ENGINEER II Capital Projects Department, Design Service Division SUBJECT ..Title Actions pertaining to the Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Traffic Signal Modification Project, Bid File Number 12700173 at the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Van Ness Boulevard (Council Districts 1 and 7) Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15301/Class1 and Section 15302/Class2 for the Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Traffic Signal Modification Project Award a Construction Contract in the amount of $1,173,537.00 to American Paving Co. of Fresno, CA ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends City Council 1) adopts a finding of Categorical Exemption pursuant to Section 15301/Class 1 and Section 15302/Class 2 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; 2) award a Construction Contract in the amount of $1,173,537.00 to American Paving Co. of Fresno, CA, as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Traffic Signal Modification Project, and authorize the Capital Project Director or designee to sign the Construction Contract on behalf of the City of Fresno. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Traffic Signal Modification Project will improve safety and accessibility at a key Central Fresno intersection. The project adds protected leftturn phasing to the traffic signal operation on Clinton Avenue to reduce angle and leftturn collisions, enhances realtime signal monitoring through new ITS communication links, and reconstructs all four curb ramps to meet current ADA standards. The project is fully funded by SB1 RMRA revenues, which supports local road maintenance, rehabilitation, safety enhancements, and traffic control devices. City Council previously identified this intersection as a priority for SB1 investment to enhance safety and mobility for all users. BACKGROUND The Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Traffic Signal Modification Project was initiated in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), when City Council approved the project to receive Senate Bill 1 (SB1) Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) funding for the design phase. All topographic survey, project management, and engineering work was performed in-house by the Capital Projects Department and was completed in approximately two years. In Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), City Council subsequently approved SB1 RMRA funding for the construction phase of the project. No right-of-way acquisition was required for this project. The project consists of safety and accessibility improvements at the intersection of Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue to implement left-turn phasing for the east and west directions of travel along Clinton Avenue. The scope of work includes installation of new traffic signal poles and related equipment at the northwest and south east corners of the intersection and modifications to the existing traffic signal poles at the northeast and southwest corners to implement the left-turn phasing signal operation; upgrade of pedestrian crossing equipment including accessible pedestrian signals (APS) and count-down pedestrian heads; reconstruction of all four curb ramps at the intersection including minor asphalt repairs around the ramps to bring the intersection into compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements; an asphalt grind and overlay within the intersection to address existing roadway damage; placement of slurry seal along both roadways within the limits of the project; new striping including high-visibility crosswalks. Remote traffic signal management and data connectivity for the new traffic signal equipment will be provided wirelessly by adding an antenna to the existing signal at Blackstone Avenue and Clinton Avenue. This antenna will allow the upgraded system to communicate with the City’s Traffic Operations Center without requiring a hardwire infrastructure improvements. Associated work necessary for the project but unrelated to the traffic signal includes relocation of an existing fire hydrant at the southeast return and reconstruction of storm drain inlets at the southwest and southeast returns. Collectively, these improvements are designed to enhance safety for both motorists and pedestrians at this intersection. Staff prepared a Notice Inviting Bids, which was published in the Fresno Business Journal on July 13, 2026, posted on the City's website, and distributed to three building exchanges. Project plans and specifications were provided to 38 prospective bidders. Four sealed bid proposals were received and publicly opened on August 11, 2026, with bids ranging from $1,173,537 to $1,492,700. American Paving Co. of Fresno, California submitted the lowest bid of $1,173,537 and has been determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The submitted bids will expire on October 14, 2026. Should the bids be rejected or allowed to expire, the project would need to be rebid, resulting in an estimated delay of approximately 90 days. Staff recommends that City Council award a Construction Contract to American Paving Co. in the amount of $1,173,537 for the Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Traffic Signal Modification Project and authorize the Capital Projects Director or designee to execute the contract on behalf of the City. This project is funded through SB1 RMRA – commonly referred to as the gasoline tax – a statewide program established to repair and improve roads, freeways, and bridges across California, with a primary focus on roadway maintenance and transportation safety. The Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Traffic Signal Modification Project directly advance these goals by installing protected left-turn phasing to enhance intersection safety. This contract is covered by the Community Workforce Agreement (PLA), adopted by Council in September 2021. The Contractor shall become signatory to the PLA by executing the Agreement To Be Bound. The City Attorney's Office has reviewed and approved the Environmental Assessment and the proposed Standardized Construction Contract as to form. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS Staff performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this project and determined it falls within the Categorical Exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301/Class 1 (Minor alteration to existing facilities), which exempts the repair and maintenance of existing facilities that involves negligible or no expansion of an existing use, and Section 15302/Class 2 (Replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities), which exempts the replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity. The proposed project is consistent with Class 1 and Class 2 exemptions because the project is proposing to make improvements to the existing public right-of-way and increase pedestrian safety through the installation of ADA-compliant curb ramps, advance stop bars, accessible pedestrian signals, and the installation of dedicated left-turn phasing for east and west bound traffic. The proposed improvements are minor, do not constitute any expansion of use, and will improve the public right-of-way without increasing capacity. The proposed project involves negligible expansion of the existing use, will be located on the same site as the existing infrastructure, and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity. Based on staff analysis, it was determined that no adverse environmental impacts would occur as a result of the proposed project and none of the exemptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 apply to this project. Therefore, a categorical exemption, as noted above, has been prepared for the project. LOCAL PREFERENCE The local preference was not implemented, since the lowest bidder meets the local preference criteria. FISCAL IMPACT The Van Ness Boulevard and Clinton Avenue Traffic Signal Modification Project is located in Council Districts 1 and 7. The overall cost of the project is $1,738,970 and is locally funded by SB1 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) funds. Of the overall project budget, $1,173,537 will be allocated for the Construction Contract award. All funds necessary for the contract award are included in this fiscal year approved budget, as previously adopted by the Council. Attachments: CEQA Environmental Assessment #PW01103 Standardized Contract Procurement Evaluation Form Vicinity Map