REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL March 5, 2020 FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director Public Works Department THROUGH: RANDALL W. MORRISON, PE, Assistant Director Public Works Department, Engineering Division BY: JOHN STANBOULIAN, Public Works Manager Public Works Department, Traffic Operations Center SUBJECT ..Title Actions pertaining to Blackstone Avenue-Friant Road Corridor Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Adaptive Project (from McKinley to Shepherd Avenues) - Bid File No. 3712 (Council Districts 2, 4, 6 and 7) 1. Adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption per staff's determination, pursuant to Section 15301(c) Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines (CEQA) 2. Award a construction contract in the amount of $1,776,613 to Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian of Fresno, CA, as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder for the Blackstone Avenue-Friant Road Corridor ITS Adaptive Project (from McKinley to Shepherd Avenues) ..Body RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a finding of Categorical Exemption per staff determination, pursuant to Section 15301(c) Class 1 of the CEQA Guidelines, award a construction contract with Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian, of Fresno, CA, in the amount of $1,776,613 as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, and authorize the Public Works Director or Designee to sign a standardized contract on behalf of the City. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Blackstone-Friant corridor is the one of the most traveled and congested corridors in Fresno, connecting shopping centers, businesses, parks, and hospitals to SR41 and downtown Fresno. It is also the key bus route for FAX's Bus Rapid Transit Q-Line. This ITS adaptive project includes the installation of ITS infrastructure, technology components, and updated vehicle detection that will prepare the Blackstone-Friant corridor for the deployment of state-of-the-art real-time adaptive traffic synchronization. Separate from this contract, but as part of the overall Blackstone Avenue-Friant Road Corridor ITS Adaptive Project, staff will be bringing to Council a contract for the purchase of the traffic signal adaptive modules. This system will bring Blackstone-Friant corridor to the same level of adaptive, real-time traffic synchronization as the Shaw Avenue and Herndon Avenue corridors, improving Blackstone-Friant corridor operations by up to 20%, while reducing energy consumption and vehicle emissions. This project is funded by a Federal grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program and Proposition 111 Gas Tax as the local match. BACKGROUND The Blackstone Avenue-Friant Road Corridor ITS Adaptive project from McKinley to Shepherd Avenues was initiated in FY17 when the City was awarded a Federal grant from the CMAQ Improvement Program. The project was designed by Public Works staff after the project was budgeted in the adopted FY18 Capital Budget and the funds were obligated. The preliminary engineering design took approximately 20 months to complete. The Blackstone Avenue-Friant Road Corridor ITS Adaptive project construction contract includes the installation of ITS infrastructure, including conduits, conductors/cables, pull boxes, termination of fiber optic cables, communication cabinets, service cabinets, traffic signal cabinets, networking equipment, cameras, signal loop detectors, as well as the upgrade of affected concrete curb ramps. The project will provide the corridor with the necessary ITS infrastructure improvements for the deployment of an adaptive traffic synchronization system. Staff prepared a Notice Inviting Bids, which was then published in the Fresno Business Journal on December 18, 2019, posted on the City's website, and faxed to ten building exchanges. Project plans and specifications were distributed to 48 prospective bidders. Three sealed bid proposals were received and opened in a public bid opening on January 21, 2020; bids ranged from $1,776,613 to $2,846,415. Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian, of Fresno, CA, with their bid of $1,776,613, was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The expiration date of the bids is March 25, 2020. If the bids are rejected or expire, the project must be rebid which will result in a delay of approximately 60 days. The City Attorney's Office has reviewed and approved as to form the proposed Standardized Construction Contract. Staff recommends that Council award a construction contract to Audeamus Inc., dba Sebastian of Fresno, California, in the amount of $1,776,613 to construct the Blackstone Avenue-Friant Road Corridor ITS Adaptive project from McKinley to Shepherd Avenues as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, and to authorize the Public Works Director or designee to sign and execute the contract on behalf of the City of Fresno. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS Staff has performed a preliminary environmental assessment of this project and has determined that it falls within the Categorical Exemption set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) Class 1 (existing facilities) which exempts projects involving a negligible or no expansion of an existing facility. This exemption applies because this project involves improving efficiency of an existing roadway through coordinating the operation of existing traffic signals to reduce congestion without expansion of the roadway. The project will install conductor cables in existing conduits; will install communication equipment in existing cabinets; will install wiring in existing signal cabinets, and will install signal loop detectors on existing pavement as required. Staff determined under the CEQA Guidelines this project fits within the definition of existing facilities in Section 15301(c) Class 1, as Categorically Exempt from further CEQA review. Furthermore, Staff has determined that none of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2 apply to this project. LOCAL PREFERENCE The local preference was not implemented based on conditions of the Federal CMAQ grant. FISCAL IMPACT The project will have no impact to the General Fund. The Blackstone Avenue-Friant Road Corridor ITS Adaptive project from McKinley to Shepherd Avenues is located in Council Districts 2, 4, 6 and 7. The overall cost of the project is $2,668,000 and is funded by Federal grant from the CMAQ Improvement Program and Proposition 111 Gas Tax as the local match. Of the overall budget of the project, $1,776,613 will be used for the construction contract award. Attachments: Bid Evaluation Fiscal Impact Statement CEQA Notice of Exception Vicinity Map Standardized Contract