December 21, 2004

SUBJECT:      Award of Contract to Provide Engineering Design and Support Services for the Construction of Two Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridges over Highways US 101 and SR 237 along the Borregas Avenue Corridor (F0412-22)

REPORT IN BRIEF

Approval is requested for the award of a contract to T.Y. Lin International to provide engineering design and construction support services for the Borregas Avenue Bicycle Corridor Project for the Department of Public Works Engineering Division (Project No. TR-00/08-03).  This project consists of the construction of two bicycle/pedestrian bridges over Highways US 101 and SR 237 along the Borregas Avenue corridor.  

BACKGROUND

Completion of the Borregas Avenue Bicycle Corridor project will provide safer and more convenient bicycle and pedestrian access between central Sunnyvale (residential areas and Caltrain) and north Sunnyvale (major employment area and light rail) along the north-south Borregas corridor. Currently, Routes 101 and 237 constitute a major east-west barrier along the corridor. The requested over-crossings will eliminate approximately two miles of detours which currently exist for bicyclists and pedestrians who wish to cross over the freeways. The project will also improve access to the Bay Trail, other recreational facilities in Baylands Park and the VTA Light Rail.

The closest parallel routes that cross the freeways (Mathilda and Fair Oaks Avenues) have high traffic volumes and speeds, side friction from driveways, parked vehicles and intersecting roadways and no bike lanes.  Borregas offers a safer alternative due to its low traffic volumes and medium-low density land uses within the project limits. 

Plans to connect the residential areas of the city on the south with the business and recreational uses in the north of the city have been under consideration for a number of years.  In September 1998, the City completed a feasibility study of the construction of two new bicycle/pedestrian bridges over Routes 101 and 237 in a Borregas Avenue alignment. The study concluded that the project was feasible, and cost estimates for the project were developed. In accepting the study, the City Council directed staff to continue planning for these bridges. 

In July 2001, Council awarded a contract for the initiation of project planning and preliminary engineering. The City completed advanced planning studies and an alternatives analysis in order to gain necessary permits and approvals from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans),

DISCUSSION

In August 2004, a Request for Proposals was issued, seeking proposals from qualified engineering firms to design pedestrian/bicycle bridges over Highways US 101 and SR 237, to prepare construction documents and to provide construction phase services.  Proposals were received from the following six firms:

·         T.Y. Lin International of San Jose

·         Biggs Cardosa Associates, Inc., of San Jose

·         Parsons Brinckerhoff of San Francisco

·         Creegan + D'Angelo of San Jose

·         W. Koo & Associates, Inc., of San Jose

·         Mark Thomas & Company, Inc., of San Jose

An evaluation team consisting of City staff, a representative from the VTA, and a representative from Caltrans reviewed and evaluated all proposals, based upon the following criteria:

·         Depth of proposer's knowledge of Caltrans requirements for similar projects.

·         Demonstrated ability to deliver projects of similar type on time and within budget.

·         Depth of the team's experience and its relevance to this type of project; specifically, structural (bridge) and traffic engineering and construction staging and traffic control on a major operating freeway.

·         Understanding of the project and the scope of services required.

·         References from projects similar in size and scope.

·         Demonstrated ability to work with neighborhood and bicycle groups.

In addition, oral interviews were conducted with four firms who were determined to be the most qualified to perform the project.  Proposal costs for these four firms ranged from $730,213 to $1,033,216.

As the result of this evaluation process, the evaluation team determined that the proposal from T. Y. Lin International offered the best value to the City.  T.Y. Lin International is a general transportation engineering services firm specializing in the design of bridges and other transportation structures. They have designed more than thirty bicycle/pedestrian bridges in California and have extensive experience coordinating with Caltrans. The firm also has the organizational structure to complete the project on an aggressive schedule in order to meet funding requirements. T. Y. Lin International demonstrated a clear understanding of the project in their written proposal package as well as during oral interviews with staff, and the firm's proposal cost is mid-range among the four firms deemed most qualified to perform the required services.

 FISCAL IMPACT

Total costs of the requested contract are as follows:

The total estimated cost to complete the design and construction of the Borregas Avenue Bicycle Corridor Project is $6.5 million.  The total amount already expended for project planning activities in prior years is $180,754; and $4.9 million is currently appropriated in the adopted FY 2004/2005 Budget, funded by VTA Bicycle Expenditure Program grants and traffic mitigation monies.

To fully fund construction, an additional $1.4 million has been proposed in the FY 2005/2006 Budget, to be funded by $914,000 in VTA Bicycle Expenditure Program grants and $492,000 in traffic mitigation funds.  The FY 2005/2006 Budget will be presented to City Council for approval as part of the FY 2005/2006 budget adoption process in June 2005.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that Council award a contract to T. Y. Lin International, in substantially the same form as the attached draft and in an amount not to exceed $1,084,256 to provide engineering design and construction support services for the Borregas Avenue Bicycle Corridor Project.

Prepared by:

Elaine Wesely

Purchasing Officer

Reviewed by:

Mary J. Bradley

Director, Finance

Reviewed by:

Marvin Rose

Director, Public Works

Approved by:

Amy Chan

City Manager

Attachments

Draft Consultant Services Agreement(PDF)