February 1, 2005

SUBJECT:       Award of Request for Proposals to Provide Engineering and Landscape Design Services for Improvements at the Sunnyvale Transit Center in Downtown Sunnyvale (F0412-27), Authorization for the City Manager to Execute Required Grant Agreements and Budget Modification No. 22

REPORT IN BRIEF

Approval is requested for the award of a contract in the amount of $201,633 to DKS Associates of Oakland to provide engineering and landscape design services for transit enhancement improvements at the Sunnyvale Transit Center located on Frances Street between Capella Way/Town and Country Way and Evelyn Avenue.  Approval is also requested to authorize a design service contingency in an amount not to exceed $30,000 if approved in advance by the Director of Public Works.  Funds are available in the Frances Street Transit Corridor Project (Project No. PR-04/01/05).  This project includes improvements to the existing VTA bus stop, such as bus shelters, lighting, streetscaping, improved pedestrian connections to adjacent land uses and bus driver facilities.  The bus driver facility may include a private restroom for drivers. The incorporation of a public restroom will be assessed during this design process.   

The Frances Street Transit Corridor project currently has a total budget of $758,700 appropriated for FY 2004/2005, funded by a $429,000 Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA) grant, a $178,000 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant, and City matching funds of $151,700 from the Regional Traffic Mitigation Reserve.  Staff has recently obtained more detailed, up-to-date cost estimates which show that the total project budget should be increased to $1,301,611.  Staff has secured $236,002 in additional FTA grant funding to support the increased cost.  Authorization is requested for the City Manager to execute required agreements for this grant.  Acceptance of this grant requires a local matching fund contribution of 20% towards the total project cost.  To fully fund the project at the current estimated total cost, and meet the 20% local matching funds requirement, an additional $306,909 in City funds is required. 

Staff recommends Council approval of Budget Modification No. 22 to accept the $236,002 in additional FTA grant funds, appropriate the grant to the project and appropriate an additional $306,909 in City Regional Traffic Mitigation funds to the Frances Street Transit Corridor project. This Budget Modification would increase the total project budget to $1,301,611.

BACKGROUND

The City of Sunnyvale has approved major new developments in the downtown area near the project site and has completed an Urban Design Plan for further downtown redevelopment. A central feature of the redeveloping downtown is the core transit facilities in the vicinity of Evelyn Avenue and Frances Street.  The City, in partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain), recently completed “Phases I and II” of the “Sunnyvale Multimodal Station”, which provided new parking facilities and passenger amenities for Caltrain patrons.

As part of the conceptual design effort for the Sunnyvale Multimodal Station, improvement concepts were developed for the existing VTA major bus stop on Frances Street as “Phase III” of the Sunnyvale Multimodal Station. The City has subsequently secured funding from the FTA, the BAAQMD, and City funds for the design and construction of Phase III improvements, to be referenced as the Frances Street Transit Corridor.

DISCUSSION

The Frances Street Transit Corridor project will feature enhanced paving and  lighting and other streetscape elements in and connecting to the bus loading area; improved landscaping; specialized bus shelters; customized transit information kiosks; and a bus driver’s facility.  Bus improvement elements including the driver’s facility are required elements as part of the Federal Transit Administration funding that is being passed through to the City by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA).  The private bus drivers facility will be maintained by the VTA, and may include a private restroom.  In observance of the issue of public restrooms in the downtown area, staff will examine the feasibility and cost of incorporating a public restroom into the driver facility.  It should be noted that there is limited space for public restrooms, and that operating costs would be incurred by the City to operate a public restroom.  These issues will be addressed in the design process for the project for final City Council approval when the construction contract is awarded.  

Project Cost

The Frances Street Transit Corridor project has a total budget of $758,700 appropriated for FY 2004/2005, funded by a $429,000 TFCA grant, a $178,000 FTA grant, and City matching funds of $151,700 from the Regional Traffic Mitigation Reserve.  Staff has recently obtained more detailed, up-to-date cost estimates which show that project costs should be increased to $1,301,611.  Staff has secured $236,002 in additional Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant funding to support the increased cost.  Authorization is requested for the City Manager to execute required agreements for this grant.  Acceptance of this grant requires a local matching fund contribution of 20% towards the total project cost.  To fully fund the project at the current estimated total cost, and meet the 20% local matching funds requirement, an additional $306,909 in City funds is required. 

The original project cost estimates were sketch-level estimates done in the late 1990’s as an adjunct to the Multimodal Station planning, and were not based on a detailed examination of civil construction requirement of the project.  Staff obtained up-to-date, detailed cost estimates as part of the design services procurement process which indicated that the project cost should be increased to $1.3 million.

Award of Contract

In August 2004, a Request for Proposals was directly distributed to fifteen engineering firms in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Proposals were received from DKS Associates of Oakland and BKF Engineers of Redwood City. 

Proposals were evaluated, based upon the following criteria:

·         Related project experience;

·         Ability and capacity to provide the work;

·         Grasp of project requirements;

·         Method to be used to fulfill the required services; and

·         Experience and methods used for budgeting and financial controls and progress reporting.

An evaluation team, consisting of staff representing various City departments and the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), reviewed proposal packages and conducted oral interviews with the two proposers.  The team determined that DKS Associates was the most qualified of the two proposers based generally on an overall greater demonstrated competency, and specifically on superior related project experience, abilities of the project team, and grasp of the project requirements.  Subsequently, negotiations resulted in the scope of services outlined in the attached Consultant Services Agreement at a cost of $201,633. 

The consultants and City staff will initiate a community outreach process to inform and seek input regarding the design of the Frances Street Transit Corridor. This will include the Downtown Association, general public and relevant Boards and Commissions. Tentatively, it is anticipated that the community outreach process will take place in March, 2005.

FISCAL IMPACT

Award of Contract