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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 6g - Award Construction Contract for the Grand Avenue Sign & Striping Modiciations, Specifications 2000615-01 Item 6g Department: Public Works Cost Center: 9501 For Agenda of: 10/21/2025 Placement: Consent Estimated Time: N/A FROM: Aaron Floyd, Interim Public Works Director Prepared By: Luke Schwartz, Transportation Manager SUBJECT: AWARD A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE GRAND AVENUE SIGN & STRIPING MODIFICATIONS, SPECIFICATION NUMBER 2000615-01 RECOMMENDATION 1. Authorize the City Manager to award a construction contract to Toste Construction, Inc. in the amount of $228,890.00 for the Grand Ave Sign and Striping Modifications project, Specification Number 2000615-01, using remaining funds in the 2024 Roadway Sealing project account (2000615); and 2. Approve the plans (Attachment A) and specifications (Attachment B) for the Grand Avenue Sign and Striping Modifications Project, Specification Number 2000615 -01; and 3. Authorize the City Engineer to approve Contract Change Orders not to exceed a total construction contract value of $275,000, using remaining funds in the 2024 Roadway Sealing project account (2000615). POLICY CONTEXT On May 17, 2022, Council approved a Purchasing Policy Update to the Financial Management Manual that required Council approval for Public Projects that cost over $200,000. Implementation of the project aligns with the City’s Draft Vision Zero Action Plan, and Traffic Safety Report, which recommend improvements such as modifications to the Grand Avenue/Loomis intersection and measures to reduce vehicle speeds along Grand Avenue. Additionally, the project supports the City’s Major Goals of Climate Action, Open Space, and Sustainable Transportation by improving safety and access to sustainable transportation modes. DISCUSSION As part of the 2024 Roadway Sealing Project, a pilot complete street project was installed on Grand Avenue, with the purpose of reducing excessive vehicle speeds, improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and enhancing safety for all road users. The pilot project, Page 139 of 415 Item 6g which was completed in March of 2025, included a “road diet”1, new and enhanced pedestrian crossings, buffered and protected bike lanes, and turn restrictions at the Grand Avenue/Loomis Street/US 101 Southbound Ramps intersection to address collision trends. These improvements were installed using lower-cost, temporary materials to allow for further monitoring before implementing permanent improvements in the future when Grand Avenue is scheduled for repaving (planned for summer 2027). While preliminary monitoring and community feedback indicate that some of the intended benefits of the pilot complete street project have been observed in terms of high-end vehicle speed reductions and increased comfort for pedestrians and bicyclists, Public Works staff is recommending some refinements to current design elements now rather than waiting for the permanent roadway improvements in future years. These refinements, described herein as the Grand Avenue Sign and Striping Modifications (Project), include the following: 1. Northbound Grand Avenue Restriping – Restripe northbound Grand Avenue between McCollum and Slack Street to begin the transition from one -to-two northbound travel lanes several blocks further upstream of the Cal Poly entrance. While the current road diet configuration operates acceptably for the vast majority of the day, increased vehicle queues have been observed in the northbound direction for the 15-minute peak period of the morning weekday commute into Cal Poly, specifically during the early weeks of each quarter. The proposed restriping will add additional vehicle queuing capacity to reduce spillbacks during the morning commute and special events, minimizing potential for traffic to spill back to the US 101 ramps. See Figure 1 below for modified road diet limits. 2. Additional Flex Posts – Additional flex posts will be installed in areas where illegal or unsafe vehicle maneuvers have been observed, such as at the Grand & Loomis intersection, where some drivers are making illegal left turns. Flex posts fronting the SLO Classical Academy will also be shifted to provide more width for vehicles to queue on Grand Avenue during afternoon school pick-up times without illegally blocking the bike lane or adjacent vehicle lane. 3. Measures to Improve Visibility and Safety at Grand Avenue & US 101 Southbound On-Ramp – Observations of traffic conditions on southbound Grand Avenue approaching the US 101 Southbound On-Ramp indicate that further measures are needed to reduce vehicle speeds and potential conflicts between turning vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. The Project includes (a) addition of a radar speed feedback sign on southbound Grand, (b) addition of a “TURNING VEHICLES YIELD TO BIKES/PEDS” warning sign with flashing beacon at the on -ramp, and 1 A road diet typically involves the narrowing or removal of vehicle lanes on a multilane roadway where traffic volumes can be accommodated with fewer traffic lanes. Road diets are identified by FHWA as a proven safety countermeasure that reduce crashes by 19%-47% on average. The pilot road diet on Grand Avenue reduced the roadway from five lanes to three lanes from just north of Monterey Street to just south of Slack Street. Page 140 of 415 Item 6g (c) revisions to pavement markings to increase visibility and clarity of the road configuration for vehicles entering the on-ramp. Figure 1: Revised Grand Avenue Road Diet Limits Project Plans are provided as Attachment A, and Project Specifications are provided as Attachment B. The striping modifications on Grand Avenue were originally included as a bid alternative in the Roadway Sealing 2024 project, which was completed in March 2025. As part of the project, Grand Avenue was reduced from two lanes in each direction to one lane in order to improve multi-modal transportation and safety for all road users. Following completion, staff received feedback from representatives of San Luis Obispo Classical Academy, local residents, and Cal Poly expressing concerns with the new striping configuration, specifically regarding vehicle queuing on northbound Grand Avenue during the peak morning commute and during large events at Cal Poly. In response, staff monitored the intersection and observed traffic congestion and vehicle queues extended back to Loomis Street and nearing the US 101 ramps during the peak 15 minutes of the morning commute. Initial engineer’s estimates, based on recent construction bid costs, indicated that total Project costs were anticipated to remain under $200,000, which is within the threshold that can be approved at the City Manager level per Section 203 of the City’s Purchasing Policy. Staff advertised the Project in late spring 2025 with the goal of completing improvements during the Cal Poly summer break. A bid opening was held on June 24, 2025, at which only one bid was received. The bid amount significantly exceeded the engineer’s estimate of $130,000, as shown in the table below. Upon revie w, staff determined that the sole bidder, Sterndahl Enterprises, failed to submit the original copy of their Bidder’s Bond, rendering the bid non-responsive and leading to its rejection. Staff subsequently re-advertised the Project, extending the advertisement period to encourage broader participation and more competitive bids. Page 141 of 415 Item 6g Table 1: Bid results for the bid opening held on June 24th,2025 The project was re-advertised, and a second bid opening was held on August 21, 2025. Two bids were received; however, both exceeded the Engineer’s Estimate. Table 2: Bid results for the bid opening held on August 21,2025 Staff recommends awarding the construction contract to Toste Construction, Inc., who was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder following a review of the bid forms for compliance with the project requirements. Previous Council or Advisory Body Action The Grand Avenue pilot complete street improvements were originally approved by City Council on May 21, 2025 as part of the 2024 Roadway Sealing project, which was also presented to the City Active Transportation Committee (ATC) for concurrence . The ATC did not object to the proposed modifications, but did e xpress interest in exploring further intersection improvements at the Grand/ Ave/Slack Street intersection in the future, such as a traffic signal or roundabout, which may reducing queuing and allow for potentially restoring the full northbound lane reductions at a later date. An update on the proposed sign and striping modifications was provided by staff to City Council via email on February 26, 2025, and these proposed changes were presented to the Active Transportation Committee (ATC) at their March 20, 2025 meeting. Public Engagement Grand Avenue pilot complete street improvements were originally included in the 2023– 2025 Financial Plan as part of th e Roadway Sealing 2024 project, which was supported by an extensive public outreach effort. This effort included presentations and regular coordination with Cal Poly, a public workshop at the City/County Library, multiple presentations to the ATC, community workshops, and the development of a dedicated project website. Direct mailers were also sent to residences and schools along Grand Avenue. Since completion of the pilot project installation, staff has engaged with representatives of Cal Poly, Teach Elementary and SLO Classical Academy, SLO Garbage, and collected input from various community members. A few minor modifications were already implemented based on this input, such as removing/shifting flex posts at select locations. The most prominent areas of feedback that led to the current sign and striping design recommendations were (a) concerns about northbound queueing on Grand Ave during the AM peak commute period, and (b) lingering concerns regarding high speeds on southbound Grand and turning conflict s at the US 101 Southbound On- Engineer’s Estimate Sterndahl Enterprises LLC $130,000 $225,972 Engineer’s Estimate Toste Construction, Inc Sterndahl Enterprises LLC $130,000 $228,890 $244,972 Page 142 of 415 Item 6g Ramp. A more robust “after study” data collection and public outreach effort will be conducted later in 2026 to help guide permanent design recommendations for Grand Avenue as part of the planned 2027 Paving Project. CONCURRENCE This Project has been reviewed and has concurrence from the City Public Works Department, Finance Department, City Attorney’s Office, and City Administration. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Project qualifies for an Exemption to the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301 (Existing Facilities) because the Project consists of the repair and maintenance of existing roadways, and minimally disruptive surface improvements within an existing built urban environment (pavement markings sign posts, etc.) in which there is negligible or no expansion of use. A Notice of Exemption will be filed through the Community Development Department . FISCAL IMPACT Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2025-26 Funding Identified: Yes Fiscal Analysis: The total estimated cost for the Project is $275,000, which includes $228,890 for the base construction contract plus construction contingencies. The project will be funded from the 2024 Roadway Sealing project account (2000615), which has a current balance of $451,525, comprised of Local Revenue Measure and SB1 Road Repair funds. If approved, after the reallocation, there will be $176,525 remaining in the Roadway Sealing 2024 account. Funding Sources Total Budget Available Current Funding Request Remaining Balance Capital Outlay Fund Local Revenue Measure - Roadway Sealing 2024 $430,625 $254,100 $176,525 (2000615) SB1 Road Repair Fund- Roadway Sealing 2024 (2000615) $20,900 $20,900 $0 Total $451,525 $275,000 $176,525 Page 143 of 415 Item 6g Fiscal Impact Summary Grand Ave Sign and Striping Modifications, Specification No. 2000615-01 Grand Ave Sign and Striping Modifications (2000615-01) Grand Ave Sign and Striping Modifications (2000615-01) Project Totals Funding Source Capital Outlay Fund - LRM SB1 Fund Fund # 401 211 Bid Total: $207,990 $20,900 $228,890 Contingencies (20%) $45,110 $0 $45,110 Total for Construction $249,588 $20,900 $270,488 Public Relations $0 $0 $0 Materials Testing: $500 $0 $500 Printing: $500 $0 $500 Total Project Cost $254,100 $20,900 $275,000 Capital Outlay (LRM) - 2000615-01 $254,100 $254,100 SB1 Funds - 2000615- 01 $20,900 $20,900 Total Project Budget (2000615-01): $254,100 $20,900 $275,000 Any additional unspent funds after project completion will be transferred to the Street Reconstruction and Resurfacing account for further implementation of the Pavement Management Plan or to the completed projects account. ALTERNATIVES Deny approval to award the Construction Contract. City Council could choose to deny the award of the construction contract to Toste Construction, Inc. This alternative would delay the implementation of planned improvements along Grand Avenue, which are intended to enhance safety and mobility for both drivers and bicyclists. Page 144 of 415 ITEM 6g -AWARD A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR THE GRAND AVENUE SIGN & STRIPING MODIFICATIONS, SPECIFICATION NUMBER 2000615-01 Key Questions on the Grand Avenue Sign & Striping Project 1.Northbound Queuing at Grand Ave/Slack St 2.Pilot vs. Permanent Design 3.Costs Higher Than Anticipated 4.Grand/Loomis/US 101 SB On-Ramp Intersection Design Grand/Slack Intersection Northbound Queuing 10/21/25 at 7:55 am Grand/Loomis/US 101 SB On-Ramp Intersection Westbound View Current Configuration Proposed Configuration Grand/Loomis/US 101 SB On-Ramp Intersection Southbound View Current Configuration Proposed Configuration