Title
Department of Transportation recommending the Board:
1) Find that it is appropriate to contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for consulting services to prepare a Local Roadway Safety Plan in accordance with County Ordinance Code Chapter 3.13, Section 3.13.030(C), Contracting Out because the ongoing aggregate of the work is not sufficient to warrant the addition of permanent staff due to the limited time frame, temporary nature, and limited scope of the work; and
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign an agreement for consulting services with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. in the amount of $107,810.10 for a two (2) year term.
FUNDING: State Local Roadway Safety Plan Funds (48%), Local Road Fund (52%).
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Federal regulations require each State has a Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). An SHSP is a statewide data-driven traffic safety plan that coordinates the efforts of a wide range of organizations to reduce traffic accident fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. In coordination with federal, state, local, and private sector safety stakeholders, the SHSP establishes goals, objectives, and emphasis (or challenge) areas. Caltrans has an SHSP in place but is now requiring all Local Agencies that wish to pursue future Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds (of which DOT receives several million dollars each year) to have a Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) in place before they can apply for additional HSIP funds. A County-wide LRSP does not currently exist.
The County has received a grant to prepare a Countywide LRSP. The LRSP is a data-driven traffic safety plan that coordinates the efforts of a wide range of organizations within the community to reduce traffic accidents, especially fatalities and serious injury accidents, on all public roads.
The process of preparing an LRSP creates a framework to systematically identify and analyze safety problems and recommend safety improvements. Preparing an LRSP facilitates the development of local agency partnerships and collaboration, resulting in a prioritized list of improvements and actions that can demonstrate a defined need and contribute to the statewide plan. The LRSP offers a proactive approach to addressing safety needs and demonstrates agency responsiveness to safety challenges. An LRSP provides a framework for organizing stakeholders to identify, analyze, and prioritize roadway safety improvements on local and rural roads. The LRSP will need to address local protocols, needs, and issues, as well as address the 4 E's of traffic safety: Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Services. The final report produced will assist in prioritizing future safety improvements throughout the County. Safety improvements will address the needs of all road users, including disabled persons, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The LRSP will prioritize proven safety counter-measures at high accident sites throughout the County. The LRSP will be used to help determine future Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), Active Transportation Program (ATP), and other grant opportunities.
A website will be launched very early in the process of the development of the LRSP that will allow the public to submit comments regarding safety issues on County roads early enough such that those comments may be included in the LRSP. This will be publicized through Supervisor newsletters, social media accounts run by the County's Director of Communications, a press release in the Mountain Democrat, and other methods. The website will ask for contact information from anyone who wishes to submit a comment so that those who comment through the website can be kept in the loop as the draft LRSP is prepared and sent to the BOS for review, discussion, and approval.
The LRSP is required for the Department of Transportation (Transportation) to submit the next round of HSIP grants, which is expected to occur in late Summer 2022. The selected consultant will analyze the most recent 5 years of accident data throughout the County and, in coordination with local emergency personnel and safety partners, will determine the roadway corridors and intersections with the highest accident rates, and provide cost-effective, proven safety solutions. Due to this tight timeline, Transportation determined that it is more feasible for a consultant who works closely with Caltrans on these plans to complete the work and build a framework that County staff can use in subsequent years to update the plan.
Transportation completed a Request for Proposal (RFP) for this service. After evaluating the submittals to RFP #22-918-016, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. was selected as the consultant to prepare the LRSP.
Transportation recommends the Board make findings in accordance with El Dorado County Ordinance Code, Section 3.13.030 (C), that due to the limited time frame and temporary nature of the work, the ongoing aggregate of work to be performed is not sufficient to warrant the addition of permanent staff.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board may elect not to approve the consulting agreement for LRSP. However, Transportation would not have the staff capacity to complete the LRSP and would not be able to apply for HSIP grants.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
CAO Procurement and Contracts, County Counsel, and Risk Management
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost as a result of this item. 48% of the Agreement will be funded by a state grant, with the remainder being paid by the Road Fund. Transportation anticipates completing 65% of the project in the current fiscal year and the remaining 35% in Fiscal Year 2022-23. The current year's budget has savings that will cover the Road Fund portion of the costs and the remaining costs will be included in the Fiscal 2022-23 budget.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair's signature on two (2) original agreements for the consultant.
2) The Clerk of the Board will return one (1) original agreement to Chief Administrative Office, Procurement and Contracts for further processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Infrastructure
CONTACT
Rafael Martinez, Director
Department of Transportation