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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/20/2013 - STAFF REPORTS - 5B Q?ALMS'. Z C? u m y d C4�lF00%kv, City Council Staff Report Date: February 20, 2013 NEW BUSINESS Subject: APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH ALBERT GROVER & ASSOCATES (AGA) FOR TWO WAY OPERATION FEASIBILITY STUDIES FOR PALM CANYON DRIVE, INDIAN CANYON DRIVE & ANDREAS ROAD. From: David H. Ready, City Manager Initiated by: Public Works and Engineering Department SUMMARY City Council directed staff to revisit the two way conversion feasibility for Indian Canyon Drive and Palm Canyon Drive and asked that Andreas Road between Palm Canyon Drive and Indian Canyon Drive be added to the feasibility study. Staff solicited a proposal from AGA, the firm who completed the previous two way conversion study. RECOMMENDATION: 1) Approve an agreement with Albert Grover and Associates in an amount not to exceed $105,000, for two-way operation feasibility studies for Palm Canyon Drive, Indian Canyon Drive and Andreas Road pursuant to Councils' authorization under section 7.04.030 of the Municipal Code (Procurement Ordinance), "Special Expertise Procurement'; 2) Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement; 3) Adopt Resolution No. _, " A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012-13 TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR TWO-WAY TRAFFIC STUDY." STAFF ANALYSIS: Pursuant to direction from Council, staff solicited a proposal from AGA for a feasibility study to study the conversion from one way operation to two way operations on Palm Canyon Drive, Indian Canyon Drive and Andreas Road. Their proposal will make L / Ado d1 i0vv) �ATef l� 1 lL{cw�. S.T3 /�v/�3 City Council Staff Report February 20, 2013 - Page 2 Approval of Professional Services Agreement with Albert Grover&Associates (AGA), for two-way study maximum use of the previous study AGA did in order to minimize costs to the City. They are uniquely qualified for this particular work due to their previous experience with the City on past studies on these streets.They divided their scope into 3 components assessing each individual roadway and evaluating the operational impact on the other two roadways. The proposal listed fees on an individual study basis as follows: Andreas Road: $25,000 Indian Canyon Dr: $35,000 Palm Canyon Dr: Phase 1 $25,000 Phase 2 $35,000 If all three roadways are chosen to be studied the fee would not exceed $105,000. Results are proposed for presentation to the City within 4 months of their receipt of a Notice to Proceed. FISCAL IMPACT: To fund the study, Council would need to approve the attached Resolution to appropriate funds from Fund Balance to account no. 001-4171-43200. SUBMITTED: Prepared by: 9L David J. Barakian Director of Public Works/City Engineer Approved by: David H. Ready, CitiM ager Attachments: 1. Resolution 2. Proposal RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012-13 FOR TWO-WAY OPERATION FEASIBILITY STUDIES FOR PALM CANYON DRIVE, INDIAN CANYON DRIVE, AND ANDREAS ROAD. WHEREAS, Resolution No. 23146 approving the Budget for the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 was adopted on June 6, 2012; and WHEREAS the City Manager has recommended, and the City Council desires to approve, certain amendments to said budget. NOW THEREFORE THE CITY COUNCIL DETERMINES, RESOLVES AND APPROVES AS FOLLOWS: that the Director of Finance is authorized to record inter- fund cash transfers as required in accordance with this Resolution, and Resolution No. 23146, adopting the Budget for Fiscal Year 2012-13 is hereby amended as follows: SECTION 1. ADDITIONS Fund Activity Account Amount General Fund 4171 — Engineering 43200 — Contractual $105,000 Services Purpose: To fund the Council requested two-way operation feasibility studies for Palm Canyon Drive, Indian Canyon Drive, and Andreas Road. SECTION 2. Fund Activity Account Amount General Fund Fund Balance $105,000 ADOPTED THIS DAY OF , 2013. David H. Ready, City Manager Resolution No. Page 2 ATTEST: James Thompson, City Clerk CERTIFICATION STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss. CITY OF PALM SPRINGS ) I, JAMES THOMPSON, City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, hereby certify that Resolution No. is a full, true and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs on by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: James Thompson, City Clerk City of Palm Springs, California ALBERT GROVER & ASSOCIATES January 10, 2013 Mr. Dave Barakian Public Works Director/City Engineer City of Palm Springs 3200 East Tahquitz Canyon Way Palm Springs, California 92263-2743 RE: Palm Canyon Drive/Indian Canyon Drive/Andreas Road Two-Way Operation Feasibility Studies Dear Mr. Barakian: Albert Grover & Associates (AGA) is pleased to present to you this letter proposal to conduct a traffic engineering study to assess the feasibility of converting Palm Canyon Drive, Indian Canyon Drive, and Andreas Road from one-way operation to two-way operation in the Downtown Palm Springs area. We understand that this study has been requested by the City Council, and that this request has been triggered (in part) by the forthcoming redevelopment of the Palm Springs Promenade (previously"Desert Fashion Plaza"). This proposal is based upon our meeting with you earlier this month; the previous similar feasibility study and follow-up development of engineering plans that AGA provided to the City several years ago; the many Palm Springs area traffic engineering projects conducted by AGA for both developers and the City; and our overall familiarity with traffic operations and conditions not only in the Downtown area, but throughout the City. Our overall project approach in assessing the feasibility of converting these three roadways from one-way to two-way operation is to make maximum use of the previous study we conducted in order to minimize overall cost to the City. Pursuant to your direction, we have divided our scope of services (and resultant fee estimate) into three individual components — one discussing Palm Canyon Drive, one discussing Indian Canyon Drive, and one discussing Andreas Road. While operational modifications to any one of these roadways would have an operational impact on the other two roadways, our general approach is to assess each potential conversion individually but identify modifications to overall infrastructure necessitated by such conversion. The first step in developing the feasibility analysis is to conduct a kick-off meeting with you and other relevant City staff. At this meeting, we will gather available background TRANSPORTATION CONSULTING ENGINEERS 211 E.Imperial Hwy.,Stme 208,Rdlerlea,CA 92835 (714)992.2990 FAX(714)992.2W E-Mail: ap@albmVwermm Mr. Dave Barakian January 10, 2013 Page 2 information such as Average Daily Traffic (ADT) data, peak hour intersection Turning Movement Counts (TMCs), existing traffic signal/striping/timing plans, etc., for the approximately 30 intersections that would be impacted by conversion of Palm Canyon Drive and/or Indian Canyon Drive. It is also very important that we get copies of the most current Palms Springs Promenade redevelopment plans, particularly relative to proposed access and circulation, and the street improvement plans for the proposed extension of Andreas Road westerly to the proposed extension of Belardo Road northerly from Tahquitz Canyon Way. While the feasibility of these proposed extensions is not a part of our analysis, the extensions will have an impact on circulation and, as such, must be considered in our evaluations. Indian Canyon Drive Based upon a recent review of our "Indian Canyon Drive Two-Way Traffic Study-June 1998", we feel that much of the work conducted in the preparation of that study does not need to be repeated,but simply updated to reflect any conditions that have changed in the past fifteen years. With several notable exceptions, the relatively minor amount of development/redevelopment that has occurred along Indian Canyon Drive since 1998 means that much of the "groundwork" previously conducted by AGA is still valid. Two major changes in the area since our 1998 study are the addition of the Downtown Parking structure (-300 spaces) and the conversion of one block of Indian Canyon Drive (between Granvia Valmonte and Alejo Road) from one-way to two-way operation. Parking access will be a key part of our proposed study. As before, our evaluation will consider various stripingloperational alternatives for the conversion, with the overall goal of providing maximum accessibility to businesses along Indian Canyon Drive while minimizing cost of conversion to the City. We will determine both short and long-term Level of Service (LOS) for both the intersections and the street as a whole; identify mitigations"necessary to achieve acceptable LOS; and develop order of magnitude cost estimates for the selected alternative conversion scheme. Given the sensitivity of business owners to parking restrictions adjacent to their businesses, any such mitigations will be carefully considered. As with all three of the roadways to be studied, a "stand alone" report discussing all of the above will be presented to City staff for their review, and AGA will be present at the City Council meeting when staff presents the report/study conclusions. Palm Canyon Drive Conducting the feasibility analysis for Palm Canyon Drive will require a more significant effort, as our previous study considered only the conversion of Indian Canyon Drive. Because Palm Canyon Drive has only three through lanes (versus four through lanes for Indian Canyon Drive), and given the number of businesses located along Palm Canyon Drive that all desire convenient parking, conversion of Palm Canyon Drive to two-way Mr. Dave Barakian January 10, 2013 Page 3 operation could be extremely problematical. As with the Indian Canyon scope of work, we will develop operational alternatives to evaluate; determine short and long-term LOS for both the intersections and the street as a whole; identify required mitigations; and develop cost estimates for the preferred alternative. Providing convenient parking will once again be a critical factor in the selection of alternatives to be evaluated, and in the selection of a recommended alternative. It is anticipated that the development of cost estimates for conversion will be a more complex and time-consuming task for Palm Canyon Drive than for Indian Canyon Drive, given the anticipated extent of infrastructure modification. Given the extent of effort required to fully evaluate the potential conversion of Palm Canyon Drive to two-way operation, we suggest that this evaluation be conducted in two phases. The first phase would evaluate the feasibility from a traffic operational perspective, including development of a SIM Traffic simulation model displaying traffic flow, queuing, etc., during peak hour traffic flow conditions. If it is determined that conversion is feasible from an operational perspective, we would then move on to a second phase wherein we determine all modifications required and the cost of those modifications. Andreas Road Determining the feasibility of converting Andreas Road to two-way operation presents additional challenges. While this component of the study basically looks at only one block (between Palm Canyon Drive and Indian Canyon Drive) of existing roadway, we also must consider the proposed extension of Andreas Road to the west to join the extension of Belardo Road and the impacts on circulation. Additionally, addressing the offset intersection of Indian Canyon Drive/Andreas Road, and the potential removal of diagonal on-street parking along this block, are two key factors of this feasibility analysis. We feel that instead of simply developing conceptual striping layouts for this block as a work product, it would be beneficial to develop an overall Conceptual Improvement Plan. Similar to the plan that we developed for "The Springs" shopping center at the intersection of Ramon Road and Gene Autry Trail (attached), this plan will show (in color) existing and proposed right-of-way, curbs, sidewalks, signal poles, striping, signing, etc. This Conceptual Improvement Plan will be an important vehicle in presenting the Andreas Road study results to the City Council. Schedule and Fee We are prepared to begin work immediately on this important project. If all three components are conducted, we can present our initial results to you for your consideration within three to four months of receipt of notice to proceed and acquisition Mr. Dave Barakian January 10, 2013 Page 4 of all required traffic count data. If only one or two components are studied, the time requirement would be less. Per your request, we are providing individual Fee Estimates for each component, i.e., each of the three separate roadways. On a stand-alone basis, each component includes (at a minimum) a kick-off meeting, one progress meeting, alternatives evaluation, LOS determination, a written report, and attendance at one City Council meeting. On an individual basis, proposed fees are as follow: • Indian Canyon Drive Conversion Feasibility Analysis $35,000 • Palm Canyon Drive Conversion Feasibility Analysis o Phase 1 $25,000 o Phase 2 $35,000 • Andreas Road Conversion Feasibility Analysis $25,000 If all three roadways are studied, and considering economies of scale, the overall cost would range from$70,000 to$105,000, depending on the level of effort expended on the Palm Canyon Drive component of the study. All of the above-stated costs assume that current traffic and count data(both ADTs and TMCs)are available from the City. If additional data needs to be collected, an additional fee will be required. Please contact me if you have any questions or wish to discuss this further. We look forward to working with you on this important project. Respectfully submitted, ALBERT GROVERR&& ASSOCIATES Rob Kuehn Director of Project Development r pw� SprmgsN QA--Wiau cm-�Sn yBns iau Poo Lv.tlocx For the record --- Palm Springs City Council Meeting, February 20, 2013. My name is Donald Prell. Palm Springs is my year-round home. The city council is about to approve spending up to $100,000 of taxpayers funds on a useless traffic study. The driving force for considering changing the traffic pattern in downtown Palm Springs is demographics. Over the next twenty years the population of the city of Palm Springs will increase by only about 20 percent, from the present 48,000 to 57,000, while the balance of population in the Coachella Valley will triple from about 320,000 to over 1,000,000. As a percent of the total population of the valley, Palm Springs will drop from being 13 percent to being only 5 percent. For the past twenty years the major retailers and financial institutions have been moving down valley to where the population growth is taking place. It is also obvious that the Internet and the information age have been having a profound effect on the retail industry. Financial institutions have been closing branch offices, not opening them. Online purchasing via computers is increasing, resulting in the closing of many camera, book, clothing, and other types of stores. Downtown Palm Spring is no longer a destination shopping area, but a place for tourists to do insignificant impulse buying and for the restaurant industry to thrive. There is enough vacant office space in Palm Springs to last another thirty years. Not only is the ill-conceived Fashion Plaza being torn down, but in the future, thousands of square feet of other buildings in and near the downtown area will also be razed to the ground. Indian Canyon Drive will not support retail stores. It will remain little more than the pathway north out of Palm Springs. One way traffic on Palm Canyon Drive serves the need of both the merchants and visitors to our village. The slow lanes on the far right and left allow very slow traffic to find parking and to view what is being offered on either side of the street. Somewhat faster traffic is able to move in the center lanes without being unduly retarded. Should Palm Canyon Drive be two-way, it would have a negative effect on retail and restaurants by not allowing peripheral traffic to move slowly along the downtown area. Please accept this Traffic Study at no cost to the city. Leave the traffic flow as it now exists. 0 - G - w 0 S.B. APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH ALBERT GROVER AND ASSOCIATES FOR TWO-WAY OPERATION FEASIBILITY STUDIES FOR PALM CANYON DRIVE, INDIAN CANYON DRIVE, AND ANDRES ROAD: RECOMMENDATION: 1) Approve an agreement with Albert Grover and Associates in an amount not-to-exceed $105,000, for two-way operation feasibility studies for Palm Canyon Drive, Indian Canyon Drive, and Andres Road; 2) Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement; and 3) Adopt Resolution No. , "A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012-13 TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR TWO-WAY TRAFFIC STUDY." MATERIALS TO FOLLOW Item No. 5 . B o 5.13. APPROVE AN AGREEMENT WITH ALBERT GROVER AND ASSOCIATES FOR TWO-WAY OPERATION FEASIBILITY STUDIES FOR PALM CANYON DRIVE, INDIAN CANYON DRIVE, AND ANDREAS ROAD: RECOMMENDATION. 1) Approve an agreement with Albert Grover and Associates in an amount not-to-exceed $105,000, for two-way operation feasibility studies for Palm Canyon Drive, Indian Canyon Drive, and Andreas Road; 2) Authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement; and 3) Adopt Resolution No. , "A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012-13 TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR TWO-WAY TRAFFIC STUDY." A Materials to Follow Item No. 5 . 6 .