04 Staff Report.Smart Signal Field Improvements
PREPARED BY: WooJae Kim
Town Engineer
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, Finance Director, and Parks and
Public Works Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 406-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 1/19/2021 ITEM NO: 4
DATE: January 4, 2021
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Smart Signals Field Improvements (CIP No. 813-0227 Traffic Signal
Modernization):
a. Approve the Plans and Specifications;
b. Authorize Advertising the Project for Bid;
c. Authorize the Town Manager to Award and Execute a Construction
Agreement in an Amount Not to Exceed $750,000, Including
Contingencies and Change Orders; and
d. Authorize Staff to Execute Future Change Orders in an Amount not to
Exceed Ten Percent of the Contract Award Amount.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Town Council authorize the following actions for the Smart Signals
Field Improvements as part of the Traffic Signal Modernization Project (CIP No. 813-0227):
a. Approve the Plans and Specifications;
b. Authorize advertising the project for bid;
c. Authorize the Town Manager to award and execute a construction agreement in an amount
not to exceed $750,000, including contingencies and change orders; and
d. Authorize staff to execute future change orders in an amount not to exceed ten percent
(10%) of the contract award amount.
BACKGROUND:
Town staff began the Traffic Signal Modernization Project in 2018, also referred to as the Smart
Signals Project, which would upgrade the Town owned and operated traffic signals (31 in total)
and enhance the signal systems with state-of-the-art adaptive technologies. The project is
PAGE 2 OF 4 SUBJECT: Smart Signals Field Improvements (CIP No. 813-0227 Traffic Signal Modernization) DATE: January 4, 2021
BACKGROUND (continued):
funded by the Town’s Traffic Mitigation Fee program and grants from the Santa Clara Valley
Transportation Authority (VTA) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC),
including the Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials (IDEA) grant, for a total project
budget of approximately $2.9 million.
At the December 17, 2019 meeting, the Town Council authorized the Town Manager to
proceed with a multi-step procurement process for various components of the project.
Subsequently, staff issued two Requests for Proposals (RFPs), one for Adaptive Signal Control
and Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATCS-ATMS) and the other for the design of the
Smart Signals Field Improvements. At the May 19, 2020 meeting, Council awarded the design
contract for the field improvements to Iteris, Inc. The ATCS-ATMS vendor contract was
awarded to Econolite Systems at the June 2, 2020 Town Council meeting.
Field improvements are necessary to upgrade the Town’s traffic signals infrastructure and
network connectivity to accommodate an adaptive system, which would allow monitoring and
control of its operations and performance from a centralized location referred to as the Traffic
Management Center (TMC). As part of the Smart Signals Field Improvements, the Town’s TMC
will be located within the Parks and Public Works Engineering Building at 41 Miles Avenue.
DISCUSSION:
The Plans and Specifications for the Smart Signals Field Improvements are now completed and
ready for bid. The field improvements would improve the Town traffic signals infrastructure
and network connectivity required to operate an adaptive systems technology to better
coordinate signals along the arterials, reduce signalized intersection delays, and achieve higher
overall performance. The scope of work for the proposed construction project will:
1. Furnish and install fiber optics cable and equipment to connect Town traffic signals to a
high-speed communications network;
2. Provide cellular wireless connectivity for three (3) signaled intersections not connected
to the fiber optics or copper signal interconnect network;
3. Enable the ATCS-ATMS to collect data, provide adaptive/responsive coordination to
handle complex travel flow patterns, and allow centralized signal operations and
monitoring from the Town’s TMC in real-time;
4. Furnish and install new video detection systems at Blossom Hill Road and Cherry
Blossom Lane and at Blossom Hill Road and Camellia Terrace intersections; and
5. Upgrade ten (10) pedestrian crossing signal heads along Los Gatos Boulevard to
countdown display types.
The Plans and Specifications for the project can be viewed on the Town website at
http://www.losgatosca.gov/108/Capital-ImprovementProgram.
PAGE 3 OF 4 SUBJECT: Smart Signals Field Improvements (CIP No. 813-0227 Traffic Signal Modernization) DATE: January 4, 2021
DISCUSSION (continued):
The engineer’s estimate for this project is $750,000, including a 10% construction contingency,
which is within the project budget. There are sufficient funds available for this project through
the Town’s adopted Fiscal Year (FY) 2020/21 – 2024/25 Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
Budget. Field improvements is on the critical path of the Traffic Signal Modernization Projects
and will be funded by non-federal project funds.
Once authorized by the Town Council to advertise for bid, the following is the anticipated
schedule for the project:
Milestones Anticipated Timeline
Advertise the Project for Bid January 22, 2021
Bids Due February 18, 2021
Award and Execute Agreement March 2021
Start Construction April 2021
Anticipated Completion November 2021
Complete ATCS-ATMS Integration Early 2022
CONCLUSION:
Approval of the recommendations will allow this project to move forward with the
procurement and award process to start the field improvements component of the Traffic
Signal Modernization.
COORDINATION:
This report was coordinated with the Town Attorney and the Finance Department.
PAGE 4 OF 4 SUBJECT: Smart Signals Field Improvements (CIP No. 813-0227 Traffic Signal Modernization) DATE: January 4, 2021
FISCAL IMPACT:
Traffic Signal Modernization (CIP No. 813-0227) in the FY 2020/21 – 2024/25 CIP Budget has
sufficient funds for the contract.
Traffic Signal Modernization
Project 813-0227
Budget Costs
Grant Fund $1,826,400
Traffic Mitigation $1,103,289
Total Project Budget $2,929,689
Proposed Field Construction $750,000
ATCS-ATMS Vendor (Econolite) $581,649
Project Management (W- Trans) $200,000
Design of Field Elements (Iteris) $135,390
Staff Costs $129,280
Misc. Prior Year Expenditures $76,523
Project Costs Committed $1,936,817
Available Balance $992,872
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
Alterations to existing roadway facilitates are defined under CEQA Section 15301(c) as
Categorically Exempt. A Notice of Exemption is to be filed.