Staff Report. Shannon Road Ped and Bikeway
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 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 4/20/2021 ITEM NO: 8
DATE: April 15, 2021
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Authorize a General Fund Appropriated Reserve Budget Transfer of $50,000
from the Guardrail Replacement Project (CIP No. 812-0120) to the Shannon
Road Class 1 Multi-Use Path Project (CIP No. 813-0218) and Approve
Corresponding Revenue and Expenditure Budget Adjustments
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Town Council authorize a General Fund Appropriated Reserve
(GFAR) budget transfer of $50,000 from the Guardrail Replacement Project (CIP No. 812-0120)
to the Shannon Road Class 1 Multi-Use Path Project (CIP No. 813-0218) and approve
corresponding revenue and expenditure budget adjustments.
BACKGROUND:
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)’s One Bay Area Grant program (OBAG)
directs MTC’s federal funds towards transportation solutions that align with regional priorities.
Available grant money is distributed to cities and counties through the Santa Clara Valley
Transportation Authority (VTA). The Vehicle Emissions Reductions Based at Schools (VERBS)
Program, one of the competitive programs, is focused on reducing greenhouse gases by
promoting walking, biking, transit, and carpooling to schools.
In 2018, the Town was awarded $940,100 of federal funds in the VTA’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-
2022 VERBS Grant Program for the Shannon Road Complete Streets project. The original scope
of the project contemplated a ten-foot-wide Class 1 multi-use path on the north side of
Shannon Road between Los Gatos Boulevard and Cherry Blossom Lane. A Class 1 bike path is a
dedicated facility exclusively for bicycles and pedestrians, separate from vehicular travel lanes.
Shannon Road, a hillside collector street, is one of the Safe Routes to School to Blossom Hill
Elementary, RJ Fisher Middle School, Los Gatos High, and Hillbrook School. The length of the
PAGE 2 OF 6 SUBJECT: Authorize a GFAR Budget Transfer of $50,000 from the Guardrail Replacement
Project (CIP No. 812-0120) to the Shannon Road Class 1 Multi-Use Path Project (CIP
No. 813-0218) and Approve Corresponding Revenue and Expenditure Budget
Adjustments DATE: April 15, 2021 BACKGROUND (continued):
project segment is approximately 1,600 feet, and there are over 2,200 feet of sidewalk gaps
along either side of this stretch on Shannon Road.
The total project cost for the design and construction of the Class 1 path was estimated at
$1,189,304. The Town committed $249,204 as a local match (21% of the total project cost)
from GFAR and the Utility Undergrounding Fund, which satisfied the grant minimum local
match requirement of 11.47%.
To streamline the federal-aid process, local match funds would be used to advance the design
phase, while federal funds and associated federal requirements would be applied to the
construction phase only. On November 5, 2019, Council authorized the Town Manager to issue
a Request for Proposals (RFP) and negotiate and execute a consultant services agreement in an
amount not to exceed $200,000 for the project design.
DISCUSSION:
Since November 2019, staff worked to validate and refine the design scope for the Class 1
multi-use path before soliciting proposals from civil engineering consultants. Upon further
assessment of the public right-of-way on Shannon Road and discussions with Pacific Gas and
Electric (PG&E) regarding utility conflicts, it was determined that undergrounding and
relocation of overhead utilities in conflict with the proposed Class 1 multi-use path would vastly
impact the project schedule and feasibility due to rigid federal grant requirements to resolve
land rights issues related to utility work.
In addition, a dedicated ten-foot-wide two-way Class 1 bike and pedestrian path immediately
abutting private properties on the north side of Shannon Road would require addressing
potential conflicts between vehicles and bikes/pedestrians at driveways. Significant
modifications and even removals of private fences and landscaping might be required at
property lines for a clear and safe line of sight at driveways.
A community meeting was held with the Shannon Road neighborhood on November 18, 2020
as part of a separate neighborhood traffic calming project currently underway. The Shannon
Road Class 1 Multi-Use Path project was briefly discussed at the meeting, and residents
expressed more interest in seeing continuous sidewalks and bike paths on both sides of
Shannon Road as opposed to the Class 1 bike and pedestrian path on one side of the street.
PAGE 3 OF 6 SUBJECT: Authorize a GFAR Budget Transfer of $50,000 from the Guardrail Replacement
Project (CIP No. 812-0120) to the Shannon Road Class 1 Multi-Use Path Project (CIP
No. 813-0218) and Approve Corresponding Revenue and Expenditure Budget
Adjustments DATE: April 15, 2021 DISCUSSION (continued):
Staff acknowledges that standard sidewalks with curb and gutter and Class 2 bike lanes would
be a better fit for a hillside collector street like Shannon Road. Staff did consider standard
sidewalks, but the project budget may only be sufficient to install sidewalks on one side of
Shannon Road. One significant benefit of a sidewalk infill project would be that the
aforementioned utility undergrounding scope could be limited or avoided. With the standard
sidewalk installation option, utility conflicts may largely be relocated by PG&E and other utility
companies in coordination with the Town under existing franchise agreements.
Project Scope Updates and Additional Funding Needs
With pedestrian and bikeway improvements on Shannon Road, work is anticipated on private
properties to conform grades and landscaping to the new path or sidewalk, along with other
modifications needed for clear vehicular lines of sight at driveways. For work on private
properties, the Parks and Public Works Department (PPW) would normally secure a short-term
right-of-entry agreement with each of the property owners. For federal-aid projects where
land rights issues are involved, the right-of-way clearance and certification process can be
complex and entail prolonged legal reviews through the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans). The work within private properties on Shannon Road would require
much more complicated title reports, legal plat documents, fair market valuations, and right-of-
entry and maintenance agreements for each property, if federal processes are followed.
Staff recommends bifurcating the work on private properties to be funded through local funds,
separate from public right-of-way improvements to be funded with federal money. This
approach would simplify the project and require additional local funds for the project. Costs
associated with the work within private properties cannot be realized until a topographic
survey and preliminary designs are completed by a consultant. A rough order of magnitude
estimate for the work on private properties is approximately $110,000 to cover construction
activities and part-time staff costs to administer engineering, right-of-entry agreements, and
construction.
To meet the additional local funding needs for the Shannon Road project, staff is
recommending that Council authorize a GFAR budget transfer of $50,000 from the Guardrail
Replacement Project (CIP No. 812-0120), which will be completed by summer 2021 with GFAR
funds available for the transfer.
In addition, up to $60,000 of GFAR budgeted for the Sidewalk Improvements - Multiple
Locations Project (CIP No. 813-0221), as approved in the Town’s adopted Fiscal Year (FY)
PAGE 4 OF 6 SUBJECT: Authorize a GFAR Budget Transfer of $50,000 from the Guardrail Replacement
Project (CIP No. 812-0120) to the Shannon Road Class 1 Multi-Use Path Project (CIP
No. 813-0218) and Approve Corresponding Revenue and Expenditure Budget
Adjustments DATE: April 15, 2021 DISCUSSION (continued):
2020/21-2024/25 Capital Improvement Program Budget, would need to be applied to the work
within private properties along Shannon Road. The FY 2020/21 funding designated for the
Sidewalk Improvements - Multiple Locations Project was intended to be used on Kennedy Road
from Ferris Avenue to Los Gatos Boulevard; Mitchell Avenue from George Street to Fisher
Avenue; or Shannon Road at Los Gatos Boulevard and aligns with the goals of this project.
Design Consultant Selection
From recent staff evaluations and findings, staff has developed a design scope of services for a
consultant to consider a phased approach to sidewalk and bike lane improvements on both
sides of Shannon, while also recommending two other alternate active transportation design
options for consideration. Town staff and the consultant would vet the design options through
a public process involving Shannon Road neighbors to select one concept to develop into a final
design. The designer would also evaluate storm water drainage, traffic calming measures, and
accessibility compliance.
On February 26, 2021, staff issued an RFP to nine firms on PPW’s On-Call Civil Engineering
Consultant List established through a formal Request for Qualifications process in 2019. By the
due date of March 19, staff received proposals from the following six on-call firms:
• ActiveWayz Engineering
• Bellecci and Associates
• Civil Engineering Associates
• CSG Consultants
• MNS Engineers
• Ruggeri-Jensen-Azar
Through the proposal evaluation process outlined in the RFP, staff selected ActiveWayz
Engineering as the best qualified firm for the project to address active transportation design
challenges on Shannon Road. ActiveWayz Engineering proposed investigating creative solutions
and approaches for the Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bikeway Improvements. Their scope and
fees were comprehensive and responsive to all the requirements specified in the RFP. With
prior authorization from Council, the Town Manger will negotiate and execute a consultant
services agreement with ActiveWayz in a contract amount not to exceed $130,000. Attachment
1 is the proposed scope of services from ActiveWayz, and the draft consultant services
agreement is included as Attachment 2.
PAGE 5 OF 6 SUBJECT: Authorize a GFAR Budget Transfer of $50,000 from the Guardrail Replacement
Project (CIP No. 812-0120) to the Shannon Road Class 1 Multi-Use Path Project (CIP
No. 813-0218) and Approve Corresponding Revenue and Expenditure Budget
Adjustments DATE: April 15, 2021 CONCLUSION:
The Town Council’s approval of the budget transfer and adjustments would allow for a
simplified project approach, the part-time staff to assist in the project during the design and
construction phase, and to supplement the federal grant funds in the construction of the
Shannon Road Pedestrian and Bikeway Improvements.
COORDINATION:
This item has been coordinated with the Town Attorney and the Finance Department.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Staff is recommending that Council authorize a GFAR budget transfer of $50,000 from the
Guardrail Replacement Projects (CIP No. 812-0120). Additionally, $60,000 of GFAR budgeted in
the Sidewalk Improvements - Multiple Locations Project (CIP No. 813-0221) would need to be
applied to the Shannon Road project.
Staff costs are tracked for all projects. Tracking of staff costs allows for accountability in the
costs of the project, recovery of costs for grant funded projects, and identification of future
staffing needs. This project will utilize both full-time budgeted and part-time staff. The costs
for full-time staff are accounted for in the Department’s Operating Budget. Only part-time staff
costs incurred will be charged to the project.
PAGE 6 OF 6 SUBJECT: Authorize a GFAR Budget Transfer of $50,000 from the Guardrail Replacement
Project (CIP No. 812-0120) to the Shannon Road Class 1 Multi-Use Path Project (CIP
No. 813-0218) and Approve Corresponding Revenue and Expenditure Budget
Adjustments DATE: April 15, 2021 FISCAL IMPACT (continued):
Shannon Road Class 1 Multi-Use Path
Project 813-0218
Budget Costs
OBAG/VERBS Grant $ 940,100
GFAR (Grant Match) $ 130,000
Utility Undergrounding Fund $ 119,204
GFAR Budget Transfer from CIP No. 812-0120 $ 50,000
GFAR Budget in CIP No. 813-0221 $ 60,000
Total Budget $1,299,304
Design Contract $ 130,000
Part-Time Staff Cost to be Incurred $ 30,000
Construction in the ROW $ 940,100
Conform Work within Private Properties $ 80,000
Utility Undergrounding $ 119,204
Total Expenditures $1,299,304
Remaining Balance $ 0
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
Alterations to existing roadway facilities are defined under CEQA Section 15301(c) as
Categorically Exempt. A Notice of Exemption is to be filed. As required for federal-aid projects,
staff will work with MTC, the project sponsor, to determine the project exemption under the
National Environmental Policy Act.
Attachments:
1. Proposed Scope of Services from ActiveWayz Engineering
2. Draft Consultant Services Agreement with ActiveWayz Engineering