TO: LINDA REICH, CITY MANAGER
FROM: HYE JIN LEE, PE, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
SUBJECT
title
Award a Professional Services Agreement to Biggs Cardosa Associates for Environmental and Design Services for the Pine Avenue Connector/Bridge Project (ST261) and grant (G7261).
end
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
1) Award a professional services agreement to Biggs Cardosa Associates in the amount of $6,964,986.99 for Environmental and Design Services for the Pine Avenue Connector/Bridge Project (ST261); 2) appropriate $2,086,590.28 from the Citywide Development Impact Fee (Fund 220), establish a new grant project G7261 and appropriate $3,505,806.71 to the Transportation Fund (Fund 320) for utilizing SAFETEA-LU grant funds and appropriate $1,372,590.00 to Measure I Arterial (Fund 328) (backfill from Fund 220) for a total project appropriation amount of $6,964,986.99 and a revised total project budget for Project ST261 and G7261, in the amount of $7,014,986.99; and 3) authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents on behalf of the City.
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FISCAL IMPACT
Pine Avenue Connector/Bridge Project ST261 and G7261 requires a total appropriation of $6,964,986.99 as provided in the table below and recommendation above:
|
ST261 - Pine Avenue Connector/Bridge Project |
|
Funding Sources |
Adopted Budget |
Proposed Appropriations |
Revised Project Budget |
|
|
220 - Bridges/Streets/ Thoroughfares - DIF |
$50,000.00 |
$2,086,590.28 |
$2,136,590.28 |
|
|
320 - Transportation Fund (SAFETEA-LU) G7261 |
|
$3,505,806.71 |
$3,505,806.71 |
|
|
328 - Measure I Arterial Fund - SBCTA Funding |
|
$1,372,590.00 |
$1,372,590.00 |
|
|
TOTALS: |
$50,000.00 |
$6,964,986.99 |
$7,014,986.99 |
|
The project is supported by $3,505,806.71 in SAFETEA-LU Federal Grant Funds. Consistent with federal funding requirements and to maximize the use of federal dollars, staff will prioritize and draw down SAFETEA-LU funds first, submitting reimbursement requests on a continuous basis throughout the course of the project.
Upon full utilization of the available SAFETEA-LU funds, eligible project costs up to $1,372,590.00 will be supplemented with Measure I Capital Projects Needs Analysis (CPNA) funds, and the remainder will be funded by the Bridges/Streets/Thoroughfares DIF in the amount of $2,136,590.28. The DIF Fund will continue to serve as the primary cash-flow mechanism, front-loading project costs as needed.
CITY OF CHINO MISSION / VISION / VALUES / STRATEGIC ISSUES
The recommendation detailed above further the City’s values and strategic issues that serve as key pillars on which identified priorities, goals, and action plans are built, by fostering:
• Positive City Image
• Responsible Long-Range Planning
• Public Service Excellence through Internal and External Partnerships
|
Revenue: 3207100-59500-G7261 |
Expenditure: 3207100-48004-ST261/G7261, 3287103-40004-ST261 |
|
Transfer In: 3201000-50000 |
Transfer Out: 2201000-40001 |
BACKGROUND
The Pine Avenue Connector/Bridge Project (ST261) involves widening Pine Avenue from two to four lanes between Euclid Avenue and El Prado Road. It also includes constructing a new four-lane arterial to extend Pine Avenue from El Prado Road to State Route 71 (SR-71), within the jurisdictions of Chino, Chino Hills, Caltrans, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The extension of Pine Avenue to SR-71 has been a long-standing component of the City of Chino’s General Plan due to its regional significance for mobility and connectivity. Additionally, the Project is included in the Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) database, which lists transportation projects planned for implementation in alignment with regional transportation planning efforts, priorities and air quality standards.
For over a decade, the Project has remained in the preliminary engineering and design phase due to significant regulatory challenges. In October 2024, Public Works staff brought an update to the Infrastructure/Streets Committee to recommend a pivot of project approach due to the following challenges:
• Establishing consensus with Caltrans and City of Chino Hills to tie-in improvements necessary for connecting Pine Avenue east of SR-71.
• The preliminary design proposed a dirt-fill embankment 60 feet high to connect Pine Avenue east of SR-71. The USACE raised concerns regarding the amount of soil import required to elevate the proposed road and the environmental impacts associated with creating a dam structure in a flood prone inundation area.
• Preliminary design conflicts with Southern California Edison (SCE) to accommodate access to their distribution towers for long term maintenance.
• Preliminary design conflicts with Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) to accommodate access to their brine pipeline for long term maintenance.
• Establishing consensus among multiple agencies on an appropriate design speed and posted speed limit necessary for a regionally critical mobility route.
The Committee expressed their support of staff’s recommendation to include an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) with the project to ensure greater opportunities for community input and establish a legally defensible environmental document.
To move the project forward, a new Request for Proposals (RFP) was necessary to procure updated design and environmental services for the Project’s revised scope. Prior to release, City staff extensively collaborated with the City of Chino Hills, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), and Caltrans to develop a bridge concept (instead of a dirt-fill) that aligns with regional planning efforts and agency requirements to minimize environmental impacts and allow for the design to address challenges noted above.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
On June 19, 2025, the City released a Request for Proposals (RFP No. 2025-0016) for “Design and Environmental Services for the Pine Avenue Connector/Bridge Project” via PlanetBids, in accordance with Section 10 of the Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual (LAPM), Section 4526 of the State of California Government Code, and the City’s procurement policies. The City received two proposals by the closing date of July 17, 2025. Per the LAPM, a minimum of three proposals must be received and evaluated, and if only two proposals are received, a justification must be documented to proceed with the procurement. The City has determined that the solicitation did not contain conditions or requirements that arbitrarily limited competition and therefore it is not feasible or practical to re-compete under a new solicitation. A review committee, consisting of City staff, City of Chino Hills staff, and staff from the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) evaluated proposals separately to maintain confidentiality and fairness. The committee then scored these proposals using the following weighted criteria:
• Experience/Qualifications: 25%
• Past Performance/References: 25%
• Plan Methodology/Project Approach: 25%
• Quality and Responsiveness of Proposal: 25%
• Competitive Pricing: 0%
The two firms proposing were invited back for a second round of evaluation consisting of in-person interviews. Following evaluation, Biggs Cardosa Associates received the highest average cumulative score and is recommended for contract award. This selection process is also consistent with the Federal requirements for Qualification Based Selection in anticipation of potential Federal funding for the construction of the project.
Evaluation Results:
|
RANKING |
CONSULTANT |
|
1 |
Biggs Cardosa Associates |
|
2 |
Huitt Zollars |
Upon selection of the most qualified firm, the City requested a Financial Document Review of Biggs Cardosa Associates and their subconsultants with the Caltrans Independent Office of Audits and Investigations upon which the documents were reviewed and accepted. The RFP was advertised with Disadvantage Business Enterprises (DBE) goals in compliance with Chapter 9 of the LAPM. On September 30, 2025, the United States Department of Transportation issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) making significant changes to the DBE program that became effective on October 3, 2025. The IFR temporarily suspends all DBE goal requirements and goal setting will resume once reevaluations of all DBEs under the new criteria are complete. Caltrans subsequently issued an official advisory to all stakeholders directing that any contracts pending award must have their DBE goals removed. Accordingly, the Professional Services Agreement (PSA) pending award with Biggs Cardosa Associates has been modified to remove all references to DBE goals and associated DBE reporting requirements. These modifications have been reviewed and approved by the City Attorney and Biggs Cardosa Associates. Staff requests City Council approval to award a PSA to Biggs Cardosa Associates for the Environmental and Design Services for the Pine Avenue Connector/Bridge Project (ST261) for a not-to-exceed negotiated fee amount of $6,964,986.99.
Attachment: Exhibit A - Project Vicinity Map (ST261)
Exhibit B - Professional Services Agreement (Biggs Cardosa Associates)