Agenda Item Wording:
title
Award Design Contract- Authorize the City Manager to award a professional design services contract to Peters Engineering for the Mill Creek Parkway traffic signal and improvements project, from Lovers Lane to McAuliff Street in the amount of $260,200.
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Agenda Date: 04/06/2026
Prepared by:
Rebecca Keenan, Senior Civil Engineer, Rebecca.Keenan@Visalia.gov, (559)713-4541
Christopher Crawford, City Engineer, Chris.Crawford@Visalia.gov, (559)713-4331
Jason Huckleberry, Engineering & Building Director, Jason Huckleberry@Visalia.gov, (559)713-4495
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to award a professional design services contract to Peters Engineering, Inc. for the Mill Creek Parkway traffic signal & improvements project, from Lovers Lane to McAuliff Street in the amount of $260,200
Summary:
This project includes the collection of traffic data for analysis of the intersection of Mill Creek Parkway & McAuliff Street, and the surrounding local streets. It also includes the preparation of plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) for the construction of a new traffic signal at the intersection; striping modifications along Mill Creek Parkway to convert the street from 2-lanes to 4-lanes; removal & replacement of the existing wooden streetlight system along Mill Creek Parkway with a new City standard system; and installation of a cape seal along Mill Creek Parkway. The project also includes reconstruction of certain ADA ramps, as needed for the new signal, and adjustments along McAuliff Street, as needed per the traffic data analysis. This project is funded by local Measure R funds and State Local Transportation funds. The design is expected to be completed before the end of the year, the construction to start in the spring of 2027, and to be completed before the end of 2027.
Background Discussion:
Caltrans is currently constructing the Lovers Lane Roadway Rehabilitation and Operational Improvements project at State Route 198, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2026. That project will close access connecting East Mineral King Avenue to Lovers Lane to create more storage for traffic at the westbound State Route 198 on/off ramps. Having the increased vehicle storage for the freeway ramps is important because per Caltrans analysis, if this is not provided, the number of vehicles per lane, per mile, will continue to increase, resulting in significant spillage onto the freeway, and a back-up of vehicles onto the freeway.
It is expected that after the Caltrans project is complete, there will be an increase in vehicles accessing northeast Visalia through the McAuliff Street and Mill Creek Parkway corridors. The Mill Creek Parkway project will upgrade the impacted areas to provide operational improvements related to the change in traffic patterns. The consultant will collect traffic data and provide final recommendations for operational improvements based on their analysis. However, staff anticipates that the following minimum improvements will be implemented with this project:
1. New traffic signal at the intersection of Mill Creek Parkway & McAuliff Street;
2. Cape seal along Mill Creek Parkway;
3. Striping & median modifications along Mill Creek Parkway to convert from 2-lanes to 4-lanes;
4. Reconstruction of ADA curb ramps at Mill Creek Parkway & McAuliff Street as needed for the new traffic signal;
5. Remove & replace existing wooden median lights along Mill Creek Parkway between Lovers Lane and McAuliff Street, including wires, conduit, and pull boxes to convert to a City standard lighting system;
6. Establishment of two (2) new SCE meters, one for the new traffic signal, and one for the new streetlight system;
7. Coordination with utility companies and other agencies as needed.
Consultant Selection
On February 22, 2022, City Council awarded the On-Call Engineering Services contract for various traffic signal and intersection improvement projects to firms that were prequalified through RFQ 20-21-55. Those firms include Peters Engineering Group, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., GHD Inc., and JLB Traffic Engineering, Inc. As allowed by the RFQ, staff solicitated a proposal from Peters Engineering, as the next consultant on the list, and found their proposal to be acceptable. See attachment 3, Consultant Scope of Work for their complete scope of work.
Fiscal Impact: The work related to this professional services consultant award is included in the current budget for this project (25/26 fiscal year), and there are no additional allocations requested at this time. This project is currently funded by the Measure R Local Fund 131. The estimated project budget is further summarized below. As shown in the table below, staff is projecting a deficit of $(1,462,900) for the construction phase, however additional funding is being requested as part of the next 2-year Capital Improvement Plan budget cycle.
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Project Budget CP0658 (Measure R Local) |
$1,975,800 |
|
|
|
|
Design |
Cost |
|
Peters Engineering (this award) |
$260,200 |
|
|
Estimated Engineering Support Costs: permitting, project management, and environmental costs |
$136,300 |
|
|
Estimated Design Subtotal: |
$396,500 |
|
Estimated Right of Way & Utility Relocations Subtotal: |
$45,400 |
|
Construction |
|
|
Estimated Construction Cost |
$2,270,300 |
|
|
Estimated Contingency |
$454,000 |
|
|
Estimated Construction Support Costs: staking, construction management, geotechnical, and staff costs |
$272,500 |
|
|
Estimated Construction Subtotal: |
$2,996,800 |
|
|
|
|
Estimated Grand Total |
$3,438,700 |
|
CP0658 Estimated Balance (Deficit) |
$(1,462,900) |
|
|
|
Prior Council Action: None
Alternatives: None recommended
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to award a professional design services contract to Peters Engineering, Inc. for the Mill Creek Parkway traffic signal & improvements project, from Lovers Lane to McAuliff Street in the amount of $260,200.
Environmental Assessment Status: NEPA Environmental Assessment does not apply due to local funding of the project.
CEQA Review: A CEQA Notice of Exemption (NOE) will be prepared by the City of Visalia.
Deadline for Action: N/A
Attachments:
1. Project location map
2. Consultant disclosure form
3. Consultant scope of work
Strategic Goal:
|
☐ Economic Vitality |
☐  Organizational Excellence |
☐ Fiscal Strength |
☒  Infrastructure & Growth |
☒  Quality of Life |