Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Public Transit

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Robert A. Nugent, Public Transit Administrator
CC:	Diane Stoddard, Assistant City Manager Casey Toomay, Assistant City Manager
Date:	July 2, 2014
RE:	Agenda Item - Authorize the City Manager to Amend the Existing Professional Services Agreement with Olsson Associates to hold neighborhood meetings as a means to development traffic mitigation strategies for 21^st Street and the area associated with a possible transit center at 2021 Stewart.

Please include the following item on the City Commission agenda for consideration at the July 22, 2014 meeting:

Authorize the City Manager to Amend the Existing Professional Services Agreement with Olsson Associates to include the Development of Traffic Mitigation Associated with Potential Transit Center Site.

Background

In February 2013 Olsson and Associates were brought under contract to perform a “Transit Center Location Analysis” for the City of Lawrence and Lawrence Transit.  This analysis was designed to be accomplished in three phases and take approximately six months to complete.

On June 25, 2013 Olsson and Associates provided an overview to City Commission on the first two phases of the analysis. Based on the analysis from the first two phases three possible candidate locations were presented to Commission that met the preliminary criteria and merited further analysis.  After considerable discussion City Commission directed staff to focus the remainder of the consultant’s work on one of the three locations, 925 Iowa.

After City Commission took action the University of Kansas approached the City about the possibility of considering additional sites that would provide a greater benefit to those working or attending classes on campus.  Since KU was conducting a master planning process, City staff worked with KU staff and consultants to identify additional locations.  An additional site was identified by both KU and City staff.  This site, owned by KU Endowment, was located at 2021 Stewart Avenue.

The property owners of 925 Iowa were open to discussions about the development of a transit center prior to the City Commission meeting on June 25^th.  Staff has been unsuccessful in their attempts to contact the property owners via telephone and mail since December 10^th.

On December 2, 2013 a neighborhood meeting was held at Fire Station #5 to acquire public feedback on the Stewart Avenue location as a potential site for a transit center. The meeting was well attended by those in the neighborhood.  The neighborhood’s primary concern with a transit center at this location was the amount of through traffic that would be generated by a traffic light at 21^st and Iowa.

In January 2014, the City Commission agreed to an amendment to the Olsson Associates scope of work to include a traffic analysis.  The results of this analysis was made available in March and on April 21, 2014 a second neighborhood meeting was held at Fire Station #5 to provide an update and to present possible traffic mitigation strategies.

The results of this meeting were presented to City Commission on June 3, 2014.

At that time the City Commission directed staff to perform a more detailed analysis of mitigation strategies.  To do this, staff is seeking to amend the existing Olsson Associates scope of work to include the following:

· Prepare materials, facilitate and participate in three neighborhood meetings to discuss traffic calming and enhanced bike facilities on 21^st Street between Naismith Drive and Iowa Street.

· Create meeting summaries, and develop alternatives for the subsequent meeting, based off of discussion at the neighborhood previous meeting. 

· Develop costing for the neighborhood-preferred alternative to present at, or after, the third meeting.  This costing will be summarized in a memo along with participation and content of the three neighborhood meetings.

As presented the additional fee for this change of scope of services would be $23,900.

Staff Recommendation

Since the mitigation strategies are directly related to the contractor’s efforts in the Transit Center Location Analysis Study staff recommends amending the existing Olsson Associates contract to allow additional traffic mitigation work.  Olsson Associates are well qualified to perform these additional elements and will be able to respond relatively quickly since they have been involved in the study.

Project Funding

The original contract for professional services with Olsson Associates is for $39,917.28. The contract was previously amended to include a traffic analysis in the amount of $25,795 making the total contract, to date, of $65,712.28.  This change of scope will cost $23,900 and would be funded by dedicated Transit Sales Tax funds (.05% Transit Equipment).

Action Requested

Staff requests that City Commission authorize the City Manager to execute an amendment to a Professional Services Agreement with Olsson Associates, whereby Olsson Associates will work to develop traffic mitigation strategies associated with potential transit center location at 21^st and Iowa streets.