Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
One goal of the Columbus Covenant is to engage and promote strong, distinct and vibrant neighborhoods. The area represented by the Greater Hilltop Area Commission contains an urban street network with that largely serves the needs of vehicular, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit traffic, but which has not been fully integrated to provide safer walking routes, or more walkable streets. West Broad Street is difficult for pedestrians to cross thereby dividing the north and south areas of the Hilltop community. West Broad Street and Sullivant Avenue in the Hilltop area rank among the top ten worst pedestrian/bicycle crash corridors in Columbus.
The Hilltop business community has expressed upon the city their desire for improvements to West Broad Street to better promote economic development as part of a community mobility plan. Additionally, other arterial and residential streets within the neighborhood allow for aggressive driving behavior, which diminishes neighborhood livability and walkability. There has been identified a need to develop a comprehensive Hilltop Community Mobility Plan using professional consultant services in support of the pedestrian, traffic calming and neighborhood mobility programs to enhance pedestrian safety and neighborhood livability. The Hilltop Community Mobility Plan will complement and further detail the 2001 Greater Hilltop Area Plan, and the 2005 West Broad Street Economic Development Strategy.
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Service to enter into a contract with TranSystems Corporation for the development of a Hilltop Community Mobility Plan (HCMP) in the amount of $399,031.00. Services will include producing the HCMP to develop pedestrian safety and traffic calming strategies to enhance the livability, walkability and vitality of the Hilltop neighborhoods. The study area follows the boundaries of the Greater Hilltop Planning Area (Defined by I-270, I-70, and the railroad tracks west of Route 62). A professional services contract is needed to assure timely completion of the plan development.
The selection process for this professional services contract was completed in accordance with provisions of Chapter 329.14 of the Columbus City Code. Seven firms, R.W. Armstrong, Burgess Niples, EMH&T, Jacobs Carter Burgess, Resource International, Stantec, and TranSystems submitted proposals. The evaluation committee determined that TranSystems Corporation, contract compliance number 43-0839725 expiring October 29, 2009, submitted the best overall proposal for the work. The Director of Public Service concurs with the recommendation of the evaluation committee to select TranSystems Corporation to develop the HCMP.
2. FISCAL IMPACT
The sum of $399,031.00 is budgeted and available within the Division of Transportation 2008 Capital Improvements Budget in the Streets and Highways G.O. Bonds Fund in the Pedestrian Safety project for this work.
3. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
This ordinance is submitted as an emergency in order to allow TranSystems Corp. to commence data collection and public engagement activities at the opportune time (summer and fall). The City's timely participation is vital to the success of this project and future community mobility plans.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into a contract with TranSystems Corp., for professional services associated with the development of the Hilltop Community Mobility Plan for the Division of Transportation; to authorize the expenditure of $399,031.00 from the Streets and Highways G.O. Bonds Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($399,031.00)
Body
WHEREAS, a goal of the Columbus Covenant is to engage and promote strong, distinct and vibrant neighborhoods, and
WHEREAS, the area represented by the Greater Hilltop Area Commission contains an established, yet incomplete urban street network that serves transit vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic, and
WHEREAS, West Broad Street within the Hilltop has been studied for enhancement and economic development, which implementation will lead to increased demand for transportation facilities, and
WHEREAS, West Broad Street and Sullivant Avenue have been recognized as being among the worst corridors for pedestrian and bicycle crashes, and
WHEREAS, there is a need to develop a comprehensive Hilltop Community Mobility Plan utilizing a professional services consultant in support of the pedestrian, traffic calming and neighborhood mobility programs to enhance pedestrian safety and neighborhood livability, and
WHEREAS, the Division of Transportation received and evaluated proposals in accordance with the Columbus City Codes, and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the Department of Public Service, Division of Transportation, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize a contract and its resulting expenditure for this purpose to commence data collection and public engagement activities at the opportune time (summer and fall) thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Public Service be and hereby is authorized to enter into a contract with TranSystems Corporation, 5747 Perimeter Dr., Suite 240, Dublin OH 43017, in an amount not to exceed $399,031.00 for professional services associated with development of the Hilltop Community Mobility Plan for the Division of Transportation.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $399,031.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, be and hereby is authorized from Fund 704, the Streets and Highways G.O. Bonds Fund, Department No. 59-09, Division of Transportation, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6682, OCA Code 644385, Project 590105 for this purpose.
SECTION 3. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure, and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.