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AUTHORIZATION OF PHASE B OF AMENDMENT NO. ONE TO CONTRACT K-1213-50: BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AND GARVER ENGINEERS, L.L.C., INCREASING THE CONTRACT AMOUNT BY $59,800 FOR A REVISED CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $283,850 TO PROCEED WITH PHASE B TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW ON ROBINSON STREET WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 ASSOCIATED WITH THE ROBINSON STREET AND I-35 WEST ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS AND FUNCTIONAL PLAN AND BUDGET APPROPRIATION FROM THE CAPITAL FUND BALANCE.
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BACKGROUND: On November 13, 2012, City Council approved Contract K-1213-50 with Garver Engineers, LLC to analyze the Robinson Street corridor near Interstate 35 and recommend a preferred alternative that improves traffic flow on the west side of the interchange. The study evaluated the impacts of the University North Park Addition traffic and concluded that the capacity of Robinson Street will be insufficient to handle the projected traffic at full development.
The preferred alternative, which can only provide temporary relief until either the Robinson Street interchange is reconstructed or a new interchange at Rock Creek Road is built, relocates the intersection of North Interstate Drive with Robinson Street approximately 225 feet east of the current location and adds more traffic lanes on Robinson Street, between Crossroads Boulevard/Rambling Oaks Drive and North Interstate Drive (see Attachment No. 1). The study is currently being reviewed by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) because the preferred alternative impacts the Interstate 35 interchange at Robinson Street. Approval by ODOT is necessary in order to proceed with final design.
On November 25, 2014, City Council adopted resolution R-1415-57 requesting $3,221,400 in federal transportation funds to fund 80% of the construction cost of the preferred alternative. The following month, staff submitted an application to the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments for inclusion of the project in the regional Transportation Improvement Plan and was able to secure the funding in Federal Fiscal Year 2017.
In the early planning stages of the University North Park Addition, a Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) was prepared to evaluate the surrounding transportation network and the improvements needed to mitigate the impacts of the development generated traffic. Attachment No. 2 depicts the boundaries of the study area.
The initial study made specific assumptions about land uses in the southern half of the development using a master plan that has been modified several times. Each modification required an updated Traffic Impact Assessment to re-evaluate operations on the surrounding transportation network. These updates continued to be supported by the assumptions of the original study in terms of trip distributions and assignments on the network. The assessment also made more general assumptions about development in the northern half of the UNP, considering only office, industrial and residential uses.
The TIA was also used to identify specific transportation improvement projects needed to accommodate the increased traffic from the UNP; projects such as the widening of the Robinson Street and 24th Avenue NW intersection, and the reconfiguration of the northeast quadrant of the Interstate 35 and Robinson Street interchange. Attachments No. 3 and No. 4 depict the location of the various projects, and the preliminary budget and description of the recommended improvements respectively.
The Garver study for the Robinson Street corridor, which is based on updated traffic data and actual trip distributions and assignments from the UNP, showed that there is more traffic using Robinson Street than originally anticipated. This conclusion highlighted the need to validate the assumptions of the original TIA at a time when the City is beginning to move forward with the final design of improvements to the west side of the Robinson Street interchange. The City and the Developer have also expressed interest in exploring alternate development options for the northern half of the UNP.
On July 22, 2014, City Council approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract K-1213-50 with Garver Engineers expanding the analysis of the Robinson Street corridor to include the entire UNP area and surrounding transportation network, in essence, completing a new TIA that uses the latest traffic data and land use scenarios for the undeveloped portions of the UNP.
Amendment No. 1 was structured in two phases. Phase A, which was authorized by Council when the amendment was originally approved, included the collection of current traffic data and the development of traffic projections for the undeveloped portion of the UNP. It also included the evaluation of the transportation network under the full development scenario using the original land use assumptions as well as a modified version that looked at the impact of commercial land uses north of Rock Creek Road, between Interstate 35 and 24th Avenue NW, that had not been previously considered. Phase B, which has not been authorized, was developed to address any transportation network deficiencies identified in Phase A. Phase B will provide specific recommendations and cost estimates for the additional transportation network improvements needed to mitigate the traffic congestion created by the UNP.
On March 31, 2015, City Council met in Study Session for an update on the results of Phase A of the updated TIA. The presentation by Garver Engineers highlighted a number of transportation network deficiencies under the projected full development scenario for the UNP. During the meeting, staff was directed to prepare an agenda item for Council’s authorization of Phase B of the TIA.
The new TIA will be the basis of and serve as the springboard for future discussions with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation in matters related to the possibility of reconstructing the Robinson Street interchange and/or constructing a new interchange at Rock Creek Road. City Council recently approved a three-party agreement between the City of Norman, City of Moore and ODOT to conduct an in-depth corridor analysis of Interstate 35 from Main Street in Norman to 4th Street in Moore.
Due to the far-reaching potential impact that a new interchange at Rock Creek Road or the reconstruction of the Robinson Street interchange would have on the traffic patterns throughout west Norman, funds from the Capital Fund Balance were appropriated to fund the cost of Phase A ($38,450) of the new UNP TIA.
DISCUSSION: Phase A of the UNP TIA update has been completed. It estimates a higher trip generation traffic volume, and as a result, a number a transportation system deficiencies under the current and modified land use plans. Even after the implementation of all the transportation improvement projects identified in the original TIA, significant congestion is anticipated along Robinson Street, Tecumseh Road and Flood Avenue. In order to determine how to best mitigate the projected congestion, it is necessary to complete Phase B of the original amendment. A scope and fee for this service was developed as part of Amendment No. 1 ($59,800). If authorized, Garver will complete this phase of the study by August 1, 2015.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends authorization of Phase B of Amendment No. 1 to Contract K-1213-50 with Garver Engineers, in the amount of $59,800 for the engineering services associated with the preparation of Phase B of the new University North Park Addition Traffic Impact Assessment Update.
Staff also recommends the appropriation of funds in the amount of $59,800 from the Capital Fund Balance Account No. 057-0000-253.20-00 to the I-35 Frontage/Intersection Improvements Account No. 050-9950-431.62-01, Project No. TC-0265 to pay for Phase B of the new Traffic Impact Analysis.