Title
a. Adopt Plans and Special Provisions for the Salinas Road and Pajaro Project, Project No. 1175 (Project) to construct safety improvements and resurface Porter Road and Salinas Road from the county limit at the Pajaro Bridge to Railroad Avenue;
b. Authorize the Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP) to advertise the Project’s “Notice to Bidders” in the Monterey County Weekly.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Action: A Notice of Exemption was filed on March 19, 2025, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations (CCR) Section 15301 Existing Facilities.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Adopt Plans and Special Provisions for the Salinas Road and Pajaro Project, Project No. 1175 (Project) to construct safety improvements and resurface Porter Road and Salinas Road from the county limit at the Pajaro Bridge to Railroad Avenue; and
b. Authorize the Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks to advertise the Project’s “Notice to Bidders” in the Monterey County Weekly.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Salinas Road and Pajaro Project is a safety improvement project along Porter Drive and Salinas Road, from the county limit at the Pajaro Bridge to Railroad Avenue. Safety improvements include installing Class II bike lanes where feasible, installing Class II bike lanes with a three-foot buffer where feasible, improving crosswalks, improving sidewalks at selected locations, and installing dynamic speed warning signs for traffic calming.
The 2018 Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) Pajaro to Prunedale G12 Corridor Study (Study) identified this Project as a top safety priority for the County due to the high number of collisions, increasing traffic, and resulting safety concerns.
The County received a grant to partially fund the design and construction from the Local Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The HSIP, a core federal-aid program codified as Section 148 of Title 23, United States Code (23 U.S.C §148) under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021, aims to significantly reduce fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads.
Community meetings have been held for the G-12 Corridor Study and for this project. At a recent community meeting, the community expressed disagreement with certain components of the proposed project, such as the road diet (a technique of reconfiguring a road by reducing the quantity of vehicle travel lanes and repurposing the lane for bicyclists and pedestrians). These disagreeable features were then further explored for deletion from the design, due to community feedback. When safety countermeasures are removed from an HSIP-grant funded project, it reduces competitiveness and score for the eligibility criteria of the grant. Staff conferred with Caltrans Local Assistance about the countermeasure removals and confirmed that the County remained eligible for the grant. The final design incorporates feedback from the community.
The bid opening for the Project is scheduled for July 10, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in the Board Chambers of the Administration Building at the Government Center, located at 168 West Alisal Street, Salinas, California 93901. Project construction is anticipated to begin in October 2025.
On March 19, 2025, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Public Works, Facilities, and Parks Department (PWFP) filed a Notice of Exemption for the Project with the State Clearinghouse (SCH), a division of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) which coordinates State-level review of environmental documents prepared pursuant to CEQA. The project has been determined to be categorically exempt (Class 1) because the Project is to perform repair and maintenance of existing streets and similar facilities which involve no expansion of an existing use (See CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations [CCR] Section 15301 Existing Facilities).
Adopting the Plans and Special Provisions and authorizing solicitation of construction bids for the Project will allow PWFP to proceed into the construction phase. After opening bids and determining the lowest responsible bidder, staff will return to the Board for award recommendation of the construction contract for the Project.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Office of the County Counsel-Risk Management, and the Auditor-Controller’s Office have reviewed and approved the Special Provisions as to form, insurance and indemnification provisions, and fiscal terms, respectively.
FINANCING:
The total estimated cost of the Project, including design engineering, environmental, right-of-way, and construction is $1,516,687. The County has secured HSIP funds for the Project as outlined in Attachment B, Project Budget. The Project is largely funded by HSIP funds in the amount of $749,160, and Measure X local funds in the amount of $773,349. There are sufficient appropriations adopted in the FY 2025-26 Road Fund 002, Appropriation Unit PFP004 budget to finance the construction phase of the Project.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
This project will construct safety improvements and provide pavement treatment on Porter Drive and Salinas Road in the community of Pajaro. The recommended action supports the following Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiatives:
The recommended action supports the following Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiatives:
___ Economic Development
___ Administration
___ Health & Human Services
_X Infrastructure
_X Public Safety
Prepared by: Jose Miguel Sanchez, Assistant Engineer, (831) 755-3009
Reviewed by: Chad Alinio, PE, Senior Civil Engineer
Enrique Saavedra, PE, Chief of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
Crystal Corpuz, Finance Manager II
Mary Grace Perry, Deputy County Counsel, Office of the County Counsel
Approved by: Randell Ishii, MS, PE, TE, PTOE, Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
Prepared Date: May 6, 2025
The following attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - Location Map
Attachment B - Project Budget
Attachment C - Special Provisions Book 1 & Bid Form Book 2