The vision for the Fort Ord Regional Trail & Greenway (FORTAG) is to create a multimodal route designated to accommodate people of all ages and abilities that connects communities in and around the former Fort Ord to each other and to education, employment, community and recreation centers. It will serve as a safe pedestrian and bicycle corridor connecting the cities of Seaside, Marina, Del Rey Oaks, Monterey and unincorporated community residents to California State University Monterey Bay, the Fort Ord National Monument, and the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail.
The Final Environmental Impact Report for the 28-mile paved trail was certified by the Transportation Agency Board on March 25, 2020. A Master Agreement was approved by the Transportation Agency and the underlying jurisdictions by June 2020. Since approval of the FORTAG Master Agreement certain jurisdictions have proposed clarifications to Master Agreement language. These clarifications have been reviewed by TAMC Legal Counsel and have been found to be helpful in ensuring that the cities and County understand the purpose and proposed course of action of the FORTAG Master Agreement.
On August 2020, the California Transportation Commission approved the allocation of $1.198 million in Senate Bill 1 Active Transportation Program funds for right-of-way acquisition work for Phase 1 of the SR 218 Canyon Del Rey Segment of the FORTAG. The Commission also approved the allocation of $600,000 in Senate Bill 1 Local Partnership Program funds for the preparation of final design plans, specifications and estimates for construction of this first trail segment. The remainder of the costs will be covered by Measure X funding. Because deadlines for complying with grant requirements are tight, a contingency factor of 15% is recommended to allow for relatively minor adjustments to the finish work, such as additional borings or further refinement of plans, without delays due to the Board's monthly schedule. Even with this contingency factor, that total contract amount is still almost $500,000 under the anticipated budget.
Phase 1 of the Canyon Del Rey/State Route 218 Segment includes design and construction of the trail through the City of Del Rey Oaks from Safeway to Del Rey Woods Elementary in the City of Seaside. A tunnel is proposed under Canyon Del Rey Blvd. between Del Rey Oaks City Hall and the existing staircase entrance to the Frog Pond. A 12-foot wide raised pathway will be constructed to connect trail users from the tunnel to Carlton Drive at an accessible grade. The trail will extend northeast up Carton Drive to Plumas Avenue. Along Carlton Drive the trail will consist of a new 12-foot wide multi-use sidewalk, with a 5-foot wide buffer, on the west side of the road. Along Plumas Avenue the trail would follow the existing PG&E easement up to Del Rey Woods Elementary. The tunnel landing and the raised pathway are the only project elements expected to be designed and constructed within the Frog Pond as part of Phase 1.
A review panel, consisting of staff from the Transportation Agency, City of Del Rey Oaks, Caltrans District 5, and Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, interviewed the top two firms based on their written proposals. Following interviews with GHD and Kimley-Horn on September 25, 2020, the review panel found that GHD was the top candidate and recommends their selection by TAMC to perform the work.
The GHD team includes subconsultants: Rincon Consultants, McMillen Jacobs Associates, Whitson Engineers, Regional Government Services, Interwest Consulting Group and EXARO Technologies Corporation. The team demonstrated engineering design experience with similar trail projects that are located next to a highway and within a sensitive environment.Their staffs are well versed in innovative trail design treatments that highlight the project site and accommodate the needs of local users. The team has a variety of tools available to engage the public throughout the design process, including leveraging the project partners' social media accounts.
Once the consultant team is brought under contract, public workshops will be scheduled in coordination with Caltrans, the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, and the cities of Del Rey Oaks and Seaside to gather input on how the trail will ultimately look and feel. Final design and right-of-way certification are anticipated to take approximately two years to complete, starting in Fall 2020 and ending by June 30, 2022. Construction is scheduled for 2022. Attached online are a draft scope of work and schedule.
Other segments of the FORTAG will proceed to design and construction as matching funds are obtained. On September 15, 2020, TAMC staff submitted two state Active Transportation Program grant applications for a segment of the trail on the Cal State University Monterey Bay campus and in the City of Marina. Grant awards are expected to be announced February 2021.