APPROVE contract amendment with Kimley-Horn and Associates, for the State Route 156 Level 2 Traffic and Revenue Study, to extend the contract deadline by six months, from June 30, 2017 to December 31, 2017, with no additional funding, subject to approval by Agency counsel.

The State Route 156 Level 2 Traffic and Revenue Study is nearing completion. TAMC hired Kimley-Horn and Associates, in September 2015, following a competitive Request for Proposals process. The study has been delayed by data collection and travel demand modeling complications. With the current contract scheduled to expire June 30, 2017, a six-month contract extension with no additional funding is required.

The cost of this contract is not to exceed $413,941, funded through Federal Demo funds and local funds budgeted to this project and this phase of work. This contract amendment does not propose a budget increase.

The State Route 156 Level 2 Traffic and Revenue Study will provide results about current and future traffic diversion, potential toll rates, toll discounts for local residents and business, and other questions and concerns brought up by the Board and the public, and adopted by the Board of Directors as “Guiding Principles” for evaluating tolling.  In addition to evaluating the viability of tolling based on the Guiding Principles, the Level 2 Traffic and Revenue Study will provide the data and analysis needed for the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report required to be completed before the Transportation Agency and Caltrans could take action to approve implementing tolling on the SR 156 corridor.

The Study was originally scheduled  to be finished by December 2016. One of the initial tasks for the study was to evaluate the vehicle traffic data already collected and available to the study and to collect additional data as needed.  It was determined additional traffic volume counts and intersection turning movement counts were needed.  There was an approximate four month delay in getting this data collected.  Amendment #1 to the consultant's contract extended the agreement to expire June 30, 2017. 

The Level 2 Traffic and Revenue Study technical work started with the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments' four-county Regional Travel Demand Model.  The Regional Travel Demand Model estimates travel patterns and volumes throughout the region during the typical Monday through Friday work week.  In order to conduct the Level 2 Traffic and Revenue Study, a sub area of the Regional Travel Demand Model has been refined and validated to include weekend and peak period visitor trips. Validation is the process of fine tuning the travel model to produce results that closely reflect observed travel volumes.  The validation process has taken longer than anticipated.  The study is currently expected to be completed this summer.   This amendment #2 (attached) is a six-month extension to December 31, 2017, with no additional budget.