The City has received a second $50,000 Safe Routes to School non-infrastructure grant to complete an engineering study of walking and biking routes to Billings public elementary schools. As part of the grant application process, the School District also committed an additional $10,000 to the study. Under the prior grant (2009) eleven of Billing's twenty-two elementary schools were reviewed.  This contract will complete the review of the remaining eleven elementary schools not covered in the first phase.  The phase one study report is complete and available on the City's website at http://www.ci.billings.mt.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=6342.    In September the Engineering Division solicited proposals from three pre-qualified firms to perform the phase two study. Two proposals were received. A selection committee comprised of members of the Engineering Division, Planning Department, School District, Riverstone Health, PTA Council and Police Department reviewed the proposals and recommended that Public Works contract with Sanderson-Stewart to complete the Study. The purpose of the study is to identify major obstacles and conflict areas children may encounter walking to elementary schools and then develop a prioritized list of short, medium and long-term projects necessary to address the problems at those schools. The project listing will include planning level cost estimates so that future Safe Routes to School (SRTS) and CTEP grants can be applied for to address the issues. Under the terms of the SRTS grant, the phase two study must be completed by June 30, 2011. 

The Council may:

• Approve the award of the contract to Sanderson Stewart; or
• Not approve the award of the contract to Sanderson Stewart. If the study is not completed by June 30, 2011, the City will lose the $50,000 in grant money already awarded.

The study will be paid for by a combination of a $50,000 SRTS grant from the State and $10,000 in funding from School District 2.  The proposed contract with Sanderson-Stewart is for $55,350, leaving $4,650 to cover City expenses in administering the grant and the study.

Staff recommends that the City Council approve the $55,350 professional services contract with Sanderson-Stewart, contingent upon acceptance of the contract by the Montana Department of Transportation.