Approve Cooperative Agreement between the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the County of Yolo for funding decorative treatments of street lighting facilities in Caltrans right-of-way affected by Caltrans Project Number 0318000208 on Yolo Avenue. (No general fund impact) (Echiburu/Riddiough)

1. Approve Cooperative Agreement between the California Department of Transportation and the County of Yolo for funding decorative treatments of street lighting facilities in Caltrans right-of-way affected by Caltrans Project Number 0318000208 on Yolo Avenue (Att. A);
    
2. Authorize the Chair to sign the agreement;  and
    
3. Authorize the Director of Public Works to sign the Closure Statement in the agreement once all roles and responsibilities in the agreement have been completed.

Safe Communities

In 2005, Yolo County began installing a series of traffic calming and pedestrian improvements in Esparto on Yolo Avenue which is Caltrans right-of-way (State Route 16). This was in response to community engagement in previous years which expressed desire for increased safety for pedestrians. To deliver improvements in line with public interest, the County entered into a maintenance agreement with Caltrans and installed textured asphalt concrete crosswalks (“streetprint”), striped pedestrian bulb-outs, street lighting, flashing pedestrian beacons and angled back-in parking.
 
Currently, Caltrans is constructing a pedestrian improvement project along Yolo Avenue (Caltrans Project Number 0318000208) which should be completed in 2022.  Caltrans improvements include concrete curb bulb outs, upgraded curb ramps, improved lighting, green bicycle lane treatment, pavement rehabilitation, parking, and drainage improvements.  As part of this project the County entered into County Agreement Number 20-246 for Caltrans to relocate those pedestrian facilities for which the County is responsible, with the current project.
 
Shortly after the pedestrian improvement project began construction in mid-2021, County staff received feedback from Esparto residents on the design chosen by Caltrans for the proposed lighting improvements.  Residents expressed concern that the new, modern lighting facilities that Caltrans was planning to install would not match with the current decorative street lighting that the community established for the downtown stretch of Yolo Avenue.
 
County staff approached Caltrans and inquired if decorative lighting aspects could be included within the current pedestrian improvement project.  Caltrans staff was amenable and worked with their project contractor to provide a quote for the additional work to install decorative treatments to the eleven new modern streetlights to be installed with the project.  Treatments include installing decorative bases, and painting the poles and mast arms black, to better match the appearance of the existing decorative street lighting along Yolo Avenue.
 
County staff worked with Caltrans to develop a Cooperative Agreement (Attachment A-Agreement) that requires that the County pay $51,262 as a lump sum towards the project for installation of the decorative lighting treatments.  Ongoing maintenance of the decorative lighting treatments will be the responsibility of the Esparto Community Services District (ECSD), and a separate maintenance cooperative agreement to that effect is in the process of approval between ECSD and Caltrans.

County Counsel has reviewed and approved the agreement as to form.
County Administrator’s Office
Caltrans
Esparto Community Services District

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