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All Stations Accessibility Program - St. Charles Avenue Streetcar
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DESCRIPTION: Requesting Board authorization to approve a task order for Manning, APC to complete the design of an All Stations Accessibility Program for the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar. |
AGENDA NO: Click or tap here to enter text. |
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ACTION REQUEST: ☒ Approval ☐ Review Comment ☐ Information Only ☐ Other |
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute a task order with Manning, APC, a Certified DBE/SLDBE, to complete the design of an All-Stations Accessibility Program for the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar in an amount not-to-exceed $1.3M.
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ISSUE/BACKGROUND:
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In use since 1835, the St Charles streetcar is the oldest continuously operated urban railway in the United States. While there have been several improvements and changes to the line over the decades, the vehicles are generally of the original 1920’s vintage, and the stops and route have not changed since 1973. In 2020, in accordance with a 2017 consent decree, four heritage-style streetcars with wheelchair accessible lifts were repainted to match the vintage St Charles cars, and six of the 54 total stop pairs along the route were adapted to be compliant with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
While these changes have improved accessibility along the route, the RTA recognizes that there is considerably more work to be done to fulfill a strategy in the RTA’s Strategic Mobility Plan-“Make transit accessible for people with disabilities”-and corresponding Action Items BE3, BE6, and BE7. Furthermore, the RTA has committed to certain accessibility improvements through several settlement agreements-the 2017 Falls vs. RTA and City of New Orleans agreement and the 2025 O.E. vs. New Orleans Regional Transit Authority agreement.
In the interest of executing the Strategic Mobility Plan and fulfilling its legal requirements, the RTA applied for and was awarded in 2024 an All-Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP) grant in the amount of $5.5 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The grant provides funding to make 46 of the stop pairs along the route fully accessible. The design and construction of these improvements will be completed in coordination with a Streetcar System Modernization Master Plan, underway in the summer of 2025, to ensure that the ASAP improvements are compatible with the safety, efficiency, and accessibility goals of the Streetcar Master Plan.
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DISCUSSION:
To select a vendor to complete this scope, staff utilized the On-Call A&E pool of pre-qualified vendors (RFQ# 2020-035). A Request for Technical Proposals (RTP #2025-03) was sent to all vendors in the pool. Staff selected Manning, APC’s proposal for award. The task order with Manning to provide the design deliverables will be managed by the Capital Projects Division.
The ASAP design scope includes the following tasks, per the task order scope of services
• Task 1 - Assist in outreach strategy and implementation of outreach efforts
• Task 2 - Current conditions assessment
• Task 3 - Assist RTA Planning and Scheduling staff in stop consolidation evaluation
• Task 4 - Project management and coordination
• Task 5 - 30% schematic design
• Task 6 - 60% design development
• Task 7 - 90% permit set and permit approvals
• Task 8 - 100% construction documents, bid package, and bid preparation assistance
• Task 9 - Cost estimates and management of project budget
• Task 10 - Safety and hazards analysis
• Task 11 - NEPA assistance
• Task 12 - Construction administration
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FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The Capital Projects team prepared an initial cost estimate of $1,262,726 for the design and engineering component of the ASAP project. This budget for design and engineering was included in the RTA’s ASAP grant application to the FTA. Manning, APC and the RTA have agreed on a scope and price not to exceed $1.3M for the completion of Tasks 1-12.
The funding for this project is from an FTA ASAP grant in the amount of $5,492,524 with a local match of $1,373,131 for a total project cost of $6,865,655. The local funding is included in the approved 2025 capital budget and is also included in the FY2025-2029 Capital Investment Program (CIP). The budget code for the local funds is 01-0000-00-1501-000-00-00-00000-00000.
NEXT STEPS:
Notice to Proceed issued to Manning, APC to kick off the project.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution
2. Request for Technical Proposal (RTP) #2025-03: all stations Accessibility Program - St. Charles Streetcar
3. Manning Proposal
4. Change Order Routing Form
5. Independent Cost Estimate (ICE)
Prepared By: Rafe Rabalais. rrabalais@rtaforward.org
Title: Director of Capital Projects
Reviewed By: Dwight Norton, dnorton@rtaforward.org
Title: Chief Planning and Capital Projects Officer
Reviewed By: Gizelle Johnson Banks
Title: Chief Financial Officer
8/11/2025
Lona Edwards Hankins Date
Chief Executive Officer