25B - SANTA ANA BLVD GRADE SEPARATION_Exhibit A-1_Color

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■ AECOM 2 Project Understanding and Approach Key Project Objectives The purpose of this Project Approach is to demonstrate to the City of Santa Ana (City) our team's grasp of the project challenges and key issues, and to demonstrate our ability to achieve the project objectives efficiently, cost effectively, and expediently. Our technical review of the project requirements and the site - specific constraints has enabled us to identify a number of key project objectives: • Maximize the City's "Bang for their Budget" • Effective coordination with Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) • Define /maintain a realistic and comprehensive schedule for completion • Define a detailed scope of services sufficient to eliminate contract change orders • Maintain project budget • Identify and study (a minimum of) three (3) alternatives that meet the need and purpose of the project • Maintenance of traffic during construction Maximize the City's "Bang for their Budget" We have visited the project site, have come to a clear understanding of the project challenges and issues, have reviewed the scope of services, and have produced a schedule for the completion of the scope of services. During this time of coming to a thorough understanding of the project, we have arrived at the conclusion the City can get more for the budget they have allotted for this phase of the project. We offer for the City's consideration, to complete this phase and the next phase of the project, the Project Approval /Environmental Document (PA /ED) Phase, for less than the $1.3M stated as the Project Budget on page 15 of the RFP. Therefore, we propose to complete a PSRE, a Project Report, and obtain environmental approval through an approved ED for the project, all for under the budgeted amount listed in the RFP. We can say this because we have solicited a complete scope of services and a fee for obtaining environmental clearance from our subconsultant ICF -Jones and Stokes. The full scope for this is included for the City's reference in the appendix, along with a schedule for this proposed, expanded project definition. Our fee for this expanded project definition is included separately, along with our fee for the services defined in the RFP. This strategy yields benefit to the City for the delivery and completion of the project, since moving expediently into the environmental phase will result in better project readiness. The project becomes a real project sooner. With the environmental phase completed, it can be better positioned for funding, whether funding may ultimately come from OCTA, or from another source, such as Federal stimulus funds, where projects with environmental approval are clearly favored. We understand clearly this project is grouped by OCTA into the next phase of grade separation projects, with the current phase under design, so with this next phase, there may be stiff competition from other projects /cities with OCTA for a potentially limited pool of available funds. Moving Santa Ana Boulevard ahead of the others likely will yield budgetary dividends. We also provide, within AECOM, the ability to seek project funding. On our team is Mr. John Barna, whose expertise is project funding. As a former member of the California Transportation Commission (CTC), Mr. Barna was intimately involved with project funding decisions made by the CTC. We plan on using Mr. Barna to assist our team and the City in the hunt for funding. Additionally, with a project that has achieved environmental clearance at an early time within the project's development, we will have a strong candidate for any funding that can be identified and competed for. AECOM also has advocates that can seek out funding opportunities at the Federal level. Coordination with SCRRA and OCTA It is very critical to the success of this project to effectively coordinate and communicate with both SCRRA and OCTA. As the City well knows, the railroad right of way within the II� e 4tl 000 ®® Pro osal for Project Study Report Equivalent and Conceptual Engineering Plans for Santa Ana Boulevard Grade Separation Project