Opening of Proposal - Safe Routes to School - Our Lady of Hungary Neighborhood Proj No. 122-007 - DLZ Inc.

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Safe Routes to School | 5 The City of South Bend has been awarded INDOT federal funds through the TAP programs for the construction of sidewalks and curb ramps in various locations. The project includes the neighborhood surrounding Our Lady of Hungary Parish & School generally bounded by Indiana Avenue to the North, Ewing Avenue to the South, Olive Street to the West, and Franklin Street to the East. At the onset of design, DLZ would propose a project kick-off meeting with the City and INDOT to review the project’s scope of work, schedule and budget parameters. This meeting will provide details to start the project in the right direction and put everyone on the same page. ADA compliance is of monumental importance on a project like this. Your DLZ team of professionals has years of experience in ADA project design and ADA transition plan development for communities throughout Indiana and has the project development process down to a science. Once the areas of improvement are identified within the project area, DLZ will perform a field evaluation to catalog existing sidewalk and curb ramp conditions and gather preliminary utility information. We will utilize smart levels to determine the segments of sidewalk and curb ramp that are outside of ADA specifications, which will allow DLZ to refine the topographic survey limits and minimize the amount of sidewalk and curb ramp removal required. Ultimately, this will expedite the design schedule, as well as allow the City to maximize the amount of improvements that can be done with the funds available. DLZ will then prepare design plans and bid documents for construction of new sidewalk and curb ramps. Throughout design development, DLZ will work closely with the City to review and overcome any challenges. We believe that constant communication with project partners is vital to the success of this project. DLZ understands that the goal is to provide a safe path for users while giving consideration to other important factors such as construction and maintenance cost, drainage, ease of construction, permitting, utility coordination, and aesthetics. The design and construction will be done in accordance with the Local Public Agency (LPA) Guidance Document and related INDOT standard specifications, design manual and standard drawings. Project Understanding and Approach Sidewalk Focus We recognize the City may have already identified areas they would like to focus the funding that is available. However, if there is still some uncertainty, we propose the following approach options for consideration: • Establish a sidewalk and curb ramp rating system based on visual inspection to represent the existing conditions. Assembling this information could help to identify specific areas of focus. • Focus on main east-west roadways in the project area for new or replacement sidewalk and curb ramps, as appropriate. • Begin at the Our Lady of Hungary School and work outward to address sidewalk and curb ramp deficiencies.