Title
[Professional Services Agreement] Reconnecting Old North Sacramento Plan (T15255400)
End
FileID
File ID: 2026-01117
End
Location
Location: District 2, District 3
End
Recommendation
Recommendation: Pass a Motion: 1) awarding a Professional Services Agreement to Kittelson & Associates, Inc.; and 2) authorizing the City Manager or designee to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Kittelson & Associates, Inc. for the Reconnecting Old North Sacramento Plan (T15255400) for an amount not-to-exceed $749,988.
End
Contact
Contact: Nicole Zhi Ling Porter, Senior Transportation Planner, (916) 808-8519, nporter@cityofsacramento.org; Jennifer Donlon Wyant, Mobility and Sustainability Division Manager, (916) 808-5913, jdonlonwyant@cityofsacramento.org; Department of Public Works
End
Presenter
Presenter: None
End
Attachments
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Agreement with Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
End
Description/Analysis
IssueDetail
Issue Detail: The City received a USDOT Reconnecting Communities grant through the Sacramento Area Council of Governments to develop the Reconnecting Old North Sacramento Plan. The plan area includes the Old North Sacramento area and extends from Lampasas Avenue to the north, Capital City Freeway to the east, the American River to the south, and Northgate Boulevard to the west.
The goal of this planning effort is to better understand, and address long-standing transportation and connectivity challenges associated with Highway 160, Capital City Freeway (Interstate Business 80 Loop/State Route 51), and the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) lines within Old North Sacramento communities. This community area plan proposes projects, programs, and policies intended to improve connections between residents and daily destinations through affordable, accessible, and multimodal transportation options. The outcome will be a community-driven, implementation-oriented plan that identifies near- and long-term projects, programs, and policies aimed at enhancing mobility, access, and safety for community members while supporting local businesses and neighborhoods.
City Council approval is required to award and execute a Professional Services Agreement with Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
End
PolicyConsiderations
Policy Considerations: The submission of the project is consistent with the City General Plan goals of promoting safety and enhancing livability, sustainability, and economic vitality. The recommendations in this report are in accordance with the following specific policies from the Sacramento 2040 General Plan:
1. M-1.9 Equitable Processes and Outcomes. The City shall ensure that the transportation system is planned and implemented with an equitable process to achieve equitable outcomes and investments so that all neighborhoods one day will have similar levels of transportation infrastructure such as sidewalks, marked low stress crossings, and bikeways.
2. M-1.10 Community Engagement. The City shall continue to engage the community in decisions that affect mobility, including planning, design outcomes and implementation, with a particular focus on planning with, and not for, historically marginalized, disadvantaged communities and environmental justice communities.
3. M-1.11 Increase Bicycling and Walking. The City shall strive to increase bicycling and walking citywide so that it can meet its equity, reduced vehicle miles traveled, and sustainability goals.
4. M-1.12 Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station Access Improvements. Through the development approval process and public and private investments, the City shall foster additional walking and bicycling connections to light rail stations and strengthen existing connections to enhance first/last-mile connectivity and make it easier to travel between the station and surrounding neighborhoods and destinations. As feasible, connections should include pedestrian-level streetlighting and tree shading.
5. M-3.2 Street Design. The City shall ensure street design and potential redesign opportunities for existing streets minimize driver speed as appropriate within residential neighborhoods and incorporate street trees wherever possible without compromising connectivity for emergency access or people bicycling, walking, and using mobility devices.
6. M-4.1 Application of Safety. The City shall design, plan, and operate streets using complete streets principles to ensure the safety and mobility of all users.
7. M-4.2 Safer Driving Speeds. The City shall work to maximize the safety of the transportation network by designing streets for lower driving speeds and enforcing speed limits in an unbiased manner as well as promoting safer driving behavior.
8. M-4.6 Rail Crossings. When designing improvements near rail crossings, the City shall collaborate with rail agencies to improve safety at street-grade intersections with rail crossings and in the vicinity of light rail stations through design, planning, and operation.
9. LUP-6.12 Reconnecting Communities. The City shall support efforts and opportunities to reconnect communities that were disconnected by large infrastructure projects and developments, including but not limited to freeways, railways, and buildings.
10. E-4.2 Inclusive Economic Development Investments. The City should invest in projects and programs that advance inclusive economic development and reduce inequities.
End
EconomicImpacts
Economic Impacts: None.
End
EnvironmentalConsiderations
Environmental Considerations:
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): The award of a professional services agreement for the preparation of a mobility planning study is exempt from the requirements of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15262, Feasibility and Planning Studies. Section 15262 exempts projects involving only feasibility or planning studies for possible future actions, which have not been approved, adopted, or funded. It is anticipated that future projects identified in this study may be subject to environmental evaluation under CEQA guidelines and possibly National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements.
End
Sustainability
Sustainability: The development of a plan for multimodal transportation improvements furthers the City’s commitment to sustainability. One of the plan areas of focus will be to support access to affordable and accessible transportation options like walking, biking, rolling, and riding transit, so that dependence on single-occupancy vehicles is reduced.
This community-driven, implementation-oriented plan will include near- and long-term projects, programs, and policies aimed at enhancing mobility, access, and safety for Old North Sacramento community members. The plan will also identify opportunities to address mobility challenges created by Highway 160, Capital City Freeway, and the Union Pacific Railroad for people walking, biking, rolling, and riding transit to daily needs.
End
Commission/Committee Action
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
End
RationaleforRecommendation
Rationale for Recommendation: A Request for Proposals for professional services was advertised for the project per City guidelines and federal funding requirements. The City received eight proposal submissions, which were reviewed and scored by an unbiased selection panel. The selection panel met to discuss the written proposals and shortlisted four firms (in alphabetical order): Baird & Driskell (Community Planning Collaborative), Jacobs Engineering, Kittelson, and Mark Thomas.
Interviews were held on April 3, 2026. Four teams were interviewed, and a selection panel scored and ranked the teams. Kittelson & Associates, Inc. was unanimously selected as the preferred consultant team. Staff recommends awarding a Professional Services Agreement to Kittelson & Associates, Inc., since it is the highest ranked applicant.
Pursuant to section 3.56.090 of the Sacramento City Code, all contracts involving an expenditure of $250,000 or more must be authorized by the city council. Since the Professional Services Agreement with Kittelson & Associates, Inc. exceeds $250,000, City Council approval is required.
End
FinancialConsiderations
Financial Considerations: The Plan is expected to cost approximately $1,200,000. The City received a $1,000,000 USDOT Reconnecting Communities grant through a regional partnership with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. The City also allocated $200,000 in local funding for other project costs. There are no General Funds planned or allocated for this project.
There is sufficient funding to execute the agreement with Kittelson & Associates, Inc. for an amount not-to-exceed $749,988 and cover all remaining project costs.
End
LocalBusinessEnterprise
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable to this project due to the federal funding involved.
End
Background
Background: On February 11, 2026, City staff released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for professional services to provide assistance to City staff for the Reconnecting Old North Sacramento Plan.
On February 18, 2026, the City held a pre-proposal meeting; proposal submissions were due on March 11, 2026. The City received eight proposals and shortlisted four firms to interview on April 3, 2026. The selection panel recommended Kittelson & Associates, Inc. as the highest ranking firm and scope negotiations began on April 22, 2026. Scope negotiations concluded with the mutual satisfaction of both parties.
The professional services to be performed by Kittelson & Associates, Inc. will result in the following deliverables:
• Existing Conditions Report
• Technical Analysis Report that includes: Equity and Environment Analysis, Public Life Analysis, Economic Development Analysis, and Mobility and Access Evaluation
• Community Engagement that includes: Community Engagement Plan, Community Advisory Group, Technical Advisory Group, and events throughout each phase of the project
• Community Vision and Implementation Actions Report
• Administrative Draft, Public Draft, Final Draft, and Final Plan
End