Government Archives

Castle Rock & Sierra Roundabout

The City of Woodlake constructed a single-lane roundabout at the Castle Rock Street and Sierra Avenue intersection. As the Woodlake community grew, the original intersection became congested with school, recreation, and residential traffic. This $3.1 million project was paid for by Measure R, CMAQ, and LSRP funds and included the roundabout, curb, gutters, ramps, sidewalks, streetlights, paving, on-street parking, landscaping, irrigation, sewer system, and storm drain improvements.

The Castle Rock & Sierra Roundabout achieved the City’s objectives to relieve traffic congestion, increase bike/pedestrian safety, and provide adequate ADA accessibility. Added benefits of the project included improved air quality for nearby residents, park users, and elementary school students. Landscaping additions to the corners and center of the roundabout beautified the area for the growing number of residents and travelers who will pass through the intersection in the coming years. The City transformed an inadequate intersection into a roundabout that addressed basic transit needs while creating an aesthetic that reflects the City staff’s dedication to their community.

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awards

Related Project Experience

Visalia Road Improvements Phase I

South Farmersville Boulevard Safe Routes To Schools Project

Glaze Avenue

South Valencia Boulevard Sidewalk Project

Garden In The Sun Park

Hanford General Plan Update, EIR, Zoning Ordinance Update, Subdivision Ordinance Update & Infrastructure Master Plans

Visalia Road Improvements Phase I

The Visalia Road Improvement Project Phase I consisted of road improvements between Jacob Place and Orange Avenue. The scope included the total reconstruction of the existing roadway, new curb and gutter, landscaped medians, entrances into businesses, sidewalk, signing and striping, and modifications to the existing signal at Belmont Road. This $4.3 million was part of the City of Exeter’s sweeping Visalia Road Improvement Project that addresses community safety and operational needs.

Years of wet winters and hot summers took a toll on the road’s original pavement, making it unpleasant for travel. The road was not fully ADA accessible and wasn’t inviting or conducive to pedestrian traffic, negatively impacting local businesses. The project design addressed each of these areas with added considerations for improving traffic circulation and providing a fresh, inviting thoroughfare through the City. The completed project met local and regional active transportation goals and will increase the economic viability of the area.

Services

Markets

awards

Related Project Experience

Castle Rock & Sierra Roundabout

South Farmersville Boulevard Safe Routes To Schools Project

Glaze Avenue

South Valencia Boulevard Sidewalk Project

Garden In The Sun Park

Hanford General Plan Update, EIR, Zoning Ordinance Update, Subdivision Ordinance Update & Infrastructure Master Plans

South Farmersville Boulevard Safe Routes To Schools Project

South Farmersville

The City of Farmersville’s South Farmersville Boulevard Project is a pedestrian and bicycle improvement project, as well as a transit project. The Project improves pedestrian and bicycle safety by addressing deficiencies near places of employment, schools, and neighborhoods.

The Project’s location is South Farmersville Boulevard, the main north-south arterial in the City, and extends from just south of Visalia Road to the southern City limits, approximately ½-mile. The Project is in the direct vicinity of Snowden Elementary (approximately 450 students in grades 2 and 3). Roy Park and a senior housing community are also adjacent to the Project, as well as commercial and residential uses. A lack of contiguous sidewalks at this location forced students and others, including seniors, into the street or shoulder with no vehicular separation such as a raised curb. There were a narrow shoulder and no safe clearance for pedestrians or bicycles.

The Project included the design and installation of:

Approximately 1,700 linear feet of sidewalk
Five (5) ADA-compliant curb ramps
New pedestrian refuge median at the existing Snowden Elementary School crossing

Two (2) new transit stops
A new transit turn-around location
Signing; and Pavement Delineation
New Class II bicycle lanes

The existing Snowden Elementary School crossing was approximately 58 feet wide and vehicles typically travel between 35 and 45 mph in the area. The new pedestrian refuge median allows the students to cross half of the roadway and provides a safe area at which to remain before crossing the other half of the roadway.

There were previously no transit stops along South Farmersville Boulevard because the buses had no way to turn around. The project constructed a bus turnaround location which now allows for two transit stops on South Farmersville Boulevard. Seniors previously had to walk to transit stops on Visalia Road (approximately ½-mile) to travel to medical appointments, shopping, etc. With the new transit facilities adjacent to the senior housing community, it is much easier for the seniors to obtain transit service allowing them more freedom and independence.

QK provided engineering design and drafting, land surveying, utility coordination, right of way designation, environmental compliance, construction staking, and construction management and field observation services for the project.

Services

Markets

Related Project Experience

Castle Rock & Sierra Roundabout

Visalia Road Improvements Phase I

Glaze Avenue

South Valencia Boulevard Sidewalk Project

Garden In The Sun Park

Hanford General Plan Update, EIR, Zoning Ordinance Update, Subdivision Ordinance Update & Infrastructure Master Plans

Glaze Avenue

The City of Exeter’s Glaze Avenue Project (Project) was a shoulder stabilization project which constructed approximately 31,000 square feet of pavement to provide shoulders along a mile-long segment of Glaze Avenue between Belmont Road and State Route (SR) 65 (Kaweah Avenue). Glaze Avenue is the southern-most roadway in the City of Exeter. A park, as well as residential, industrial, and agricultural uses, are adjacent to the Project. The roadway width was as narrow as 15 feet in some locations prior to construction.

The additional paving allowed for full-width, vehicle travel lanes, as well as shoulders striped as Class II bicycle lanes to provide bicycle connectivity across the southern end of the City. Project construction also included utility relocations, storm drainage, signing, and pavement delineation. The Project was funded by the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program, toll credits, and local funds.

Services

Markets

Related Project Experience

Castle Rock & Sierra Roundabout

Visalia Road Improvements Phase I

South Farmersville Boulevard Safe Routes To Schools Project

South Valencia Boulevard Sidewalk Project

Garden In The Sun Park

Hanford General Plan Update, EIR, Zoning Ordinance Update, Subdivision Ordinance Update & Infrastructure Master Plans

San Joaquin Bridge / State Route 99 BAT Surveys

The bridge crossing the San Joaquin River at Highway 99 needed retrofit. Working in partnership with Caltrans District 6 and MCM Construction, QK provided biological inspection of the bridge for its potential to support individual and maternity colonies of bats. Our work included identification of bat species using the bridge utilizing visual surveys and acoustic monitoring methods, installation of bat exclusion devices under the bridge that spanned approximately 1,000-feet, 150-feet above ground, and monitoring and repair of exclusion devices.

Initial work was conducted during a period when the population of bats was at a seasonal minimum (prior to the return of migratory species), and the timing of the demolition was scheduled to coincide with the lower abundance of bats. Professionally operated boom-lifts were used to mitigate safety risks during the installation of the exclusion devices, and the installed exclusion devices were monitored at night when bats are active.

Additionally, the extended period of noise and vibration from demolition created challenges for maintaining the viability of the exclusion devices, and new designs of exclusion devices were formulated to cope with these unique circumstances. Caltrans was able to complete the demolition and reconstruction of this large bridge within schedule, with a relatively low cost allocated for bat protections, all while meeting the environmental standards for the protection of bats mandated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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Mulcahy Park

The Mulcahy Park redesign project required careful planning to create facilities that met the needs of Mulcahy Middle School, neighbors, and the City of Tulare Parks and Recreation Department. QK was involved in the redesign of the existing Mulcahy Park, including civil engineering services, project management, construction administration, utility coordination, and landscape architecture. With a QK-led outreach effort that encouraged the staff and community to take pride in ownership in their park, our team was able to incorporate the public’s ideas into a revitalized park and plaza.

The park now includes four football/soccer fields, two softball/little league diamonds, restroom facilities, two picnic pavilions with Bar-B-Que and event areas, a splash park, tot playground, pre-teen playground, more than half a mile of trails, benches, and shade trees. The park also features multiple sustainable design features, including a new irrigation system connected to the City of Tulare’s central computer and weather station, drought-tolerant landscaping with reduction of the turf area, and high-efficiency restroom features. The space is currently available for school physical education classes and sports, after-school recreation programs, and community events.

Mulcahy Park was awarded the 2014 “Best Recreation Project – Under $5 Million” award by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Cen-Cal Chapter.

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Fallen Heroes Park

Fallen Heroes Park includes youth soccer and softball areas, a pre-teen and tot playground, two picnic shelters with Bar-B-Ques, a lighted basketball half-court, a splash pad, lighted loop walking trail and trailheads to the future Tule River Parkway trail system, a central community plaza, restroom facilities, and parking.

QK’s landscape architecture team reduced the overall turf area by using drought-tolerant planting, and the water-efficient irrigation system is connected to the City’s central computer and weather station. In addition, the site slopes to a north-west corner bio-swale designed to capture run-off and prevent it from entering the Tule River on the north end of the park.

The park has received multiple awards, including the 2015 “Public Works Project of the Year” from the American Public Works Association (APWA) Cen-Cal Chapter as well as the 2015 “Arbor Day Award” from Tree Fresno.

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Downtown East Precise Plan

The primary focus of the City of Hanford Downtown East Precise Plan was the China Alley Revitalization Plan. China Alley was identified in 2011 as one of the most endangered historic places in America by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Other issues included the need to revitalize and attract new businesses in an area that had remained stagnant for new economic development for years.

The extensive Plan document includes an economic study and fiscal impact analysis, zoning for mixed-use, permitted land uses, a form-based code for frontage types for multiple building types, development regulations, landscape guidelines, street improvements, traffic calming guidelines, parking policies, a focused Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and concept studies that depict how the area could potentially develop. Since its adoption, new businesses have sprung up on China Alley including new multi-cultural restaurants and a tea house.

The plan was given the 2014 Award of Merit for “Comprehensive Planning: Small Jurisdiction” by the American Planning Association (APA) California Chapter, Central Section.

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Mountain Road 319 Bridge Replacement

Working closely with Tulare County Resource Management Agency (Tulare RMA) and Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group, QK served as the primary consultant in the preparation of the field review and Preliminary Environmental Study (PES) for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance through Caltrans for the project area that included a rural bridge site, equipment staging areas, and temporary water crossing accessed through the riparian habitat.

Throughout the project duration, our team actively managed the environmental permitting and compliance process including the completion of environmental studies and consultation with regulatory agencies. QK biologists completed field surveys for sensitive wildlife and plant species, and habitat. Technical documents included a Natural Environment Study (NES), water quality technical memorandum, cultural resources report, hydrology report, and restoration plan for riparian habitat as required for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and NEPA compliance. Federal and State permit applications were also submitted and approved, and QK provided biological monitoring in compliance with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) requirements during construction to ensure no impacts occurred within the river or sensitive riparian habitat.

During construction, a temporary crossing was erected downstream from the new bridge for County residents and emergency vehicles. To mitigate construction impacts on the Kaweah River, QK’s environmental team recommended alternatives to some work within the Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM), and revisions to bridge design to reduce the number of trees that required removal and trimming.

The Mountain Road 319 Bridge replacement was awarded 2013 “Project of the Year – Large” by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Cen-Cal Chapter and a 2014 Engineering Excellence “Award of Merit for Small Firms” by the California American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC California).

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Golden State Corridor

QK was selected to create a comprehensive design to improve the Golden State Corridor area that runs through the Fresno County cities of Kingsburg, Selma, and Fowler. Public input was vital to the planning process and QK organized, publicized, and led community meetings and facilitated discussions during Plan visioning workshops. Stakeholder meetings involved feedback from decision-makers in each of the affected cities including Fresno County officials, bicycle advocates, and railroad specialists.

While planning, our firm focused on design improvements and streetscape enhancements, expanding economic development, improving the flow of transit, and improving safety for motorists and bicyclists. One key feature was a street realignment in Fowler that creates three new urban blocks for future downtown commercial development.

The final package of construction plans included a topographic survey, urban design guidelines manual, 30% engineering plans set, utility report, pavement rehabilitation report, detailed cost estimate, and environmental analysis for future compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The completed package enables the Fresno Council of Governments (FCOG) to continue to move forward with their design plans on all or selected portions of the Corridor.