Commission establishes $30 million on‑call bench for highway design and environmental services

The Riverside County Transportation Commission committee authorized multiple‑award on‑call agreements with four prequalified firms to provide highway design and environmental services for capital and toll projects, with an aggregate not‑to‑exceed authorization of $30,000,000 for an initial three‑year term.

David Lewis, RCTC capital project manager, said the on‑call bench (indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity agreements) will expedite responsive procurement for project phases including PID, PAED and final design and will support expected projects such as the SR‑91 third express lane, I‑15 Bundy Canyon works, and others. He named the four recommended firms as HDR Engineering; HNTB Corporation; Kimberly Horn and Associates; and Parsons Transportation Group.

Lewis emphasized that the agreements do not guarantee any minimum amount of work: "That means no work is guaranteed to any of the consultants," he said, adding task orders will be issued and evaluated on a project‑by‑project basis and contracts will be subject to pre‑award audit to ensure fair pricing.

The committee recorded unanimous affirmative votes and approved the awards and the $30 million aggregate cap. Lewis and commissioners noted peer agencies use similar on‑call benches; staff said RCTC has used analogous arrangements for other services in the past.