City Council Purchase of Traffic Poles 16th Street & San Antonio Avenue

Traffic Signal Improvements Moving Forward at 16th Street & San Antonio Avenue

The City Council approved the purchase of four new traffic signal poles and mast arms for the intersection of 16th Street and San Antonio Avenue — an important step in delivering long-planned safety improvements at this busy location.

Why This Upgrade Is Necessary

Last year, the Council approved funding as part of the FY 2025–26 Mid-Cycle Budget to improve traffic operations at this intersection. The project includes adding protected left-turn phases for eastbound and westbound traffic, a critical safety enhancement designed to:

• Reduce left-turn collisions

• Improve traffic flow

• Provide clearer signal direction for drivers

As part of the engineering process, a structural analysis was completed in May 2025. That analysis determined that the existing signal poles are not structurally sufficient to support the additional signal heads and equipment required for the protected left-turn system .

Simply put, if we want the safer signal configuration, the current poles must be replaced.

Why Purchase the Poles Now?

Traffic signal structures currently have an estimated six-month lead time. If we wait for the construction contract to be awarded before ordering materials, the project timeline would likely be pushed back several additional months .

To avoid unnecessary delays, staff is recommending that the City purchase the poles now and provide them to the contractor once construction begins. This proactive approach helps:

• Shorten the critical path of the project

• Avoid supply chain delays

• Deliver the improvement to residents sooner

Cost and Funding

After soliciting multiple quotes, staff recommends purchasing the materials from Walters Wholesale Electric Co. for a total cost of $73,640, which includes:

• Materials and delivery: $61,846.00

• Sales tax (7.75%): $4,793.07

• Offloading: $7,000.00

• Total: $73,639.07 (rounded to $73,640)

Funding for this purchase is already allocated within the Gas Tax Capital Improvement Project account , meaning this does not impact the General Fund.

Environmental Review

Because this action involves only the purchase of materials and not construction itself, it is not considered a project under CEQA and is therefore exempt .

Why This Matters

Infrastructure improvements like this may not always be visible at first glance, but they directly impact public safety and daily life. Adding protected left turns is a common and proven traffic safety enhancement that reduces confusion and lowers the risk of serious collisions.

This is an example of thoughtful, forward-looking project management — ordering long-lead materials early, controlling costs, and keeping projects on schedule.

Delivering infrastructure efficiently and responsibly is part of maintaining safe streets and protecting taxpayer dollars.

I will continue to keep the community informed as this project moves from design to construction.