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City of Santa Ana | First Street Multimodal Boulevard Study
<br />RFP NO. 25-029 | E. Proposed Work Plan
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<br />Comprehensive, Thoughtful Community Engagement
<br />The HDR team has developed a four-phase approach to community
<br />engagement that will enable a transparent, inclusive, and community-
<br />driven design process while being mindful of the need to keep the schedule
<br />moving forward. By structuring the engagement process to build trust and
<br />foster collaboration, HDR’s approach will lead to a locally preferred design
<br />alternative that is technically sound and widely supported within the first
<br />six months. HDR will work closely with CPOG to execute the integrated
<br />outreach strategy outlined in Figure 5.
<br />This strategy involves engaging with diverse audiences and stakeholders
<br />early in the process and at multiple touchpoints during all stages of project
<br />development. Our first step will be to develop an Outreach and Engagement
<br />Plan with the City. We then recommend kicking off the project with a
<br />presentation to the City Council to affirm their commitment to the reduction
<br />in lanes, hear their vision for the corridor, and receive any new direction
<br />for the project team. With this in mind, we will then conduct outreach and
<br />engagement, allowing the design team to gather essential early feedback,
<br />continue sharing information, and move forward in the process through
<br />concept development. We understand the importance the Stakeholder
<br />Group will have in encouraging engagement and that it will be comprised of
<br />a mix of representatives from local government, education, business, and
<br />community-based sectors. Our proposal recommends an additional working
<br />group focused on CBOs from the Stakeholder Group. This Community
<br />Working Group would meet up to three times in addition to the quarterly
<br />Stakeholder Group, providing a space to share open and honest feedback
<br />with the team, coordinate targeted outreach, and support culturally and
<br />linguistically relevant written and visual materials. We will set aside budget
<br />to compensate these groups for this extra time, labor, and expertise.
<br />HDR will amplify its reach to a broader community through in-person
<br />events such as workshops, design charrettes, and open houses. We are
<br />also suggesting an additional round of meetings with the six wards and
<br />eight neighborhood associations, as well as including two additional
<br />neighborhood associations that aren’t listed in the RFP (Artesia Pilar and
<br />Central City), but may be impacted by their proximity to the project.
<br />Figure 5: Outreach and Engagement ProcessClear communication will be essential to success of the outreach
<br />program. The HDR team will utilize various communication strategies
<br />through different types of events and meetings, development
<br />of multilingual public outreach materials, creation of two-way
<br />communication channels, traditional and digital media, and more.
<br />We have identified staff from HDR and our teaming partners who are
<br />fluent in Spanish and Vietnamese. They will be highly familiar with the
<br />alternatives being developed and have the expertise to explain details
<br />of the project to the community in their preferred language. They will
<br />be available to help translate documentation, facilitate meetings, and
<br />perform other activities to verify that information is accessible to those
<br />who prefer to communicate in a language other than English.
<br />Community-Friendly Tools
<br />Currently, the First Street corridor carries between 20,000 and 36,000
<br />vehicles per day, with the highest volumes on the west end of the
<br />corridor. The City has adopted LOS D as the standard, with a maximum
<br />LOS D capacity of 33,800 vpd for a four-lane divided roadway. Based
<br />on the existing roadway volumes, sections of First Street will fall below
<br />the LOS D standards. However, the objective of this project is to increase
<br />access to goods and services by improving pedestrian, bicycle, and
<br />transit facilities and reducing reliance on automobiles.
<br />Understanding level of service and quality of service can be challenging
<br />for the public. The same can be said about improvements drawn on
<br />a map in plan view, or asking the public to compare one alternative
<br />to another. While these methods are necessary to develop concepts,
<br />supplemental information is needed to help clarify benefits of the
<br />improvements and what they will realistically look like. HDR will use
<br />a suite of tools including VISSIM simulations, renderings, illustrative
<br />plan view drawings, and cross sections will help paint clear pictures
<br />of alternatives under consideration. These tools will be used in
<br />presentations, on the website, and at community events. HDR will work
<br />closely with Cityworks Design to develop public-friendly materials
<br />that clearly convey the concepts and recommendations developed for
<br />the project.
<br />REFINEMENTS
<br />In Phase 3, we will continue engaging
<br />the community and stakeholders while
<br />the design team refines the proposed
<br />alternatives based on their feedback.
<br />We will analyze input from previous
<br />discussions to identify common themes
<br />and priorities, allowing us to make
<br />informed adjustments that align the
<br />designs with the community’s needs
<br />and aspirations.
<br />OCT. 2025 -
<br />DEC. 2025
<br />PHASE3
<br />DESIGN ALTERNATIVES
<br />In Phase 2, we will present three design
<br />alternatives to the community for
<br />comprehensive discussion and feedback.
<br />We will encourage community dialogue and
<br />collaboration as we explore these options
<br />together. We will engage stakeholders,
<br />inform the City Council about our progress,
<br />and hold meetings to gather input to guide
<br />our final design decision-making process.
<br />JULY 2025 –
<br />SEPT. 2025
<br />PHASE2
<br />COMMUNITY & STAKEHOLDER INPUT
<br />Phase 1 focuses on establishing a strong
<br />foundation for equitable community
<br />dialogue and collaboration. We will
<br />engage stakeholders, present to the City
<br />Council, and hold initial meetings to gather
<br />input for the design team.
<br />MAY 2025 –
<br />JUNE 2025
<br />PHASE1
<br />ONGOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
<br />In this final phase, the design team will
<br />provide recommendations to the City
<br />council in December. We will provide
<br />ongoing community and stakeholder
<br />engagement to keep the community
<br />informed of what is happening and
<br />outline next steps. We will also
<br />address any community concerns as
<br />construction approaches.
<br />DEC. 2025 -
<br />MAY 2026
<br />PHASE4
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