Keller selects Kimley‑Horn to lead ADA transition and Pedestrian Master Plan tied to Safe Routes funding

Keller city council voted on consent to hire Kimley‑Horn to prepare a citywide Pedestrian Facilities Master Plan, an ADA transition plan and a school pedestrian‑route plan that together support the city’s Safe Routes/Transportation Alternatives grant work.

The consultant selection and contract award were part of consent agenda item G5 and approved by council. Staff and Kimley‑Horn representatives described the project as two main deliverables: an ADA transition plan that inventories accessibility barriers across city programs and facilities and a school pedestrian route plan that maps walking routes to Keller’s 11 schools and proposes prioritized improvements and costs.

Why it matters: staff said an up‑to‑date ADA transition plan is increasingly required to document progress for state and federal grants and to satisfy oversight from higher authorities, including the U.S. Department of Justice as delegated through the state. The Safe Routes application is competitive; its evaluation considers safety, connectivity, readiness and equity. Staff told the council the city won an award after an earlier application round and now must execute the scope and advance the grant accounting so the city can be reimbursed for project spending.

What staff said: the ADA transition plan will inventory programs and facilities, capture public input, list barriers that affect programs or activities (not just building access), recommend fixes, estimate costs and identify responsible parties and schedules. The school pedestrian plan will identify likely walking “walk‑sheds” (about a quarter‑mile/15‑minute walk) and propose routes and priorities for each of the city’s 11 schools, with cost and phasing information.

Process and schedule: staff said the RFQ for the master plan was advertised in 2025, two firms responded (Kimley‑Horn and Neil Schafer), and Kimley‑Horn was selected based on relative experience. The project follows federal funding rules and an advanced funding agreement with the state; staff said advertising and procurement were completed and the city must now begin work to trigger reimbursement accounting. City staff said they expect public outreach and an inventory phase early in the contract and emphasized the plan will be used to support future grant eligibility and compliance checks.

Implementation context: staff told council the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) will be asked to inspect projects as part of documenting compliance on some items and that the city has pieces of ADA compliance already in place (notices on agendas, event accommodations, accessible temporary facilities) but lacks a single documented inventory and multi‑year schedule. The consultants will include a prioritized deficiency list and an implementation schedule.

Next steps: the contract award moves the project into the consultant mobilization and outreach phase. Staff said they will return with project milestones and that grant reimbursement processes will begin once the city starts incurring eligible costs.