The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) of Los Angeles County has selected Atkins to be a part of its General Engineering Consultant “bench” contract to provide general engineering consultant (GEC) services in support of Metro’s day-to-day rail system operations.
Because Metro has limited internal engineering and technical resources to develop and carry out its rail projects, the GEC bench contract system was established to give the Authority ready access to a pool of consultants that can respond quickly—on an as-needed, task-order basis—to provide such services as:
- Computer-aided design and drafting (CADD)
- Train control design, programming, and review
- Communication design
- Traction power design and relay calibration
- Civil/facilities design.
As projects come up, Metro will invite qualified providers from its bench of pre-approved consultants to bid on specific tasks. The cumulative value of individual task orders under the GEC bench contract system could range as high as several million dollars.
“Los Angeles is one of the nation’s largest and most populous counties,” said Atkins business sector manager Jon McDonald, PE. “And Metro is one of the country’s largest transit agencies, having built six rail lines with almost 90 miles of track and 80 stations since opening its Blue Line in 1990. With funding from a variety of sources, the Authority is likely to spend more than $20 billion over the next 10 years to maintain, upgrade, and expand its rail system. This contract positions our transit and rail group with an outstanding new client in a new market, and we’re pleased that Metro recognizes the wide range of skills we bring to the table.”
