West Florida Regional Planning Council
NOTICE TO PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST FLORIDA-ALABAMA TPO OKALOOSA-WALTON TPO BAY COUNTY TPO
REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST
FLORIDA-ALABAMA TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION
OKALOOSA-WALTON TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION
BAY COUNTY TRANSPORTATION PLANNING ORGANIZATION
REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST
NOTICE TO PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS
The Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization (FL-AL TPO), the Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization (O-W TPO), and the Bay County Transportation Planning Organization (BC TPO) [FL-AL TPO, O-W TPO, and BC TPO are referred to separately as “TPO” and collectively as “the TPOs”], in cooperation with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), and the West Florida Regional Planning Council (WFRPC) request that qualified consultants submit Proposals for consideration in the competitive selection of professional transportation planning services on the following project:
PROJECT: GENERAL PLANNING CONSULTANTS (GPC)
It is the intent for the TPOs to retain the services of one or more Consultants to provide support to one or more of the TPOs for the transportation planning activities set forth in the Unified Planning Work Programs (UPWPs). The Code of Federal Regulations defines a UPWP as “…a statement of work identifying the planning priorities and activities to be carried out within a metropolitan planning area. At a minimum, a UPWP includes a description of the planning work and resulting products, who will perform the work, timeframes for completing the work, the cost of the work, and the source(s) of funds.” [23 CFR 450.104]. The proposed length of the agreement is three (3) years, with the option of two (2) one-year extensions, to be exercixed at the sole discretion of the West Florida Regional Planning Council’s Executive Director. The work involves providing assistance to the TPO staff on a work assignment basis in a variety of technical, graphical, public involvement, and product review activities. The Consultants shall assist the TPO staff by providing additional resources as needed to accomplish assignments authorized by the TPO. Consideration will be given to only those firms that have been prequalified by the FDOT to perform the following MAJOR Type(s) of Work.
MAJOR TYPE OF WORK:
13.3 Policy Planning
13.4 Systems Planning
13.5 Subarea/Corridor Planning
13.6 Land Planning/Engineering
13.7 Transportation Statistics
SCOPE OF SERVICES
This section, Scope of Services, outlines tasks that may be assigned to the Consultants under a general planning consultant agreement. The Consultants may be asked to complete tasks from the FL-AL TPO UPWP, the O-W TPO UPWP, and the BC TPO UPWP, and these tasks are described broadly as follows:
A. Public Participation Process (PPP): The Consultants may assist the TPOs to educate and inform the public about the urban transportation planning process; devise methods to increase the public’s awareness of how transportation systems are planned and constructed; and increase interest and participation in transportation planning projects. Consultants will encourage participation in the transportation planning process from as many sectors as possible, with specific attention to low-income groups, the elderly, physically disadvantaged, and minorities.
B. Regional Coordination: Consultants will encourage that agencies at federal, state, and local levels engage in regional coordination of transportation plans. The agencies include the Association of MPOs (AMPO), National Association of Regional Councils (NARC), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Florida MPO Advisory Council (MPOAC), Florida Transportation Commission (FTC), Florida State Legislature (House and Senate), and West Florida Regional Planning Council (WFRPC). The 2000 Census drew boundaries of urbanized areas that overlap political and traditional transportation planning areas, creating continuous urbanized areas. Regional planning has been a federal and state planning emphasis area (PEA) and is a requirement for the State Transportation Regional Incentive Program (TRIP). The Consultants may assist the TPOs with regional planning activities.
C. Long Range Transportation Planning: As required in 23 Code of Federal Regulations 450.324 (d), Consultant teams will prepare long range transportation plans (LRTPs) to be reviewed and updated at least every four (4) years in air quality non-attainment areas and at least every five (5) years in air quality attainment areas. The LRTP’s validity and consistency with current and forecasted transportation and land use conditions and trends will be reviewed and the horizon year will be extended.
D. Transportation System Management (TSM) and Congestion Management Process (CMP) Planning: The Consultants may assist the TPOs to identify projects that can be implemented quickly and are generally low cost operational improvements to the transportation system. Examples of TSM projects include adding turn lanes at intersections, updating traffic signals, modifying median openings, and making other operational improvements. CMP planning is required of TPOs to reduce traffic congestion in the TPO Planning Area. This includes an analysis of selected congested segments, and a comprehensive set of strategies to manage that congestion. The CMP rates the performance of transportation facilities (roadways, bike lanes, sidewalks, and transit services) and suggests low-cost, short-term strategies to alleviate congestion.
E. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Planning: The purpose of ITS Planning is to achieve the efficient operation of existing transportation facilities through the use of advanced information and communications technologies. Consultant resources may be utilized to assist the TPOs and advisory committees in developing and implementing ITS strategies affecting various travel modes.
F. Freight Planning: The Consultants may assist the TPOs in updating the Regional Freight Plan. The purpose of freight planning is to identify the primary categories of goods being transported, evaluate the efficiency of their movement and identify improvements to the freight network. These improvements will be considered for inclusion in the TPO’s priorities, FDOT’s Work Program, and the Transportation Improvement Program(s) (TIP). Freight stakeholders will be included in the TPO planning process.
G. Public Transportation Planning: The Consultants may assist the TPOs with public transportation planning activities that address short-term and long-term public transportation needs in the urbanized areas, assist with design and project management for rebuilding a public transportation facility in the Panama City urbanized area, assist with Transit Development Plan updates, and support the Transportation Disadvantaged Program.
H. Bicycle/Pedestrian Planning: The Consultants may assist the TPOs to improve personal mobility by returning to principles of pedestrian and bicycle-friendly communities, otherwise known as ‘livable communities’, and to meet the goals of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) to provide and promote modal choices. This task emphasizes considerations for pedestrians and bicyclists in all transportation planning and construction projects.
I. Air Quality Planning: The Consultants may assist the TPOs in maintaining transportation conformity as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) transportation conformity regulations (40 CFR Part 93, Subpart A), specifically with the Long Range Transportation Plans (LRTPs), Transportation Improvement Rrograms (TIPs), and any plans in which project identification numbers, project descriptions, funding types, and funding amounts are included. This task focuses on attainment with the national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone and/or particulate matter 2.5.
J. Corridor Management Planning: The Consultants may assist the TPOs in developing corridor management plans for arterial corridors. The TPOs will work with local governments to promote corridor management planning and the Consultants may assist the TPOs with plans to implement improvements as programmed in the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan and previously adopted Corridor Management Plans.
K. Miscellaneous Technical Studies: The activities associated with this task are included in the individual TPO Unified Planning Work Program as studies that are undertaken as the result of a special need identified during the course of carrying out the metropolitan planning program process. Illustrative tasks may include special trip generation studies, technical support to other transportation agencies, and review and analysis of other planning studies. An example completed under a previous agreement is the Feasibility Study of Advance Funding of Transportation Capacity Projects.
L. Transit Operations Planning: Consultants may be used to assist the TPOs with transit operations planning activities, including assistance with transit corridor planning studies, development of service plans for new transit corridors and under-performing routes, route analysis, assistance with promotional and public involvement activities, and implementation of transit-friendly design standards.
RESPONSE EVALUATION: All respondents will be evaluated in accordance with Section 287.055(4), Florida Statutes (FS), and must be determined by the TPOs and the FDOT as qualified to do business in Florida and qualified to perform the advertised work requirements. The above project falls into the selection process so indicated in Chapter 14-75, Florida Administrative Code (FAC) wherein at least three (3) firms will be requested to submit technical proposals. The contract fee will be negotiated in accordance with Section 287.055 (FS).
Lobbying of TPO Members, TPO Advisory Committee Members and TPO Staff regarding this Request for Letters of Interest by any member of a Proposer’s staff, or those people who are members of, or employed by, any legal entity affiliated with an organization that is responding to the Request for Letters of Interest, is strictly prohibited. Such actions may cause your proposal, or the proposal you are supporting, to be rejected.
SUBCONSULTANT OPPORTUNITY: Subconsultants that are not pre-qualified by FDOT shall be subject to compensation restrictions as specified in Chapter 14-75, FAC. Any such subconsultant utilized must be technically qualified by FDOT before work may commence.
NOTIFICATION OF CRIME CONVICTION: Each applicant shall notify FDOT within 30 days after a conviction of a contract crime applicable to it or any officer, director, executive, shareholder active in management, employee, or agent of its affiliates. “The term ‘contract crime’ means any violation of state or federal antitrust laws with respect to a public contract or any violation of any state or federal law involving fraud, bribery, collusion, conspiracy, or material misrepresentation with respect to a public contract.” (Section 337.165 (1)(c), FS, under Section 337.164 (FS)., the privilege of conducting business with FDOT shall be denied to applicants so convicted until such applicant is properly reinstated pursuant to Section 337.165, F.S., and Chapter 14-75, FAC.
FEDERAL DEBARMENT: By signing and submitting a Letter of Interest, the consultant certifies that no principal (which includes officers, directors, and executives) is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in this engagement by any federal department or agency.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM STATEMENT: The TPOs do not discriminate on any basis, as required by 49 USC 5332 (which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, or age in employment or business opportunity), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, 42 USC 2000d to 2000d-4, and Title 49 CFR, Part 21. The TPOs ensure, in accordance with 49 CFR Part 26, that certified FDOT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE) participants have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in FDOT assisted contracts.
TO RESPOND: Firms, pre-qualified to conduct business in the State of Florida by the FDOT, are asked to submit fifteen paper copies and one electronic copy (either on a flash drive included in the submission or via email to jill.lavender@wfrpc.org) of the Letter of Interest to the WFRPC office by 4:30 p.m. (CT), Friday, April 6, 2018. Letters of Interest should not contain links to Web Pages and must, at a minimum, include the following information:
a. Project Name: General Planning Consultants (GPC)
b. Consultant's name and address
c. Proposed responsible office for consultant
d. Contact person, phone number, and Internet Email Address
e. Statement regarding prequalification of consultant or proposed subconsultants in advertised type of work
f. Proposed key personnel and their proposed roles (do not include resumes)
g. Subconsultant(s) that may be used for the project not listed in item ‘e’ above
h. A Bid Opportunity List (FDOT Form No. 375-040-62) should be included as a separate attached file. This will not be counted as one of the five pages of the Letter of Interest.
The “Letter of Interest” must be no more than five (5) one-sided pages in length and shall describe related experience, training, and qualifications to complete planning tasks for the TPOs.
The outside of the envelope containing the Proposal must be marked GENERAL PLANNING CONSULTANT SERVICES FOR THE FLORIDA-ALABAMA TPO, THE OKALOOSA-WALTON TPO, AND THE BAY COUNTY TPO. The TPOs will accept no responsibility for letters not so marked. Letters are to remain in effect for 90 calendar days from the date of submission. The TPO reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.
Requests for clarification of the requirements or inquiries about information contained in this request must be submitted to Jill Lavender at jill.lavender@wfrpc.org by 4:30 p.m. (CT), Friday, March 16, 2018. Responses to all questions will be posted at one time by 4:30 p.m. (CT), Friday, March 23, 2018, on the WFRPC webpage at http://www.wfrpc.org/requests-proposals-rfps.
Mail fifteen paper copies and one electronic copy to: the WFRPC, Jill Lavender, P.O. Box 11399, Pensacola, FL 32524, email jill.lavender@wfrpc.org, phone: (850)332-7976, ext. 212 or to physical address: 4081 E. Olive Road, Suite A, Pensacola, FL 32514
SELECTION PROCESS: After the WFRPC’s receipt of Letters of Interest, a Selection Committee consisting of TPO elected officials, technical committee members, citizen advisory committees, and staff shall shortlist a minimum of three firms. Shortlisted firms will be notified by e-mail. The selection committee invites shortlisted firms to submit a technical proposal and reserves the right to ask for oral presentations from shortlisted firms. Firms will be ranked based upon their understanding of requested services, project approach, technical strength, unique concepts, experience, and quality control methods. TPO Staff will present the GPC Selection Committee’s determination to the TPO Boards for their approval at their regular August 2018 meetings.
2018 SCHEDULE: The proposed schedule for this Request for Letters of Interest is as follows:
Monday, March 5, 2018
Issue Request for Letter of Interest
Friday, April 6, 2018
Letter of Interest due from Proposers
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Short listing of proposers completed by Selection Committee
Monday, May 7, 2018
Technical Proposal Submittal Requirements
and Oral Presentation Requirements issued to short-listed firmsWednesday, June 20, 2018
Technical Proposals Due
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Oral Presentations/Evaluation/Final Recommendation of Selection Committee
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Florida-Alabama TPO Board Action
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Okaloosa-Walton TPO Board Action
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Bay County TPO Board Action
