United States - Comprehensive Bicycle Plan

Request for Proposals Town of Apex Comprehensive Bicycle Plan August 8, 2017 Project Description The Town of Apex, North Carolina, is seeking the services of a qualified planning firm, or team of firms, to provide professional planning services for the development of a Comprehensive Bicycle Plan under the North Carolina Department of Transportation Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Initiative. The planning process must be coordinated with Advance Apex: The 2045 Plan, a concurrent process to update the Town’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan and Land Use Map. Scope of Services The Scope of Services includes activities for developing a Comprehensive Bicycle Plan for Apex that is organized in accordance with the NCDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Initiative Recommended Template for Developing Municipal Bicycle Plans. The following is a breakdown of the services requested by the Town of Apex. We welcome modifications to this format if the proposing firm feels greater detail or clarification would be helpful. However, please address the minimum information noted.  Develop the bicycle plan in accordance with the plan template at: https://connect.ncdot.gov/municipalities/PlanningGrants/Documents/Content%20Standards%2 0for%20NCDOT%20Bicycle%20and%20Pedestrian%20Plans.pdf.  Develop and execute a public involvement strategy to include:  At least four steering committee meetings.  Use of the Town’s account with publicinput.com to develop an instrument to evaluate resident and visitor perceptions on destinations, obstacles and opportunities.  Two open house meetings with a printed agenda, presentation, handouts, displays and materials.  Presentation by the consultant in public hearings for Planning Board recommendations and approval by the Town Council.  A brochure or other collateral that can be distributed to inform stakeholders about the development of the plan.  Web content regarding the plan that the Town can use to update the Town of Apex website.  Carry out client review and coordination as follows:  Attend a kick-off meeting with Town staff at the outset of the planning process.  Provide a file sharing service.  Meet with Town staff to review draft documents to ensure that the project is consistent with the scope of services. The Town of Apex will forward draft documents to the NC Department of Transportation for review. 2  Meet twice with Town staff and the consultant carrying out a concurrent process to update the Comprehensive Transportation Plan and Land Use map to collaborate on plan integration and share data and information.  Correspond bi-weekly via standing teleconference with the Planning staff to summarize activities, progress and obstacles.  Meet with Planning staff prior to scheduled open houses and public hearings or meetings to go over a facilitation plan and materials.  Provide briefings to Planning staff via e-mail with quarterly summaries of activities, progress and obstacles. Deliverables Interested firms are encouraged to identify and describe recommended project deliverables to address the scope of services set forth. At a minimum, deliverables are anticipated to include:  Plan document and maps – in print (20 bound copies) and digital (PDF and Microsoft Word) formats  ArcGIS file geodatabase and GIS packages for all maps. GIS data will be provided using NCDOT’s geodatabase structure - https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/bikeped/pages/pbin.aspx  Original logo in JPG format  Materials for stakeholder engagement All documents, printed or electronically produced as part of this project shall be the property of the Town of Apex and NCDOT. The Town of Apex and NCDOT shall remain free to copy and edit any and all documents and presentation materials, electronic or otherwise. Electronic documents shall not be locked or password protected and the Town of Apex shall retain the ability to edit and update documents, including original word processing, spreadsheet, database and mapping files and resulting Acrobat files. Schedule The study process should be completed and the Comprehensive Bicycle Plan should be approved by Town of Apex Planning staff and submitted to NCDOT for review within twelve (12) months of the date of the notice to proceed. Following NCDOT approval of the final draft plan, the consultant shall present the plan to Town Council for consideration of adoption. If substantial changes are required by Town Council, the plan must be reviewed again by NCDOT. Interested firms should propose a schedule for the services and deliverables to be provided that addresses milestones and review periods. At a minimum, milestones should include:  Project kick-off  Stakeholder engagement  Draft, revised, and final submittal of deliverables to Town staff  Final draft submittal of plan to NCDOT for review and approval (within 12 months from Notice to Proceed or by November 2018, whichever is earlier)  Presentation to Town Council for adoption  Final plan delivery (up to 6 months from final draft submittal or by May 2019, whichever is earlier) 3 Eligibility The lead firm must have the financial resources and ability to undertake the work in its entirety and must have adequate accounting systems to identify costs chargeable to the project. At the time a contract is awarded, the lead firm shall be required to furnish proof of adequate professional liability insurance coverage, general liability insurance, workers’ compensation and employer’s liability insurance, and automobile liability insurance. Each subconsultant thereof shall provide proof of equivalent coverage. The lead firm shall also be required to sign a hold-harmless agreement. Proposal Content and Format Proposals are limited to 20 pages formatted on 8 ½” x 11” paper. Covers, if provided, will be included in the total page count. Proposals must be submitted in electronic (pdf) format. Interested firms are encouraged to use succinct writing and supporting tables or graphics in the proposal submittal. The proposal shall include the following:  Understanding Provide an explanation of your firm’s understanding of the scope of work and the context of the Town.  Team Profile Provide a general profile of your team. Provide the firm(s) name, address, contact name(s) and telephone number(s).  Assigned Personnel Include an organization chart for personnel who would be assigned to this effort. Summarize the qualifications assigned personnel possess in order to prepare the services outlined in this RFP. Address the availability of assigned staff to work on this project. Provide brief biographies tailored to this project for key staff.  Project Experience Provide a list and brief description of similar projects. Identify the assigned staff who worked on each project and their role. Give names, email addresses, and phone numbers of clients.  Scope of Services Propose clear tasks and explain the approach to carry out the Comprehensive Bicycle Plan in accordance with the NCDOT template, requirements for public engagement, and requirements for client coordination and review. Summarize the basic approach to providing the services, and any recommendations on improving efficiencies in the process. Provide the names of the staff that will be assigned to complete each task.  Summary Timeline Include a timeline for completion of each task, identifying milestones for public engagement and deliverables. 4 Proposal Transmittal and Selection Procedures An electronic document of the proposal in pdf format is the only allowable format. Please email proposals to: MThrYFlmZmdmJltncDhZaF1wZlsmZ2pf Upon receipt of your proposal, an email response will be provided. Proposals must be received no later than 4 p.m. on September 8, 2017 to be eligible for consideration. Any questions on the request for proposals should be directed to Shannon Cox at 919-249-3505 or MjEyZ1xVYmJjYiJXY2w0VWRZbGJXImNmWw==. A summary of inquiries and responses will not be provided. The Town of Apex reserves the right to select the most responsible and responsive proposal submittal which it finds to be within the best interests of the Town. The Town of Apex will select the most qualified and responsive firm based on the combined evaluation of three staff members. The Town reserves the right to schedule interviews if needed after evaluating proposals. NCDOT will review and approve the Town’s recommended firm. North Carolina firms qualified to do the work will be given priority consideration. A North Carolina firm is a firm that maintains an office in North Carolina staffed with an adequate number of employees judged by the Town and/or NCDOT to be capable of performing a majority of the work required. The Town of Apex reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to consider alternatives, to wave irregularities and to re-solicit proposal submittals. All proposal submittals must be valid for a minimum period of ninety (90) days after the date of the proposal submittal opening. All materials submitted regarding the RFP become the property of the Town of Apex and NCDOT and becomes public information. Responses may be viewed by any person at the proposal submittal opening time and after the final selection has been made. The Town is not liable for any costs incurred by those who have submitted proposal submittals prior to issuance of a signed contract. The contents from the selected firm will become contractual obligations if a subsequent agreement is reached. Failure of the selected firm to accept these obligations may result in cancellation of the award. The firm(s) selected will be notified by email. Notification will also be sent by email to firms not selected.