Project Overview

The City of Edina is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) for the preparation of a Passenger Rail Community Engagement Report for the City. The City is seeking a firm or team of interdisciplinary planning and design professionals with experience in public engagement and passenger rail transit.

The selected firm will work with City of Edina staff and decision makers to conduct a robust public engagement process, planning study and document review, existing conditions and policy analysis, make recommendations and prepare a final Report document to assist the Edina Transportation Commission and City Council with decisions regarding the future of passenger rail in Edina.

Background

Some residents and City officials have continued to express interest in the possibility of passenger rail in Edina. Over the past year City staff has received almost daily questions and requests for assistance and information around the general topic of future passenger rail service to and from Edina. The subject of rail service in Edina was not part of any City Council, City department or Board/Commission work plans, so in April of 2016 City Council directed the Edina Transportation Commission (ETC) to review and recommend whether the City of Edina should assume a position in favor of the addition of passenger rail to the community.

Summary of Work Program

The City of Edina anticipates that the selected firm will design and lead a process consistent with the work program outlined below. City staff and the ETC will play a prominent role throughout the duration of the project. Consultants may suggest deviations to this work program that would better achieve project goals.

Meetings with City Staff and Officials

The selected firm will meet regularly with the City's project manager to monitor project progress. In addition, attendance at the following elected/appointed official meetings is also anticipated:

• Three Edina Transportation Commission (ETC) meetings
• One City Council meeting

Public Engagement Process

Public engagement is the primary component of this effort. The selected firm will design a public engagement process that identifies and involves stakeholders at key moments throughout the report process. This process should be informative, inclusive, and promote a community conversation that creates an "arc" of engagement, using multiple methods that allow more people to participate and lift up their perspectives. The City believes that public meetings by themselves will not be sufficient to meet the goals of this project.

Planning Study and Document Review

Several local and regional planning studies and policy documents have been prepared that address the topic of regional passenger rail and transit in the Twin Cities and Edina. The consultant will review these documents and will summarize key elements, common themes and inconsistencies that may exist between them.

Existing Conditions and Policy Analysis

To supplement the review of existing planning studies, the consultant will collect additional data necessary to prepare a policy and process analysis related to the potential implementation of passenger rail in/through Edina. This will require meeting with agency and municipal staff in Edina and elsewhere to gain an understanding of agency requirements, as well as input from adjacent communities. The information gathered and prepared in this task will be summarized in a memorandum for staff and public consumption.

Develop Recommendations

Based on the information gathered and prepared above – with particular emphasis on informed community and City input and desires – the consultant will work with the ETC to develop recommendations regarding the future of passenger rail on the Dan Patch rail line in Edina. At minimum recommendations should address the following:

• Encouragement of Passenger Rail in Edina: The consultant should recommend whether or not the City of Edina should dedicate staff and fiscal resources to developing a plan to encourage the development of passenger rail service in Edina. If so, this recommendation should include suggested next steps to doing so.
• Dan Patch "Gag Rule": The consultant should recommend if the City of Edina should formally request the elimination of the so called "gag rule" concerning the Dan Patch line. This recommendation can include all or portions of the "gag rule" if necessary.

Prepare Final Report

The selected firm will prepare a report that documents the entire engagement and study effort. A draft of the Report will be submitted to the City for review and comment. The final Report shall be submitted to the City in written and electronic formats, and will be presented to the City Council at a regular council meeting.

Desired Project Schedule

The following lists the key milestones in the project process.

• Request for Proposals Advertised: March 22, 2017
• Request for Proposal Due to City of Edina: April 20, 2017
• Interviews (if necessary): May 1-5, 2017
• City Council Award Contract to Consultant: May 18, 2017
• Project Start: Late May, 2017
• Project Complete: Late August, 2017

Project Budget

The City's budget for the Passenger Rail Engagement Report is $30,000. Proposers are free to suggest additional work tasks (with associated fee estimates) that they feel may result in a successful project.

Contact for Questions

Perspective responders who have any questions regarding this request for proposal should submit them in writing to Mark Nolan (contact information below). Since questions and subsequent responses may apply to all proposers, questions and responses will be sent out via e-mail to all firms responding to the RFP. If you wish to contact the City, please contact one of the following individual.

Mark K. Nolan, AICP – Transportation Planner
City of Edina
7450 Metro Boulevard
Edina, MN 55439
mnolan@edinamn.gov
Phone: 952-826-0322

Delivery of Proposals

All proposals must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. (central time) on April 20, 2017. Late proposals will not be considered. Ten (10), bound copies, plus an electronic copy submitted on a flash drive or compact disk of all documents should be submitted to Mark Nolan at the contact information provided above no later than the date and time listed above. In order to be considered, all requested information shall be submitted. The City will not be responsible for proposals delivered to a person or location other than that specified above.

All costs incurred in responding to this RFP will be borne by the responder.

Proposal Evaluation

All complete submittals received prior to the deadline will be evaluated by an evaluation team comprised of City staff and appointed officials likely to be engaged in the process. Submittals will be evaluated on past experience, professional capabilities and ability to collaboratively work in partnership with the City to successfully complete the Passenger Rail Community Engagement Report. Emphasis will be placed on the public engagement experience and approach of the consultant, as well as demonstrated knowledge of passenger rail. The City will determine which responders, if any, will be invited to interview. Interviews – if necessary – will be held the week of May 1, 2017.