INTRODUCTION

This project will create a Safe Routes to Schools Plan that will identify barriers to safe, sustainable transportation and guide future transportation developments around 44 schools in the city of Salinas. Parents, administrators and students will participate in public meetings and walking audits at each school with the planning team. Community input will be crucial to create a plan for each school with the goal of decreasing congestion, improving safety, and increasing active transportation options.

The Salinas Safe Routes to Schools Plan is a partnership between the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, the City of Salinas, the Monterey County Health Department, Ecology Action, and four Salinas school districts. The plan will provide a systematic assessment of the greatest barriers to increased school-based active transportation. Rather than cities and school administrators responding to the traffic issue of the day, this process will yield a comprehensive list of traffic safety issues impacting active transportation.

This project is funded through a Caltrans Sustainable Communities Transportation Planning Grant. The selected consultant will be required to track and document their activities in accordance with Caltrans requirements.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The consultant's primary responsibilities are to attend school walking audits and to develop infrastructure recommendations to improve traffic flow, reduce collisions, and eliminate barriers to walking and bicycling at 44 schools. The consultant will develop planning-level cost estimates for each recommendation and develop engineering plans for up to four pop-up infrastructure demonstrations. Finally, the consultant will review the draft plan and provide feedback.

1. Attend School Audits for at Least Eight of the Forty-Four Selected Schools

Attend at least eight walking audits of areas surrounding schools. Survey drop-off/pick-up areas when students are arriving on campus. Survey bike parking facilities. Consultant's main contribution is to provide traffic engineering insights and observations on conditions related to driving, bicycling and walking.

Participants: Ecology Action, TAMC staff, City staff, County Health Department, consultant, school staff, community members

2. Create List of Infrastructure Recommendations for Forty-Four Schools

Review data from public meetings and school audits to create list of infrastructure recommendations. Recommendations will be the result of participation in audits, site visits with planning team staff, and review of crash data and comments for each school site, to be collected by Ecology Action. Infrastructure recommendations must be reviewed and vetted by a licensed Professional Civil or Traffic Engineer or a certified Road Safety Professional.

Participants: Ecology Action, consultant

3. Develop Planning Level Cost Estimates

Develop planning-level cost estimates for each infrastructure recommendation. City staff will have input on per-unit costs prior to developing estimates.

Participants: Ecology Action, consultant

4. Design of Pop-Up Infrastructure Demonstrations

Develop engineering drawings for temporary pop-up demonstration infrastructure at up to four selected sites in Salinas, including proposed locations of temporary striping, hardscape items such as planter boxes, and signage.

Participants: consultant

5. Review Plan and Provide Comments

Review draft plan prepared by Ecology Action staff, which will encompass all 44 school sites. Plans will include Executive Summary, profiles for each school site detailing current conditions, individual school site recommendations, citywide recommendations and non-infrastructure recommendations. All survey data and comments will be attached as appendices. Submit plan suggestions, edits and revisions to Ecology Action staff.

Participants: consultant

These tasks should all be completed by December 31st, 2021.

PROJECT TIMETABLE

Consultant Selection Process (subject to delay)

Release RFP — February 19th, 2020

Responses due — March 18th, 2020

Select consultant — Week of March 23rd, 2020

Conclude agreement negotiations — April 3rd, 2020

Planning and Audits

School Audits at Eight or More Schools: April/May and September/October/November 2020

List of Infrastructure Recommendations for 44 Schools: June 2020–February 2021

Design of Pop-Up Infrastructure Demonstrations: January–March 2021

Review Plan: April–June 2021

PROPOSAL CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION

Project Team: Discuss overall qualifications of the firm and/or project team (key staff and sub-consultants, as applicable), including:

• Firm — Briefly describe the respondent's firm including the year the firm was established, type of organization (partnership, corporation, etc.), and any variation in size over the last five years. State the firm's qualifications for performing the consulting services requested in this RFP. Briefly describe the firm's experience with similar organizations and experience in projects related to K-12 school transportation master planning and Safe Routes to School and/or Complete Streets initiatives.
• Key Personnel — Describe the qualifications and experience of each professional who will participate in the project. Include a résumé for each key staff member of the project team. Designate a project manager. The project team should include at least one staff member who is a certified Road Safety Professional, licensed civil engineer, or licensed traffic engineer.
• References — Provide a list of at least three references. Include references from clients of similar agencies and projects, as applicable. References must include client name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. For each reference, describe the nature of the work you performed, approximate dates your firm performed the work, and your firm's professional staff who performed the work.

Project Approach: Please indicate the approach which your firm will use in this project to give the City a quality product according to the agreed schedule and stated budget.

Budget: The budget for above Scope of Services is $91,200. Please provide costs for tasks 1-5 including hours per task.

CONSIDERATIONS

The successful consultant will be required to enter into a standard agreement with Ecology Action that specifies the scope of service, completion schedule, and an agreed-upon schedule of payment. The consultant shall also meet the requirements of the agreement between Ecology Action and the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (copy attached).

Consultant must retain all documents, books, and records connected with the funds transferred to the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, and performance requirements related to the funds. The retention period is a minimum of three years from the date of the final payment to the Transportation Agency for Monterey County or until audit resolution is scheduled. For as long as they are retained, records shall be available for inspection by state and or federal representatives and requested copies shall be provided to them without cost.

The consultant will submit monthly invoices by the fifth day of the month. Invoices will be paid upon receipt.

The proposal should be kept to 6 double-sided pages, or 12 page-sides of content. Cover page, cover letter, dividers, tables of content, staff resumes and budget do not count towards the 6-page total. Proposals must be received by, not postmarked by, the closing date and time. Proposals may be submitted via email, in person or by postal service. If a hard copy proposal is submitted, please include ten copies.

Ecology Action will accept questions via email regarding the RFP prior to 5:00 p.m. on March 11^th.

Please submit four copies of proposal by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18^th, 2020 to:

Amelia Conlen, Planner
Ecology Action
877 Cedar Suite 240
Santa Cruz CA, 95060
aconlen@ecoact.org

PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION

Each proposal will be reviewed to determine if it meets the minimum proposal requirements. Ecology Action may reject any proposal if it is conditional, incomplete, fails to meet the requirements of the RFP, or contains irregularities. A selection committee will review all proposals and will make final recommendations based on the proposal and references check.

RFP Response Evaluation

Responses will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Criterion — Points

Firm's demonstrated experience in similar project work — 20 points

Key staff experience with similar projects — 20 points

References — 10 points

Proposed project approach — 20 points

Cost — 30 points

Total — 100

Final Selection and Protests

The RFP process is considered concluded when a letter is sent to all participating consultants indicating which consultant has been selected.

Protestants shall submit a detailed written statement of protest to:

Ecology Action
877 Cedar Suite 240
Santa Cruz CA, 95060

no later than five (5) business days after receipt of the award notice described above.

Thank you for your consideration of this RFP. Ecology Action looks forward to receiving your proposal. If you have any questions about this RFP, please contact Amelia Conlen via email at aconlen@ecoact.org by Wednesday, March 11th at 5:00 p.m.