Notice is hereby given that Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD), in partnership with the Missoula Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), has released Request for Proposals RFP #23-02 and is seeking responses from qualified firms to develop strategic, long-range plans for both MUTD and the MPO. The MUTD and MPO intend to select one firm or team to provide the services outlined in the full RFP linked here: https://mountainline.com/doing-business/current-solicitations/

Missoula Urban Transit District (MUTD) and the Missoula Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) are collaborating to develop a set of strategic, long-range plans. The two institutions have overlapping needs, but the form and content of the final plans will have separate requirements.

MUTD is seeking to develop a strategic plan that includes a comprehensive evaluation and actionable recommendations to address Missoula's Transit goals and objectives, service design and operations, capital improvements, funding strategy, climate objectives, equity goals, and related policy issues. The plan shall address internal and external factors influencing the use of public transit, including impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic, local and regional transit policies, service schedules, route designs, passenger experience and amenities, land uses, infrastructure analyses, emerging technologies etc. In addition, the plan shall include updated scenarios resulting from the development of a new operations center. The process will include extensive public engagement efforts, working with local community stakeholders. The Plan should focus on the development of short-range strategies and actions (within a 5-year window) with consideration for longer-term objectives and improvement of overall sustainability by reviewing and updating the existing 2045 long-term network. Finally, the plan should be a document that is able to demonstrates MUTDs value to the community both as a fiscal investment but also a service. The intention is for the MUTD Board to adopt a strategic Community Reconnection Plan in late-2024 or early 2025.

As a federally designated MPO in an urbanized area exceeding a population of 50,000 and within an air quality non-attainment area, the LRTP must be updated every four (4) years. Due to the comprehensive, rigorous update completed in 2021, the proposed process for development of a 2024 LRTP update will be targeted and limited in scope. Anticipated areas of focus include updating existing conditions, review and revision of the list of projects, and creating a fiscally constrained financial plan through the year 2050.

The unique opportunity offered by this RFP is to use the timing of plan updates for both MUTD and the MPO to better integrate transit into our region's long-range transportation planning and growth strategies.

Responses to the RFP will be accepted via email until 5:00 PM on Monday, October 2. For questions, please contact Vince Caristo, Procurement Specialist, vcaristo@mountainline.com or Aaron Wilson, Planning Manager, wilsona@ci.missoula.mt.us.