Summary and Background

Grand Valley Metropolitan Council (GVMC), the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Grand Rapids, MI metropolitan area, is currently accepting proposals from firms interested in being selected to develop a regional transportation demand management (TDM) plan for the GVMC planning area. The GVMC transportation planning area is designated as a Transportation Management Area (TMA) and includes all of Kent County and the eastern portion of Ottawa County. GVMC intends to select one firm or team to provide services as outlined below. GVMC receives federal and state grant funding and other funding from local participating governments.

PLEASE SEE GVMC'S WEBSITE FOR THE FULL RFP AND DETAILED PROPOSAL GUIDELINES: https://www.gvmc.org/unified-planning-work-program

Proposal Guidelines

This Request for Proposals (RFP) represents the requirements for an open and competitive process.

Proposals will be accepted until 5pm EST on November 30, 2021.

Firms, or teams of firms, must respond to the RFP with written proposals as well as electronic versions of their proposals in PDF format. Firms must email an electronic copy to Laurel Joseph at laurel.joseph@gvmc.org. Electronic submissions shall be titled with the firm's name as part of the document label. GVMC must also receive six (6) hard copies at the address below. Please email confirmation and tracking information of the proposal to Laurel Joseph at laurel.joseph@gvmc.org.

Proposals shall not exceed a total of 30 pages (8.5 x 11, front and back of sheet counted as two pages), inclusive of resumes and firm experience. Covers, end sheets, proposed budget, and an introductory letter shall not count against this maximum. Font size shall be a minimum of 10 point in all cases.

Proposals must be submitted to the following address:

Grand Valley Metropolitan Council
ATTN: Laurel Joseph
678 Front Ave NW, Suite 200
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Submissions may be withdrawn by written request only if the request is received on or before the opening date and time.

Submissions not meeting these criteria may be deemed non-responsive.

GVMC is not liable for any costs incurred by any prospective firm prior to the awarding of a contract, including any costs incurred in addressing this solicitation.

Grand Valley Metro Council, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into, pursuant to this advertisement, minority business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Project Purpose and Description

Encompassing all of Kent County and the eastern portion of Ottawa County, the GVMC MPO area has a current population of about 765,000, a 10% increase in the past 10 years. As our region grows and population increases, we are seeing an increased demand upon our roadways - more than 90% of commuters drive alone to work, while all commuters spend 1.2 million hours in freeway delays annually. Many of our busiest roads are constrained by buildings or other landmarks and cannot accommodate additional traffic. Therefore, several of our member agencies are emphasizing a mode shift toward other forms of transportation and TDM to help address congestion.

The Rapid is the region's urban transit agency, providing fixed route, paratransit, and rideshare services to the urban area's core six cities (Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Walker, Wyoming, Grandville, and East Grand Rapids) and beyond. The agency recently completed an 18-month comprehensive operational analysis ("Mobility for All") resulting in service changes that will increase service frequency and reliability, provide better connections in the service area, and increase access to employment and underserved areas. These changes went into effect on August 30, 2021 and will provide an additional 136,000 residents and 67,000 jobs with quarter-miles access to 15-minute all-day weekday service. To fully achieve the potential of these coverage and service improvements, TDM measures may be necessary. Thus, identifying potential measures will be a key component of this study. This study will also serve to inform The Rapid's next regional transit master plan, which will begin in 2023.

It will also be important to analyze how the COVID-19 pandemic may impact TDM moving forward and identify responsive solutions.

Several of the goals and objectives in GVMC's 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (adopted in 2020), as well as one of its key recommendations, support the development and enhancement of TDM strategies. Consultant proposals should, at minimum, address these critical goals, which include the following:

• MTP Goal 3: Enhance Safety and Reduce Congestion
  • Objective 3a: Promote services, such as Rideshare, that increase vehicle occupancy rates
  • Objective 3b: Reduce the reliance on single occupancy vehicles (SOVs) by developing policies that encourage the use or development of active modes of transportation
  • Objective 3c: Employ the Congestion Management Process to systematically monitor, measure, diagnose, and recommend travel management alternatives for current and future congestion on our region's multimodal transportation system
  • Objective 3d: Promote travel demand management practices to manage future traffic growth, improve system efficiency, mitigate congestion, and spread travel demand evenly to other times of the day, where feasible
• MTP Goal 6: Ensure Equity, Access, and Mobility
  • Acknowledging that not everyone in the region has the same transportation choices or access, how can TDM improve mobility for those who need it most?
• MTP Goal 7: Protect and Enhance the Environment
  • Objective 7a: Promote energy conservation and improve air quality by encouraging active modes of transportation that reduce emissions and improve quality of life and public health
• MTP Recommendation 4: Work to create a mode shift from single occupancy vehicles to more active forms of transportation
  • This recommendation encourages TDM as an action step.

With the above context in mind, the purpose of this study is to develop a coordinated regional transportation demand management strategy that includes recommended funding sources, lead agencies, and realistic mode shift goals, and outlines feasible implementation strategies and processes for performance analysis. This plan will support the 2045 MTP goals, objectives, and recommendations, and serve to inform and guide current and future TDM activities on a regional scale.

Project Scope

1. Stakeholder and Public Outreach and Engagement
   • Develop a comprehensive engagement strategy to encourage meaningful participation by regional planning partners, member jurisdictions, policy makers, transportation agencies, regional employer representatives, other stakeholders, and the public.
     • Recommend strategies for engagement at key points in the planning process using innovative and effective techniques. Include a social media marketing strategy for survey(s) and public engagement sessions at common public gathering areas.
   • Identify Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) members/agencies to provide input on technical tasks and work with GVMC staff to identify roles and responsibilities for the TAC.
2. Regional TDM Needs Assessment and Program Evaluation
   • Conduct an Inventory of existing TDM conditions and services.
     • Review applicable local and regional documents and plans that provide support for TDM in the region.
     • Complete an inventory and assessment of existing TDM programs, policies, funding, and operations in and around the planning area.
   • Complete a review of TDM programs in regions of similar size and needs as the GVMC region and compile effective approaches that could be implemented in the GVMC region.
   • Complete a gap analysis to identify areas where TDM can solve issues and improve mobility options for the entire, diverse regional community, especially for those that need it most.
   • Perform an evaluation of ownership/lead agency frameworks and make recommendations regarding a possible best fit for the GVMC region.
   • Complete an evaluation of TDM funding structure and sources.
3. Regional TDM Strategies Development and Implementation Action Plan
   • Based on the outcomes of Task 2, identify and recommend regional TDM programs, policies, services, and performance measures that can be implemented to achieve regional TDM goals and objectives in the 2045 MTP, with recommended order and timeframe for deployment. These recommendations should also address funding sources and opportunities, an ownership/lead agency framework, and realistic mode shift goals.
4. Final report
   • Final report with appendices
   • Executive Summary
   • Presentation of final plan to Technical and Policy Committees
   • All report elements should be developed and formatted in a way that is easily digestible for stakeholders and the public

Deliverables

1. Stakeholder and public engagement strategy
2. Technical Memo documenting results of Task 2 (Regional TDM Needs Assessment and Program Evaluation)
3. Monthly progress reports
4. Draft Final Report
5. Final Report and presentation

Request for Proposal Timeline

Questions regarding this solicitation are to be submitted in writing to laurel.joseph@gvmc.org prior to 5pm EST on Tuesday, November 23. Questions received, and answers, will be provided to interested parties and posted at the same location as this RFP (here).

All proposals in response to this RFP are due no later than 5pm EST Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

Evaluation of proposals will be conducted from Wednesday, December 1, 2021 to Monday, December 13, 2021. If additional information or discussions are needed with any consultants during this window, the consultants will be notified.

If interviews are conducted, they will be scheduled between Tuesday, December 14, 2021 and Thursday, December 16, 2021.

The committee-recommended selection decision for the preferred consultant will be made no later than Monday, December 27, 2021.

Upon notification, the contract negotiation with the committee-recommended consultant will begin immediately. Draft contract negotiations will be complete by January 10, 2022. This draft contract will be taken to the GVMC Board of Directors for their action on February 3, 2022.

Project Timeline

Project initiation phase should be completed by February 25, 2022.

Project planning phase(s) should be completed by March 4, 2022. The project planning phase will determine the timeline/schedule for the remaining phases of the project.

The project should be complete by September 30, 2023.

Budget

All proposals must include proposed work items and associated fees, and fit within the overall budget of $215,000.00, to complete the tasks described in the project scope. Fees should be listed for each task.

Consultant Qualifications

Consultants should provide the following items as part of their proposal for consideration:

• Name of lead firm and any sub-consultants
• Point of contact at lead firm
• List of how many full time, part time, and contractor staff in your organization
• Description of experience in performing TDM plans or similar studies, including list of references with current contact information
• Examples of three or more applicable plans/studies completed in past 5 years
• Testimonials from past clients on TDM work
• Anticipated resources (key personnel) you will assign to this project (total number, role, title, experience) and their relevant qualifications
• Detailed description of the technical approach proposed for accomplishing the work, including a definition of deliverables and GVMC review and comment points
• Proposed schedule and work plan, which should include estimated hours by category for each identified task
• Proposed project budget by task with hours and hourly fee(s) clearly shown
• Project management methodology

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Demonstrated familiarity with the MPO planning process, GVMC metropolitan region, and the transportation needs of the region
• Overall proposal suitability and technical approach: proposed work must meet the scope and needs included herein and be presented in a clear and organized manner
• Technical expertise and experience: consultants must provide descriptions and documentation of staff technical expertise and experience
• Previous work: consultants will be evaluated on examples of their work pertaining to the project scope and testimonials and references
• Organizational experience and value: consultants will be evaluated on their experience and proposed fee as it pertains to the scope of this project