INTRODUCTION

This project will create a Safe Routes to Schools Plan that will identify barriers to safe, sustainable transportation and guide future transportation improvements around 22 schools in the Salinas Valley, located in the cities of Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, and King City. Students, parents, and school staff will participate in meetings and walking audits at each school site 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 Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan is a partnership between the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, the Cities of Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, and King City, the Monterey County Health Department, Ecology Action, and five school districts. The plan will provide a systematic assessment of the greatest barriers to increased school-based active transportation and a list of infrastructure and program recommendations for each school site.

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 planning-level infrastructure recommendations to improve traffic flow, reduce collisions, and eliminate barriers to walking and bicycling at 22 schools. The consultant will develop planning-level cost estimates for each recommendation and develop plans for four pop-up infrastructure demonstrations. Finally, the consultant will review the draft plan and provide feedback.

1. Attend School Audits for at Least Six of the 22 Schools

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

Deliverable: Attendance at six school audits.

2. Create List of Infrastructure Recommendations for Twenty-Two Schools

Review data from parent meetings and school audits to create list of planning-level infrastructure recommendations. Recommendations should include improvements around each school site as well as recommendations for Safe Routes to Schools Corridors that connect schools with residential neighborhoods and other key destinations. 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.

Deliverable: List of infrastructure recommendations for 22 schools.

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.

Deliverable: Planning-level cost estimates for all infrastructure recommendations.

4. Design of Pop-Up Infrastructure Demonstrations

Develop design drawings for four temporary pop-up infrastructure demonstrations, including proposed locations of temporary striping, hardscape items such as planter boxes, and signage. Includes two rounds of review and edits based on feedback from city staff and planning team.

Deliverable: Design drawings for four temporary infrastructure demonstrations.

5. Review Plan and Provide Comments

Review draft plan prepared by Ecology Action staff, which will encompass all 22 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.

Deliverable: Notes on draft plan document.

These tasks should all be completed by October 1st, 2023.

PROJECT TIMETABLE

Consultant Selection Process (subject to delay)

Release RFP — February 28th, 2022

Deadline for questions — March 16th, 2022

Responses due — March 25th, 2022

Select consultant Week of — March 28th, 2022

Conclude contract negotiations — April 15th, 2022

Project Timeline

School Audits at Six Schools: May 2022 (1-2 audits) & Fall 2022 (4-5 audits)

List of Infrastructure Recommendations for 22 Schools: May 2022 – February 2023

Design of Infrastructure Demonstrations: July/August 2022 & January – July 2023

Review Plan: Summer 2023

Contract End Date: Fall 2023

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 member of the project team. Designate a project manager. The project team should include at least one person 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, 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 to provide a quality product according to the agreed schedule and stated budget.

Budget: The budget for above Scope of Services is $50,000. 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 (see Attachment 1).

Consultant must retain all documents, books, and records connected with the funds received from 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 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.

Disadvantage 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, sex, national origin, religion, age, or disability in consideration for an award.

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. Digital submissions are preferred, but if a hard copy proposal is submitted please include five copies.

Ecology Action will accept questions via email regarding the RFP prior to 5:00 p.m. on March 16th.

Please submit proposal by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 25th, 2022 to:

Attn: Amelia Conlen
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:

Criteria — Points

Firm's demonstrated experience in similar project work — 20

Key staff experience with similar projects — 20

References — 10

Proposed project approach — 20

Budget — 30

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:

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

Statements of protest must be submitted 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, please contact Amelia Conlen via email at aconlen@ecoact.org by Wednesday, March 16th at 5:00 p.m.