Introduction

The Rochester-Olmsted Council of Governments (ROCOG), the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Rochester, Minnesota urbanized area and an organization embedded within Olmsted County, is soliciting a Request for Proposals (RFP) from qualified consulting firms to assist with development of the Northwest Expansion & Transportation (NEXT) Plan.

The NEXT Plan is a comprehensive transportation and land use study focused on corridors northwest of the City of Rochester. The selected Consultant will provide technical analysis, multimodal transportation planning, land use evaluation, corridor level investigation, and an implementation framework to guide future development and transportation investment. The total consulting budget shall not exceed $225,000.

The plan is intended to support state, county, and local jurisdictions in understanding existing conditions, anticipated growth, and long term transportation and land use needs within the study area.

Olmsted County reserves the right to incorporate additional but similar services or locations in the future if mutually agreed upon in writing and formalized through contract amendment.

Community Profile

The ROCOG planning area includes all of Olmsted County and the full city limits of Pine Island and Chatfield, including portions extending outside the county. The NEXT project area is located in the northwest portion of this region and includes the townships of Kalmar, Oronoco, and New Haven, as well as the crescent area of northwest Rochester within Cascade Township.

The area consists primarily of agricultural land, rural residential development, and emerging growth areas near major transportation corridors. Proximity to Rochester and US Highway 14 and US Highway 52 has accelerated development pressure, requiring coordinated transportation and land use planning.

Project Background

Growth in the northwest ROCOG area is increasing demand for safe and efficient multimodal transportation, coordinated access management, and land use strategies that support orderly development.

The NEXT Plan will evaluate existing and future transportation conditions, identify long term multimodal needs, assess land use trends, and establish a coordinated framework for growth. The plan will incorporate findings from ROCOG's Safety Action Plan, MnDOT and Olmsted County access management policies, local comprehensive plans, and relevant development initiatives.

The study will align with the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan (SMTP) to ensure consistency with statewide transportation goals.

Key regional corridors to be evaluated include CSAH 44, US 63, 14 Street NW / CSAH 44 / 19 Street NW, and County Road 112.

Key Objectives and Outcomes

The NEXT Plan is intended to:

• Assess existing and future multimodal transportation needs (roadway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, freight)
• Develop corridor mapping, access management guidance, and functional classification recommendations
• Evaluate land use patterns and growth pressures to reduce transportation and land use conflicts
• Conduct scenario planning to assess impacts of alternative growth patterns
• Incorporate safety analysis and recommend planning level safety strategies
• Establish a coordinated planning framework among MnDOT, Olmsted County, and local jurisdictions
• Support community input and stakeholder engagement in decision making

Scope of Work and Consultant Responsibilities

Project Management

The Consultant shall provide full planning, engineering, and project management services to complete the work on schedule and within budget.

Multimodal Transportation Assessment

The Consultant will evaluate multimodal transportation conditions and needs across the study area, including roadway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and freight systems.

Tasks include:

• Inventory of existing conditions including functional classification, geometry, speed environment, access, intersections, and multimodal facilities
• Review of relevant plans, studies, and policies
• Analysis of travel patterns using traffic, transit, freight, active transportation, and commuting data
• Identification of major trip generators and activity centers
• Evaluation of forecasted travel demand based on adopted land use and socioeconomic projections
• Identification of system gaps, barriers, safety concerns, and connectivity issues
• Development of planning level system improvements with prioritization, phasing, order of magnitude cost estimates, and consideration of greenhouse gas reduction strategies

Public Engagement

The Consultant will design and implement a comprehensive engagement program, including:

• Stakeholder and public engagement plan
• Steering Committee (minimum four quarterly meetings)
• Technical Advisory Committee (minimum twelve monthly meetings)
• Up to six ROCOG TTAC and Policy Board presentations
• At least six stakeholder workshops or focus meetings
• At least four public meetings (minimum two hours each, with materials and interactive elements)
• Project website, survey, and/or interactive mapping tools
• All outreach materials including presentations, boards, handouts, and digital content (508 compliant)
• Meeting agendas, summaries, and facilitation support
• Documentation of public input and integration into plan development (draft and final appendices)

Corridor Analyses (Up to 30 Centerline Miles)

The Consultant will complete detailed corridor studies for selected corridors, including:

• CSAH 44 (55 Street NW to US 52)
• US 63 (US 52 to CSAH 33)
• 14 Street NW / CSAH 44 / 19 Street NW (to 50 Avenue NW)
• County Road 112 (US 52 to CSAH 22)

Each corridor will be documented in a technical memo. Some corridors may include Official Mapping, limited to approximately five centerline miles total.

Analysis may include:

• Traffic volumes and AADT updates
• Crash and safety analysis
• Access spacing and inventory review
• Multimodal gaps and connectivity
• Operational and geometric constraints
• Land use interface conditions
• Future functional classification recommendations

Deliverables may include GIS data and high resolution maps suitable for adoption.

Land Use and Growth Evaluation

The Consultant will:

• Analyze existing land use, zoning, and development pressures
• Develop alternative growth scenarios
• Evaluate transportation impacts of growth scenarios
• Recommend land use and development strategies that support connected growth and reduce conflicts
• Link land use scenarios with transportation demand and corridor planning outcomes

Safety Analysis

Building on ROCOG's Safety Action Plan, the Consultant will:

• Review crash data, severity, and contributing factors
• Evaluate high injury networks and priority locations
• Integrate safety findings into corridor and system recommendations
• Develop planning level safety strategies without advancing design

System Function and Implementation

The Consultant will define how the transportation and land use system is intended to function as growth occurs, including:

• Roles of key corridors
• Access and mobility expectations
• Multimodal connectivity
• Guiding principles linking land use and transportation decisions
• Strategies to support greenhouse gas reduction

The implementation section will:

• Identify near term actions
• Highlight items requiring additional engineering or coordination
• Identify constraints such as right of way, utilities, environmental, and jurisdictional responsibilities
• Provide a clear pathway from planning to design, funding, and construction

Project Schedule

• Contract Approval: May 2026
• Project Completion: July 2027

Technical Proposal Requirements

Proposals must include:

• Firm identification and contact information
• Project team qualifications and relevant experience (3 to 5 years)
• Understanding of project scope and approach
• Top five project risks and mitigation strategies
• Preliminary schedule and milestone plan
• County support needs

Page limit: 15 pages excluding transmittal, table of contents, title pages, resumes, and up to five project examples.

Questions must be submitted through the County solicitation portal.

Cost Proposal

Provide a not to exceed price for the full scope of services, including a detailed breakdown by task, deliverable, and labor assumptions.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Understanding of project and risk mitigation (40%)
• Qualifications and experience (35%)
• Public engagement approach and communication effectiveness (15%)
• Cost (10%)

Interviews may be conducted with top ranked firms. Award may be based on best overall value, not lowest cost.

The full RFP may be found here at Olmsted County's website: Olmsted County, Rochester, MN