RFPs and RFQs

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission requests statements of qualifications from qualified firms to collect and process pavement condition data and asset collection for 11 participating communities in Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties. The goal of this project is to assess the streets, rate the pavement condition, and to provide data compatible with an established regional GIS-based asset management system used in the planning and prioritization of road projects for the region and individual communities.

Statements of Qualifications will be accepted until 4:00 PM Friday, August 16.  Statements of qualifications received after that date and time will not be considered.

Background

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC) of Peoria, Illinois provides staffing to the Peoria-Pekin Urbanized Area Transportation Study (PPUATS), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Peoria-Pekin urbanized area. PPUATS membership is comprised of three counties, fourteen municipalities, and the mass transit district.

The MPO receives funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Transportation. A portion of these transportation planning funds has been allocated to this project. Upon proposal review, TCRPC reserves the right to undertake a portion of the project as outlined above for a lesser amount and/or over a shorter time period.

Due to the federal funding source, all work related to the project must be completed by September 30, 2020.

Project

The MPO has undertaken a regional inventory of pavement data for roads eligible to receive federal funds targeted at urban road reconstruction or resurfacing. This has introduced pertinent data, allowing for a more transparent and objective look at regional prioritization of road funding. At the same time, the MPO desires to assist counties and municipalities in local asset management efforts by providing pavement condition data for their roads and right of way assets.

This project will gather comprehensive pavement distress data for streets under local jurisdiction. Such data shall be processed into PCI ratings and be made compatible with ESRI ArcGIS Software.  Once this data has been collected, it can be analyzed and prioritized for future funding at the local and regional levels.

Scope of Services

The scope of services sought by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission and its local partners shall include the provision of all required labor, materials, equipment, and expertise related to the collection, processing, and creation of the urban pavement condition inventory. The following items should each be addressed in the submittal.

Item 1: Meetings – A stakeholder committee of county and municipality technical staff shall assist TCRPC staff in guiding and reviewing this project. An initial kickoff meeting, various progress meetings, and final presentation are required.

Item 2: Data Collection & Processing

1. Pavement condition data is to be collected for approximately 400 centerline miles. Data collection shall be conducted during optimal conditions to provide high quality data. Data collection shall not occur in rain, snow, fog, or in any condition that will adversely affect data quality. The pavements shall not be wet/damp nor have snow/ice or standing water on them at the time of collection.
2. In addition to collecting the pavement condition data described above, the contractor(s) will also be responsible for processing the data to calculate PCI values.
3. Final pavement data shall be broken down into two distinct ESRI ArcGIS-compatible products described below. Pavement condition data will be provided in summary tables (MS Excel) that can be tailored to different geographies for distribution among project partners.

• Product #1: IRIS: All pavement condition data will need to be integrated into the most current Illinois Roadway Information System (IRIS) shapefile.
• Product #2: Custom: Segments shall begin or end at intersections with other roadways, and where the following changes in roadway characteristics occur:
  • Curb vs. Ditch
  • Number of Driving Lanes
  • Pavement Travel Lane Surface type
  • Travel Lane Width
  • Total Pavement Width
  • Presence or Absence of Turn Lanes or Other Auxiliary Lanes
  • Presence or Absence of Shoulders
  • Presence or Absence of Parking

Item 3: Reports & Recommendations

A final, regionally comprehensive report of roadway pavement condition shall be compiled, distributed, and presented to TCRPC and partner communities. A draft of such report shall be made available to TCRPC staff and the stakeholder committee for review prior to the presentation.

Deliverables

The contract will result in the anticipated following deliverables:  

1. Schedule of anticipated meetings as described in Scope of Services, not to average more than bi-weekly throughout the project.
2. Before data collection begins, a copy of the methodology that will be used to collect pavement condition data must be submitted to TCRPC for review and acceptance, including a data quality management plan, for all aspects of Item 2 in the Scope of Services.
3. The initial equipment validation report along with images collected during the validation will be provided before pavement data collection starts.
4. Pavement condition data will be integrated into the IRIS shapefile and provided by the contractor to TCRPC staff – draft for TCRPC review, and final data to distribute among project partners. (Product #1 – Item 2.c.)
5. Pavement condition data summary tables (MS Office compatible) and corresponding geodata (ESRI GIS compatible) for the region will be provided to TCRPC by the contractor in draft form and final form. (Product #2 – Item 2.c.)
6. Final Report and Presentation shall be delivered to project partners. A Draft shall be made available to TCRPC two weeks prior.

Submittal Contents

The following information shall be included under the title “Tri-County Communities Roadway Asset Management Program Response” and addressed to:

Hannah Martin, Transportation Planner

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission

456 Fulton Street, Suite 401

Peoria, IL 61602

Responding firms should submit four (4) hard copies and one (1) digital PDF of their response.

Contents of Submission

Firms should letter and number responses exactly as the questions are presented herein. Interested proposers are invited to submit proposals that contain all the following information:

1. Introduction (transmittal letter)
2. Background and Experience
3. Personnel/Professional Qualifications
4. Approach
5. Project Schedule
6. Additional Requested Information

1. Introduction (transmittal letter)

By signing the letter and/or offer, the responding firm certifies that the signatory is authorized to bind the firm. The transmittal letter should include:

1. A brief statement of the firm’s understanding of the scope of the work to be performed;
2. A confirmation that the firm meets the appropriate state licensing requirements to practice in the State of Illinois if applicable;
3. A confirmation that the firm has not had a record of substandard work within the last five years
4. A confirmation that the firm has not engaged in any unethical practices within the last five years;
5. A confirmation that, if awarded the contract, the firm acknowledges its complete responsibility for the entire contract, including payment of any and all charges resulting from the contract;
6. Any other information that the firm feels appropriate;
7. The signature of an individual who is authorized to make offers of this nature in the name of the submitting firm.

2. Background and Experience

Responding firms should:

1. Describe the firm by providing its full legal name, date of establishment, type of entity and business expertise, federal tax identification number, short history, current ownership structure and any recent or materially significant proposed change in ownership. The same information is to be given for any proposed subconsultant. If subconsultants are anticipated, differentiate the roles proposed for each firm or consultant involved in the project and estimate the percentage of work assigned to each.
2. Identify the location of offices for the firm and for proposed subconsultants, and the office location responsible for managing the project.
3. Describe any prior engagements in which submitting firm assisted a governmental entity with any other projects relating to Asset and/or Pavement Management and Planning. Proposer should include three examples of work on similar projects as described in the Scope of Services. Proposer should provide the names, phone numbers, and emails of contact persons in the organizations for whom any projects referenced in this section were conducted. Proposer should include written references (letters or forms are acceptable) from previous clients attesting to the quality of work proposer cites in this section.
4. Describe any issue the characteristics of which would be uniquely relevant in evaluating the experience of the submitting firm to handle the proposed project.
5. Describe any relevant specialized knowledge in pavement management planning.

3. Personnel/Professional Qualifications

Responding firms should:

1. Identify staff members who would be assigned to act for the firm in key management and field positions providing the services described in Scope of Services, and the functions to be performed by each.
2. Include resumes or curriculum vitae of each such staff member designed above, including name, position, telephone number, email address, education, and years and type of experience. Describe, for each such person, the relevant projects on which they have worked. If sub-consultants will be used, include this information for each sub-consultant.

4. Approach

Responding firms should:

1. Clearly describe the unique approach, methodologies, knowledge and capability to be employed in the performance of the Scope of Services.
2. Present innovative concepts, approaches, and methodologies, if any, not discussed in the Scope of Work for consideration.
3. Submit a statement of qualifications that addresses as many of the tasks listed in Scope of Services above as deemed feasible by the responding firm within the proposed timeframe.

5. Project Schedule

The statement of qualifications shall include a general project schedule and estimated completion date with the understanding that TCRPC and its partners are interested in moving forward quickly with the plan. All activities and deliverables must be complete by September 30, 2020.

6. Proposed Compensation

The selected Consultant will be compensated on a unit-price basis for each task listed under Scope of Services.

1. Provide the consultant’s general fee structure for providing identified services. Where applicable, provide unit prices for deliverable items described in the Scope of Services. Any final price per task will be subject to a cost reasonableness determination and final negotiation.
2. Provide typical billing rate schedule for assigned personnel, including rate schedules for any proposed subconsultants.
3. For tasks that lack a definable work product, provide fully-loaded hourly rates for responsible personnel. The estimate of costs and person hours per work item must be an exhibit in the consultant proposal and must be represented as a “cost not to exceed”.
4. Provide other pricing information if applicable.
5. TCRPC is not liable for any cost incurred by any proposers prior to the execution of an agreement or contract created as a result of this RFP. TCRPC shall not be liable for any costs incurred by the selected consultant that are not specified in the contract.

7. Additional Requested Information

1. Briefly describe the potential cost-efficiencies available should local MPO partners desire to have pavement data collected for their full roadway network, or other asset inventory items such signs, lights, curbs, inlets, manholes, or other structures in the street or ROW.
2. Provide recommendations of feasible software solutions that could facilitate shared remote access to regional pavement management databases. At this time, it may be cost-prohibitive to implement, but TCRPC seeks recommendations for future software-related enhancements of this pilot project.

Selection Process

TCRPC reserves the right to accept or reject any or all statements of qualifications. All submittals become the property of TCRPC upon receipt. TCRPC will evaluate each submittal according to the following factors on a 100-point scale:

1. (15 points) Experience and Technical Competency
   The firm’s submittal should reflect qualifications and experience necessary to successfully execute the Scope of Services.
2. (15 points) Familiarity with Project Type
   The firm’s submittal must demonstrate a level of familiarity with the proposed project and an understanding of the unique challenges posed by the project.
3. (30 points) Record of Success and References
   The firm’s submittal should demonstrate success on similar projects and provide examples of similar work, including at least three references with contact information. Reviewers will also assess the applicability and relevance of the consultant’s experience and previous projects.
4. (25 points) Approach & Expansion Feasibility
   The firm’s submittal should describe their unique capacities to complete the project and demonstrate these in responsive workplan, addressing all items in the Scope of Services. As this is a continuation of the regional pavement management activities, the approach taken will also be judged against perceived feasibility for continuing and expanding upon the current program.
5. (15 points) Other

Additional items of consideration include the ability to staff the project locally and overall presentation.

All submittals will be reviewed by TCRPC staff and partner communities. All submittals will be scored and ranked however the committee IS NOT bound to select the highest-scoring submittal. TCPRC and its partners may interview one to three firms for this project upon consensus of the selection committee. TCRPC reserves the sole right to invite one firm to the scope negotiation and contract development stage or to reject all candidates that submit.

Contract Development

Contract development and scope negotiation will follow award selection. Respondents must be amenable to inclusion, in a contract, of any information provided whether herein or in response to this RFP or developed subsequently during the selection process. A fixed-price contract is expected to be utilized, with payment terms to be negotiated and full scope determined as part of the contract with the selected respondent.

TCRPC is not liable for any costs incurred by a consultant in responding to this Request for Qualifications or for any costs associated with discussions required for clarification of items related to this RFQ.

The contract shall not be considered executed unless signed by the authorizing representative of TCRPC.

Compliance with Laws

The selected firm agrees to be bound by all applicable Federal, State and Local laws, regulations and directives as they pertain to the performance of the contract.

Questions

TCRPC staff will answer all questions related to this RFQ submitted via email and sent by 4:00 pm, August 7, 2019. All questions and answers will be posted publicly on TCRPC’s website.

Questions should be addressed to:

Hannah Martin, Transportation Planner

Hmartin@tricountyrpc.org