NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT PLAN May 1, 2015 Page 1 of 13
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM DEPLOYMENT PLAN INTRODUCTION The Regional Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Architecture for the North Central Texas Region was updated in 2014. The Regional ITS Architecture is a template for ITS projects that was developed through interviews and workshops with the stakeholder groups, which represents the types of projects and the associated Service Packages and data flows. A companion document for the Regional ITS Architecture is a Strategic ITS Deployment Plan (SDP) that includes projects or types of projects that are needed to provide a full deployment of the ITS in the region. These types of projects may include, but are not limited to, transportation management systems, communications, field devices, hardware and software needed to provide connectivity between and within the regional partner agencies, operating systems and other facets of the ITS. The SDP provides a plan to address gaps in communication or field device coverage, either in location or in function, which exist in ITS throughout the North Central Texas Region covering twelve counties (Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise). NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is a voluntary association of, by, and for local governments, and was established to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit, and coordinating for sound regional development. NCTCOG s purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments Page 2 of 13
and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and make joint decisions. BACKGROUND Since 1974, NCTCOG has served as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for transportation in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metropolitan Area. NCTCOG s Transportation Department is responsible for regional transportation planning for all modes of transportation. The Department provides technical support and staff assistance to the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) and its technical committees, which compose the MPO policy-making structure. In addition, the Department provides technical assistance to the local governments of North Central Texas in planning, programming, coordinating, and implementing transportation decisions. PURPOSE AND NEED The purpose of this project is to provide a comprehensive overview of ITS deployment needs for the region, by location and jurisdiction. Regional partners need a single source to document and identify recommended types of improvements, large scale implementation and approaches for the continued operation of the region s ITS. The work to be performed by the developer of the SDP shall consist of a high-level review of the recently updated Regional ITS Architecture for the North Central Texas Region, and an inventory and evaluation of types of proposed projects with a plan for the implementation of these projects, including interdependencies, interoperability and priorities. The work shall include the development of a SDP to address future projects and programs for deployment of ITS in the Page 3 of 13
Region, identifying how various elements of the ITS system will be deployed at various locations and by various entities throughout the defined region. Document and update an inventory of systems involved in proposed information sharing. Enable participation from all agencies involved in proposed information sharing. Include any city, tollway operator, or other entity in the North Central Texas Region that may have or plan to have ITS projects. Cities and agencies to be considered are those included in the North Central Texas Regional ITS Architecture. Include any system or entity in the NCTCOG region that is related to ITS including fiber and wireless communications for transit, transportation, and emergency services. Include any ITS projects currently planned by stakeholders. Group projects into similar types of projects for inclusion of groups in the SDP. Define and document any associated needs to update the North Central Texas Regional ITS Architecture consistent with the National Intelligent Transportation System Architecture or the ITS projects. The deliverables shall not replace or conflict with existing agency plans, standards, or requirements, and shall complement any existing agency plans, standards, and requirements. PROJECT SUPPORT The project will be conducted under the guidance and supervision of a Project Review Committee (PRC), which may include members of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and other key technical stakeholders including transit, emergency and local jurisdiction staff. Page 4 of 13
NCTCOG will serve as the Project Manager to implement a mutually agreed upon scope of services, monitor progress of consultant services, and serve as a liaison between the consultant and other partner agencies. The selected consultant will enter into a contract with NCTCOG for the agreed upon scope and budget. NCTCOG shall serve as the contract manager and procurement administrator for the project. The selected consultant will manage the project through data collection, technical analyses and assessments. SCOPE OF SERVICES This document is to establish a scope of services for an inventory of necessary and planned activities and implementations to address gaps in the regional ITS and a list of proposals to eliminate these gaps. Task 1 - Project Administration The consultant will provide a Project Management Plan which will include the detailed discussion of: Work program elements and deliverables Project master schedule and update procedures Progress reports Budget tracking and control procedures Staff commitments and utilization The consultant shall conduct a Kick-off Meeting with NCTCOG. The purpose of this meeting shall be to review the Scope of Services, identify key stakeholder agencies and representatives for inclusion in the stakeholder group, identify key ITS project types and initiatives that have been implemented or are planned for the region, identify specific dates for workshops and deliverables, and discuss expectations of the SDP. Page 5 of 13
The consultant shall use the existing Regional ITS Architecture updated in 2014, solicit comments from the Regional ITS Architecture Maintenance Committee, and review the documentation, to be provided by NCTCOG, of existing known deployment of ITS in the Region. NCTCOG will notify existing stakeholders that were involved in the 2014 update of the North Central Texas Regional ITS Architecture and other applicable agencies of the project. Deliverables: Project Management Plan Master Schedule Updates Progress Reports Minutes from meetings Project Kick-off Meeting with the PRC Comments from the Regional ITS Architecture Maintenance Committee All deliverables will be delivered to Client in agreed upon electronic format. All information will be provided in electronic format, compatible with Microsoft Office Application and Adobe PDF format. Task 2: Stakeholder Workshop The consultant shall conduct a Stakeholder Workshop with stakeholders in the Region. The workshop may be conducted as a single workshop with all stakeholders involved, or may be broken into smaller functional areas such as traffic management, emergency management, and transit, as determined by the NCTCOG with recommendations from the consultant. The Stakeholder Workshop shall include a review of the types of projects proposed for the region generated by the consultant s review. The Stakeholder Workshop will accomplish the following: Page 6 of 13
Provide an overview of the project Identify any additional stakeholders that should be included in the process Identify ITS needs and plans in the North Central Texas Region Combine the ITS needs and plans into types of projects, based on o Functionality o Geographical location o Administrating agency Begin the development of an ITS project inventory and develop categories for the types of projects Present project work plans and schedule information. The Stakeholder Workshop is anticipated to last up to two hours and shall include stakeholder agencies represented in the 2014 North Central Texas Regional ITS Architecture update and other applicable agencies. The consultant shall develop a list of additional stakeholders to include in the workshop and provide this list to NCTCOG for review and approval. In preparation for the workshop, the consultant shall prepare a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation and a brief handout for distribution at the workshop. The handout shall include a copy of the presentation, a list of all invited stakeholders, a list of potential ITS inventory elements, and contact information for the consultant team members. The consultant shall develop a draft set of project deployment types that shall include modifications to the existing service packages from the Regional ITS Architecture as well as Page 7 of 13
proposed new service packages. These service packages shall be reviewed as part of the Stakeholder Workshop. Upon completion of the workshop, the consultant shall prepare a set of meeting minutes and provide contact information for any additional stakeholders identified at the workshop for NCTCOG to invite to attend future workshops. Additional follow-up through phone or email shall be conducted as needed to gather the appropriate data to complete the Draft SDP for the North Central Texas Region. This shall include follow-up with key stakeholders who were not able to attend the Stakeholder Workshop. The consultant shall also use the needs and inventory information gathered in this workshop to begin the development of the SDP. Deliverables: Stakeholder Workshop Stakeholder Workshop minutes Task 3: Stakeholder Interviews The consultant shall prepare a list of recommended agencies and stakeholders for interviews. NCTCOG shall review the recommended list and provide comments or approval. Interviews are anticipated to include traffic, transit, emergency management, public safety, toll authorities, schools, railroads, and other stakeholders as directed by NCTCOG. The consultant shall arrange and conduct the interviews with each stakeholder in person or by phone in order to determine how each stakeholder agency s projects should be represented in the SDP. The interviews shall include a review of existing and planned ITS deployments, a review of applicable ITS service packages, and a discussion of future ITS projects each stakeholder agency might deploy. The consultant shall discuss the recommended ITS deployments with the appropriate stakeholders to determine the status of each. Any existing or planned ITS deployments the stakeholders have Page 8 of 13
shall also be discussed and these shall be included in the Draft SDP. Recommendations shall be made for additional ITS deployments that may be needed in order to implement the ITS service packages selected by the stakeholders. All ITS deployments shall include a description including designated location if applicable, responsible agency, opinion of probable cost, and a list of corresponding service packages. A draft list of ITS deployments recommended for the SDP shall be developed and made available to stakeholders for review. Connected vehicles will be addressed by the SDP. NCTCOG may participate in the interviews. Meeting notes shall be prepared to summarize the interviews. Some of the interview information and additional follow up may be collected through email, as recommended by NCTCOG. Recommended changes shall be reviewed with NCTCOG for incorporation into the Draft SDP. Deliverables: Stakeholder interviews Stakeholder interview meeting notes List of projects required for implementation (to be included in the SDP). Task 4: Development of Draft Strategic ITS Deployment Plan The consultant shall identify ITS elements and types of projects, such as communication, closedcircuit television (CCTV) cameras and dynamic message signs (DMS), which should be deployed in order to address the regional needs and goals identified in the draft SDP. The consultant shall identify the designated locations and sections of roadways that require ITS deployments which would result in full ITS deployment throughout the region. Page 9 of 13
This document will become a portion of the Regional ITS Architecture, titled SDP and shall follow the guidance provided in the most recent version of the USDOT document Developing, Using, and Maintaining an ITS Architecture for Your Region. The Draft SDP shall be made available to all stakeholders for review and comment. The consultant shall work with NCTCOG to provide information on accessing the Draft SDP to stakeholders. The consultant shall conduct a conference call with NCTCOG to identify key stakeholders, and to review stakeholder comments and recommended changes to the Draft SDP to incorporate into the development of the Final SDP. The consultant shall make telephone and email contact with key agencies as necessary to obtain comments or concurrence with the Draft SDP. The consultant shall make changes to the Draft SDP as directed by NCTCOG. The consultant will provide NCTCOG with files formatted to update its website to include an interactive version of the Draft SDP. Deliverables: Prioritized List of Recommended Projects for the SDP Draft SDP Document Task 5: Final Documents The consultant shall incorporate any comments received from the stakeholders on the Draft SDP as directed by NCTCOG. A revised SDP shall be developed and made available for final review and comment by stakeholders. The consultant shall review any final comments received with the NCTCOG and make recommendations on how to address final comments. The consultant shall make changes as directed by the NCTCOG. Page 10 of 13
Upon approval from the NCTCOG the consultant shall finalize the SDP documents. NCTCOG will update the ITS Architecture website to reflect the changes and finalize the website. The consultant will develop an Executive Summary as a stand-alone document that incorporates the key findings from the SDP and supporting comments and concurrence from the stakeholders. The consultant will provide NCTCOG with files formatted to update its website to include an interactive version of the final SDP. Deliverables: Documentation of Comments and Concurrence from Regional Stakeholder Agencies Final SDP Document Final SDP formatted to update its website to include an interactive version of the document Brief Summary of future approach recommendations Task 6: Project Close Out The consultant will close out the project by providing all deliverables and a final closeout report. All final deliverables with a brief report recommending approaches for future updating of the SDP. Deliverables: Final Close Out Report SCHEDULE AND BUDGET The consultant will develop a schedule of tasks with completion deadlines and methodologies for the SDP. NCTCOG will select all identified tasks or a subset of the tasks for completion. The project is anticipated to take about six months to complete. This project will have a budget of approximately $80,000. Page 11 of 13
CONSULTANT SELECTION CRITERIA The Consultant Selection Committee (CSC) will review all proposals and select a firm it considers qualified to undertake the project. The following criteria will be used to evaluate the proposals: 1. Project Understanding 30 percent 2. Scope of Services 25 percent 3. Project Manager/Staff Qualifications 20 percent 4. Knowledge of Dallas-Fort Worth Area 10 percent 5. Firm Qualifications/Consultant References 10 percent 6. Project Schedule 5 percent If the Consultant Selection Committee determines that interviews will be required before a final decision can be made, the interviews will take place at the NCTCOG offices in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday, June 30, 2015. Proposers should be willing and able to attend these interviews, if necessary. Consultants who are invited to an interview will be notified by the close of business on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 that an interview has been scheduled. Other requirements are that the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation should meet the 31.26 percentage goal identified for this type of procurement and that an Affirmative Action Plan is included in the proposal. Failure on the part of a majority contractor to meet this goal or to show meaningful good faith efforts may be grounds for finding the proposal nonresponsive. Following final negotiations of the work plan and costs satisfactory to NCTCOG, the consultant will be asked to execute a contract with NCTCOG. A Notice to Proceed will be issued upon execution of the contract. NCTCOG reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to contract for any or all portions of the project with the selected consultant, or to hire multiple firms. Page 12 of 13
The successful responder(s) to this Request for Proposals is expected to provide qualified personnel to accomplish each portion of the work in this study. NCTCOG will maintain the right to request the removal of any personnel found, in its opinion, during the course of work on this project, to be unqualified to perform the work. The Sample Contract, provided in this transmittal, contains federal requirements which must be included with all proposals submitted. Appendices C through K of the sample contract contain compliance requirements and certification forms which must accompany the proposal. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in finding the Proposal non-responsive. All questions regarding the services required shall be directed in writing by email to TransRFPs@nctcog.org by the close of business on Friday, May 8, 2015. All questions and responses will be posted on NCTCOG s website at http://www.nctcog.org/trans/admin/rfp/ by the close of business on Wednesday, May 13, 2015. NCTCOG reserves the right to respond to inquiries as it deems necessary. Page 13 of 13