TOWN OF ATHERTON
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update
Issued:
July 31, 2024
Proposals Due:
September 10, 2024, 2 p.m.
Town of Atherton
Office of the City Clerk
80 Fair Oaks Lane
Atherton Ca 94027
2 Table of Contents:
A) OVERVIEW ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 B) BACKGROUND----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 C) OBJECTIVES -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 D) REFERENCE DOCUMENTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 E) SCOPE OF WORK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 F) SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 G) GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS ----------------------------------------------------------------- 7 H) SUBMITTAL AND REVIEW PROCESS ----------------------------------------------------------------- 7 I) EVALUATION CRITERIA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 J) PROPOSED TIMELINE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 3 A. OVERVIEW
The Town of Atherton is seeking a qualified transportation planning consultant or team specializing in multi-modal mobility and pedestrian/bicycle planning to provide professional and technical planning services to update the Town of Atherton’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (Plan). The Plan, completed in 2014, has been used as a basis to develop and implement improvements to the Town’s active transportation network. Since the adoption of the Plan, several improvements have been implemented, and other project studies initiated. An update of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Masterplan is needed to recognize accomplishments, assess and understand current needs, update plan priorities and cost estimates, as well as develop conceptual designs for major projects in a collaborative manner with the public.
B. BACKGROUND
The Town of Atherton, incorporated in 1923, is a small, semi-rural, residential community, with approximately 7,000 residents. The Town extends from slightly west of the Bayshore Freeway (US 101) up to I-280 and is approximately 4.5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. Its municipal neighbors include Menlo Park to the south, Woodside to the west and Redwood City to the north, and San Mateo County to the east.
Within the Town, El Camino Real (Route 82) is a conventional state highway that bisects the community and provides primary access for vehicles in a northwest-southeast orientation. El Camino Real runs approximately 1.5 miles through the Town and is shared jurisdiction with Redwood City and San Mateo County to the north and Menlo Park to the south.
The Town of Atherton’s General Plan land use goal is to “preserve the Town’s character as a scenic, semi-rural, thickly wooded residential area with abundant open space.” The Circulation Element of the General Plan identifies all streets in Atherton as scenic routes. All transportation facilities must be planned and designed under the overriding principle of maintaining the Town’s semi-rural character. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan shall be consistent with the Town’s overarching goal to preserve the semi-rural character of the Town and scenic qualities of the streets.
The original Plan put forward visionary yet practical recommendations for improving travel safety and encouraging greater use of active, low-impact travel modes, while maintaining the semi-rural character of the Town. As noted above, The Town has completed several projects since development of the Plan including but not limited to:
• Townwide Class III Bike Route Improvements
• Peninsula Bikeway Improvements
• Middlefield Road / Oak Grove Avenue Complete Streets Enhancements • Middlefield Road Class II Bicycle Lane Improvements
• Valparaiso Avenue Bicycle Lane Enhancements (El Camino Real to Elena Avenue) – currently being implemented with the City of Menlo Park 4 • Fair Oaks Lane/Lloyden Drive Intersection Improvements currently under construction
Caltrans, in cooperation with the City of Redwood City, is developing a plan to install Class III and Class IV bike lanes on El Camino Real from Downtown Redwood City to Selby Lane.
Additionally, the Town, with the support of a grant from the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) has initiated the El Camino Real Complete Streets Gap Closure Planning Study. The Town has also initiated the Alameda de ls Pulgas Traffic and Safety Improvements project, partially funded by a Community Project Funding Grant supported by Congresswoman Eshoo’s office.
Following identification of the need to refresh the Plan, several additional projects highlight the need to reengage the community in evaluation of priorities and development of conceptual designs supported by the community. The Town recently received a grant through San Mateo City/County Association of Government (C/CAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority MTC) to assist in updating the Plan through the Transportation Development Act – Article 3 (TDA) program.
C. OBJECTIVES
The updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan will build off the findings and recommendations from the 2014 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, engage the community in reassessing needs and priorities, develop recommendations short- and long-term projects to maximize the safety and mobility of cyclists and pedestrians throughout the community while maintaining the semi-rural character of the Town. Objectives include:
• Update data sets including traffic and bicycle counts along major routes and collector streets.
• Engage the community in defining needs and priorities. • Develop conceptual designs for major routes with input from residents and community stakeholders, including incorporation of green infrastructure and stormwater treatment measures.
• Update and amend current goals, policies and programs regarding bicycle and pedestrian access and safety. This may include recommendations on a right-of-way improvement requirement for certain development projects. • Follow best practices and guidance from C/CAG, MTC, SMCTA, Caltrans, and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (MACTO) and others as appropriate.
• Meet the requirements of the current TDA funding grant. • Meet the requirements of current bicycle and pedestrian grant programs such as Active Transportation Program (ATP) such that the plan can be used to support future grant opportunities.
5 • Identify and improve upon a comprehensive interconnected network of existing and planned bikeways and trails for transportation and recreation purposes. • Identify areas with high levels of pedestrian and bicycle activity where improvements can be cost-effective and beneficial.
• Develop a description of all proposed facilities, including cross-sections, right-of-way width needed, estimated cost, agency coordination needed, ownership, proposed street crossings, etc.
• Prioritize proposed projects into short-term and long-term timeframes with high, medium, and low priorities.
• Identify funding sources and strategies for implementation of the proposed projects including local, regional and federal funding programs. • Develop geographic information diagrams for the recommended bicycle, trail, and pedestrian improvements in a form that can continue to be modified and presented to the public.
• Attend Town of Atherton’s Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee meetings and incorporate their input into the plan update.
D. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Town documents are available that contain information relevant to this project. The available documents are noted below:
• Town of Atherton, 2014 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan; (https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/9527/AthertonBPMP?bidId=) • Town of Atherton, 2019 General Plan (see Chapter 2, Circulation Element); (https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/7325/General-Plan2019_FINAL-DRAFT) • Alameda de las Pulgas Corridor Study:
https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/documentcenter/view/11469 • Townwide Local Traffic Flow/Long Range Planning Solutions Study:
https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/11470 • Neighborhood Traffic Management Program:
https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/412/Neighborhood-Traffic-Management-Program • Neighborhood Traffic Management Action Plan:
https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/9554/ITEM-19 • Town of Atherton Green Infrastructure Plan:
https://www.ci.atherton.ca.us/documentcenter/view/6813
E. SCOPE OF WORK
The successful consultant will enter into a professional services agreement for the update to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. It should include, but not be limited to, the following tasks:
1. Review of adjacent agencies’ pedestrian, trail and bicycle plans.
Commented [CR1]: Likely a more recent edition
6 2. Identification of desired destination / facilities to provide connectivity too.
3. Identification of stakeholders.
Note: Stakeholders should include, but are not limited to residents, pedestrian and bicycle coalitions, schools, community groups, homeowners’ associations, police and fire.
4. Conduct public outreach (engagement meetings, interactive mapping website, etc.). The purpose of the outreach is to receive input from the public regarding the existing plan, current needs, issues, concerns and priorities to assist in development of the update and priority of the proposed projects.
5. Meet with stakeholders. At a minimum, the meetings with the stakeholders are to:
➢ Have an initial meeting:
i. Provide input to the scope of the work to be performed ii. Determine their level of involvement.
iii. Determine how the stakeholders would like to be involved. iv. Present the information developed, prior to presenting it to the public. v. Present the working draft prior to presentation it to the Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee.
As identified above, at a minimum three (3) meetings with the stakeholders are to be scoped. If the consultant feels additional meetings are required, this is to be included in the scope. At each meeting, the stakeholders’ comments are to be recorded and addressed in the plan or an explanation as to why the comments were not addressed is to be provided, in writing, to Town staff. The consultant will be responsible for all preparation required and meeting coordination for the stakeholders’ meetings.
6. Develop an initial plan to be presented to the stakeholder’s group.
7. Have a public meeting to present the initial plan. The purpose of the meeting is to receive input from the public regarding the plan, additional connections and for the public to provide input on the priority of the proposed projects. ➢ Note: The consultant is responsible for the development of meeting notification material, (i.e. press release and meeting flyers). Town staff will be responsible for the coordination of location, issuing press releases and notifying the public.
8. From input received, a working draft plan is to be developed. This plan is to be presented to the stakeholders for review and comment.
9. Prepare adequate CEQA documentation for the Master Plan. It is anticipated that an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration will be the appropriate level of Commented [CR2]: Unsure of what this is
7 documentation required for this project. A Mitigation Monitoring Program will also be required.
10. Develop a final draft plan to be presented to the Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee.
11. Present the plan to the Planning Commission.
12. Present the plan to City Council.
13. For each meeting, (stakeholders, public meeting, Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee, Planning Commission and City Council) comments are to be recorded and addressed in the plan or an explanation as to why the comments were not addressed is to be provided, in writing, to Town staff. Additional tasks that add value and will enhance the plan are to be included in the scope of work.
Additional tasks that add value and will enhance the plan are to be included in the scope of work.
Deliverables:
F. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
Town staff will evaluate the proposals received and develop a short list of the most qualified firms. They may be invited to interview and may be asked to submit more detailed information. Proposals should be concise and contain at least the following information:
• Firm or Person Introduction: including information such as form of organization, length of time in business, office location(s), number of staff and a general summary of qualifications documenting the strengths of the firm or person, areas of expertise and licensing. Include name, email address and phone number for the firm’s contact person.
• APPROACH: the person or firm’s project management practices, methodologies and processes.
• PROJECT EXPERIENCE: listing specific experience in developing and updating bicycle and pedestrian masterplans and design of complete streets projects, including public outreach and engagement. Project experience should list the type of work provided with the client contact information for each project. If SubConsultants are proposed, include information on joint work, if any, and their roles in those projects.
• WORK PLAN: A description of project understanding, detailed approach, and methodology, including estimated hours by task by job title for the project. • KEY STAFF: including the identification of the Principal-in-Charge and key staff.
This section should identify the qualifications and related experience of key staff assigned to the project; and include their resume showing experience in 8 remodeling and repurposing of historic buildings, historical museums and displays. Include an organizational chart for this project. • REFERENCES: Provide client references, for all similar projects in the past five (5) years, that have working experience with the project team and companies proposed for assignment to this project. Furnish the name, title, address, and telephone number of the person(s) at the client reference who is most knowledgeable about the work performed and can comment on the professional qualifications/expertise of the staff.
• PROJECT SCHEDULE – Propose a timeline for completion of the project, and include start date, phases, milestones, and target completion dates. Any assumptions regarding turnaround time and City Council meetings should be clearly noted.
• LITIGATION: a list of any current litigation to which the firm or person are parties by virtue of their professional service, in addition to a list of any such litigation from the past ten years.
• DISCLOSURE: of any past, ongoing, or potential conflicts of interest that the firm or person may have as a result of performing the anticipated work. Consultant shall also provide a list of any work currently being performed for any jurisdiction or substantial property owner/developer within a five (5) mile radius of the Town of Atherton.
• PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT: Consultant will be expected to execute the Town’s Standard Professional Services Agreement. The Consultant shall list any required modifications with their proposal. The Town reserves the right to accept or reject any such modifications or may reject proposals based on the proposed modifications.
• FEE INFORMATION: Provide fee information that ties tasks to specific tasks.
Provide a description of the level of effort required, listing the estimated hours required for each task in the Scope of Services, hourly rates of personnel, and expected incidental expenses such as travel, supplies, communications, reproduction, mailing, etc. Identify the fee that will be charged for additional public or City Council meetings not identified in the scope of services. One (1) copy of the cost proposal shall be submitted in a separate sealed envelope at the same time as submittal of the technical proposal.
G. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
• The Town reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. • The Town will not be responsible for any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submittal of a response to this request. • The Town reserves the right to modify the scope of the project at any time, with appropriate fee adjustments to be negotiated.
• Documents and findings (regardless of format) that are associated with this project shall be the property of the Town.
9 • Proposal shall remain effective for 90 days beyond the submitted date.
H. SUBMITTAL AND REVIEW PROCESS
• Applicant questions: All questions regarding the RFP shall be submitted in writing to Tim Au, Associate Engineer, at [email protected]. Questions and responses will be posted on the Atherton Town website.
• Submittal Deadline: September 10, 2024, 2:00pm. Late submittals will not be accepted.
• Format and Delivery: Submit three (3) letter-sized copies with one (1) unbound copy of the proposal to: Town of Atherton, Office of the City Clerk; 80 Fair Oaks Lane; Atherton, CA 94027
• E-mail a PDF copy to Tim Au, Associate Engineer, at [email protected] • Submittals will not be returned.
• The Town reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, or to alter the selection process in any lawful way, to postpone the selection process for its own convenience at any time, and to waive any non-substantive defects in this RFP or the proposals.
• The Town reserves the right to short list the most qualified firms for consideration during the RFP process.
• The Town reserves the right to negotiate with other qualified persons or firms, or to solicit additional statements of qualifications at any point in the project should it fail to negotiate a reasonable fee with the initially selected person or firm or should that firm fail to execute the Town’s Agreement.
I. EVALUATION CRITERIA
The Project Manager will be the key point of contact with City staff and will be expected to drive the project to meet schedule and budgetary goals. [Possibly add desired experience of Project Manager].
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
• Team’s Qualifications – 10%
• Project Manager’s Technical Experience and Approach - 25% • Understanding of Project Issues – 20%
10 • Quality of Proposed Work Plan and Schedule– 35%
• Quality of References – 10%
J. PROPOSED TIMELINE
July 31, 2024 RFP available on Town of Atherton website August 16, 2024 Submission deadline for written questions August 23, 2024 Responses to written questions available on Town website September 10, 2024, 2pm Technical and Cost Proposals due September 23, 2024 (week of) Interviews with highest ranked proposers (if necessary) October 16, 2024 Recommendation to City Council