Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority Transit Study (FLATS)

Title: Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority Transit Study (FLATS) Deadline: 10/5/2023 10:00 AM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) Status: Open Solicitation Number: 14-23/24 Description: The Florence Area Transportation Study (FLATS), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the urbanized area of Florence County, South Carolina, USA, is seeking to hire a transportation planning firm to provide a transit study of the operations and administrative functions of the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority (PDRTA) within the FLATS study area. Problem Occurred × Please retry Ok Confirmation × Are you sure you want to remove line item? Yes No Missing Information × Ok Confirmation × Are you sure you want to remove attachment? Yes No Documents: Documents as of 9/12/2023 Login to view documents All Questions Question 1 Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Can the County further elaborate on the note at the bottom of page 4, "The contract for the Scope of Work will be based on a fee

schedule with a not-to-exceed amount. Costs will be negotiated with the selected firm."? Please confirm that a fee schedule does NOT need to be included with our RFP response. Response: The fee schedule should not be part of your proposal response. The fee schedule will submitted to and negotiations will be done by the County after the project is awarded. The final negotiated price shall be the not to exceed contract price. Question 2 Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: The RFP states, “Consultant will provide research, planning, design, and engineering services sufficient to accomplish the goals of this project.” Please explain what, if any, engineering services are associated with the proposed project. Response: The study does not specifically require engineering services unless the vendor feels it would be beneficial to use one to accomplish the goals of the study. Question 3 Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: The RFP “Selection Criteria” (RFP, pp. 5-6) includes “Familiarity with the FLATS region (20 percent).” How will this evaluation criterion be addressed? Is prior work with the PDRTA and/or the MPO a requirement for consultant selection? Response: A vendor is not required to have previously done work with PDRTA or FLATS to be considered to have familiarity with the FLATS region. Question 4 Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Please clarify the desired project completion timeframe. Is it 9 months or 12 months following Notice to Proceed? Response: It is anticipated that it will take 9 months to complete the project once a notice to proceed (NTP) is issued from SCDOT. Question 5 Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Under “Proposed Instructions/Requirements” (RFP, page 7), it states, “Evidence of authorization to do business in South Carolina including financial element that will give a clear explanation of the financial soundness of the firm.” Please confirm bidders are not required to secure a South Carolina business license prior to project award. Response: This information will not be needed prior to award. The awarded vendor will need to be able to legally conduct business in South Carolina and provide evidence of financial soundness necessary to complete the transportation study in its entirety. Question 6 Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Please identify the qualifying documentation the PDRTA and/or MPO is seeking the bidder include in its proposal to provide “a clear explanation of the financial soundness of the firm.” Response: See question No. 5 Question 7 Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Has the PDRTA and/or MPO identified a Not to Exceed budget for this project? Or a budget range? Response: The RFP does not list a budget range. Budget negotiations will begin once a vendor has been deemed the most qualified. Question 8 Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Has the PDRTA and/or MPO identified placeholder dates for possible bidder interviews? If so, when? Response: Vendor interview dates will be determined once the RFP window closes and the evaluation process starts. Question 9 Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: How will such interviews be conducted? In-person? Virtually? Response: Vendors selected to interview will do so either in a virtual format or in person as determined by the County. Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Can the County further elaborate on the note at the bottom of page 4, "The contract for the Scope of Work will be based on a fee schedule with a not-to-exceed amount. Costs will be negotiated with the selected firm."? Please confirm that a fee schedule does NOT need to be included with our RFP response. Response: The fee schedule should not be part of your proposal response. The fee schedule will submitted to and negotiations will be done by the County after the project is awarded. The final negotiated price shall be the not to exceed contract price. Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: The RFP states, “Consultant will provide research, planning, design, and engineering services sufficient to accomplish the goals of this project.” Please explain what, if any, engineering services are associated with the proposed project. Response: The study does not specifically require engineering services unless the vendor feels it would be beneficial to use one to accomplish the goals of the study. Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: The RFP “Selection Criteria” (RFP, pp. 5-6) includes “Familiarity with the FLATS region (20 percent).” How will this evaluation criterion be addressed? Is prior work with the PDRTA and/or the MPO a requirement for consultant selection? Response: A vendor is not required to have previously done work with PDRTA or FLATS to be considered to have familiarity with the FLATS region. Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Please clarify the desired project completion timeframe. Is it 9 months or 12 months following Notice to Proceed? Response: It is anticipated that it will take 9 months to complete the project once a notice to proceed (NTP) is issued from SCDOT. Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Under “Proposed Instructions/Requirements” (RFP, page 7), it states, “Evidence of authorization to do business in South Carolina including financial element that will give a clear explanation of the financial soundness of the firm.” Please confirm bidders are not required to secure a South Carolina business license prior to project award. Response: This information will not be needed prior to award. The awarded vendor will need to be able to legally conduct business in South Carolina and provide evidence of financial soundness necessary to complete the transportation study in its entirety. Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Please identify the qualifying documentation the PDRTA and/or MPO is seeking the bidder include in its proposal to provide “a clear explanation of the financial soundness of the firm.” Response: See question No. 5 Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Has the PDRTA and/or MPO identified a Not to Exceed budget for this project? Or a budget range? Response: The RFP does not list a budget range. Budget negotiations will begin once a vendor has been deemed the most qualified. Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: Has the PDRTA and/or MPO identified placeholder dates for possible bidder interviews? If so, when? Response: Vendor interview dates will be determined once the RFP window closes and the evaluation process starts. Posted: 9/28/2023 Question: How will such interviews be conducted? In-person? Virtually? Response: Vendors selected to interview will do so either in a virtual format or in person as determined by the County.