RFQ 2022-03 for Rail Crossings & Vallejo Passenger Rail Studies

"sia\n\nSolano Teanspoztation Authoeity\n\nREQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS\n(RFO No. 2022-03)\n\nFor\nSolano Rail Crossing Safety Improvements Plan Update\n\nand\nVallejo Passenger Rail Study\n\nRelease Date: November 8, 2022\n\nRESPONSES DUE:\n4:00 PM, Monday, December 12, 2022\n\nFour (4) complete hard copies and one (1) digital copy (CD or flash drive) of\neach response must be received before 4:00 p.m. PST on December 12, 2022\n\nSolano Transportation Authority\n423 Main Street\nSuisun City, CA 94585-2473\n\n" "DISCLOSURE: The master copy of each response to this RFQ shall be retained for official files and will\nbecome a public record after the award of a contract unless the qualifications or specific parts of the\nqualifications can be shown to be exempt by law (Government Code section 6250 et seq.). Each\nResponding Firm may clearly label part of a submittal as \"CONFIDENTIAL\" ifthe Responding Firm agrees\nto indemnify and defend the STA for honoring such a designation. The failure

to so label any information\nthat is released by the STA shall constitute a complete waiver of all claims for damages caused by any\nrelease of the information. If a public records request for labeled information is received by the STA, the\nSTA will notify the Responding Firm of the request and delay access to the material until seven working\ndays after notification to the Responding Firm. Within that time delay, it will be the duty ofthe\nResponding Firm to act in protection of its labeled information. Failure to so act shall constitute a\ncomplete waiver.\n\n" "INTRODUCTION\n\nThe Solano Transportation Authority (STA) is a Joint Powers Authority comprised of members including the cities\nof Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, and Vallejo, and the County of Solano. The STA serves\nas the Bay Area County Transportation Agency (BACTA) for Solano County and is responsible for coordinating\ncountywide transportation plans, programs, and projects under a Joint Powers Authority among the Cities and\nCounty of Solano. The agency therefore has a vested interest in ensuring that the region can benefit from all forms\nof transportation, including rail transit. Important goals of the STA include reducing single occupancy vehicle trips,\npromoting local and regional connectivity through Solano\u2019s transit systems, as well as improving safety and train\noperations reliability in Solano County.\n\nThis joint RFQ is for the selection of a consultant for one or both oftwo proposed rail studies: (1) the STA will take\nthe lead in updating the Solano Rail Crossings Safety Improvement Plan, which will identify crossings most\nimpacted by current rail traffic and identify at-grade safety improvements that are needed, and (2) the STA and\nthe City of Vallejo will conduct a Feasibility Study to explore possible passenger rail services in Vallejo to and from\nsurrounding areas. The STA may select one consultant for each study or one consultant for both studies.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nIn 2011, the STA completed the Solano Rail Crossing Inventory and Improvement Plan which created a\ncomprehensive inventory of rail crossings in Solano County and identified a prioritized list of rail crossing safety\nprojects. The project list was later updated in 2015 as part of the larger Solano Rail Facilities Plan Update. Since\nthe 2015 update, there have been an increasing number of accidents involving trains striking cars and pedestrians.\nLocal growth has also increased auto and pedestrian/bicycle traffic crossing the railroad lines in Dixon, Vacaville,\nFairfield, Suisun City and the adjacent unincorporated county.\n\nSTA is now looking for assistance in completing the Solano Rail Crossings Safety Improvement Plan Update which\nwould identify crossings that have experienced accidents with trains and identify at-grade safety improvements\nthat are needed. The study would consider current and future rail traffic levels, current and future traffic patterns\nand volumes near rail crossings, accident data, and land use sensitivities. The end-product will be a program of\npriority rail crossing safety projects in the County that will be used to pursue grant funding to deliver these\nidentified grade-crossing safety improvement projects.\n\nThe 2003 Napa/Solano Passenger/Freight Rail Study investigated the economic feasibility of possible passenger\n\nrail services on several existing lines between Napa and Solano Counties, including St. Helena, Napa Junction,\nVallejo, and Suisun/Fairfield. The study objective was revisited in the 2015 Solano Rail Facilities Plan, which\nconfirmed the original finding that passenger services connecting Napa to Solano would have a low feasibility due\nto the high up-front capital costs and limited ridership. Another recent study, the SMART and SolanoExpress\nStation Feasibility Study, reviewed ridership potential in the County, including Vallejo, to identify the ideal location\nfor the Solano Rail Hub Project.\n\nThe proposed Vallejo Passenger Rail Study will provide acomprehensive analysis that would target opportunities\nfor passenger trains to serve the City of Vallejo. Specifically, the tasks for this study would include: the\nidentification of existing conditions of rail lines and facilities; a catalogue of current public transit service options;\nand a listing of land uses in the project area in the City of Vallejo. Using data related to existing and projected\ntravel patterns identified utilizing \u201cBig Data\u201d as a resource with these existing conditions, the Study will identify\nand assess the potential for passenger rail services between the City of Vallejo and the surrounding cities and\ncounties. The Study will also provide a list of capital improvements and associated order of magnitude capital and\noperating costs that would be necessary to develop and serve a station(s) and a passenger rail service system in\nthe project area. Ultimately, the Vallejo Passenger Rail Study will be adopted by the City of Vallejo and the STA\nBoard to serve as a resource informing future stakeholder decisions.\n\n3\n\nsta\n\nSofano Transportation Authosit,\n" "SCOPE OF SERVICE TASKS\n\nThe STA intends to retain a qualified and committed professional planning, data collection, and analysis firm to\ndevelop the following components for the proposed rail studies:\n\nSolano Rail Crossing Improvement Plan Update\n\nBudget and Schedule\n\nReview of Previous Studies\n\nReview and Update Inventory of Rail Crossings throughout Solano County\n\nDevelop a Prioritized List of Rail Crossing Safety Improvements with Estimated Costs\n\nPrepare an Implementation Strategy of Applicable Funding Sources and Grant Programs to Deliver\nIdentified Projects\n\n6. Compile a Solano Rail Crossing Safety Improvement Plan Update Report for Adoption by STA\n\nEn\n\nVallejo Passenger Rail Study\n\n1. Budget and Schedule\n\n2. Review of Previous Studies and Literature on Best Practices\n\n3. Conduct Existing Conditions Report of Public Transit Options and Associated Rail Facilities in Vallejo\n\n4. Conduct Travel Market Demand Forecasts with Consideration of Future Land Use Plans and Development\nof Conceptual Service Plans for Proposed Transit Services\n\nAssessment of Community Impacts of a Potential Passenger Rail in Vallejo\n\nDevelop Proposed Order of Magnitude Capital and Operation Costs\n\nDevelop and Implement a PublicCommunications and Outreach Plan\n\nDevelop Conclusions\n\nCompile a Vallejo Passenger Rail Feasibility Study for adoption by STA and the City of Vallejo\n\nLe er Be Ze\n\nThe STA may select two separate consultants for each rail study or one consultant for both studies.\n\nSolano Rail Crossing Safety Improvements Plan\nUpdate\n\nTask 1. Budget and Schedule\n\nDevelop detailed project budget and schedule. There will be a Kick-Off Meeting between STA and the selected\nconsultant to negotiate the final budget and determine the final schedule with milestones to complete the tasks\ndescribed in the Scope of Work.\n\nDeliverable\n1) Finalized budget and detailed project schedule.\n\nTask 2. Review of Previous Studies and Literature on Best Practices\n\nThe Consultant will review previous studies related to the Solano Rail Crossing Safety Improvements Plan. The\nConsultant will also review best practices related to rail crossing safety projects and provide a summary of\nconsiderations. This information should include additional criteria to be used for prioritizing rail crossing safety\nimprovements.\n\nDeliverable\n1) Summary of literature review/state of the practice highlighting current \u201cbest-practices\u201d and\n\nsummarizing suggested methodology for prioritization of projects going forward.\n\nsta\n\nSotamo Transportation Authority\n\n" "Task 3. Update Inventory of Rail Crossings throughout Solano County\n\nThe Consultant will review the inventory of Rail Crossings throughout Solano County and make updates, if\nnecessary.\n\nDeliverable\n1) Summary of updates to the inventory of Solano Rail Crossings\n\nTask 4. Develop Prioritized List of Rail Crossing Safety Improvements\n\nThe Consultant will develop a criteria to prioritize safety projects. Following, the Consultant will develop a list of\nrail crossing safety improvements and rank the projects based on the prioritization criteria. Cost estimates will also\nbe developed for these identified projects.\n\nDeliverable\n1) Project Prioritization Criteria\n2) Prioritized Projects List of Rail Crossing Safety Improvements with Cost Estimates\n\nTask 5. Prepare Funding Strategy to Deliver Rail Crossing Safety Improvements\n\nThe Consultant will identify potential funding partners and applicable funding sources and grant programs to fund\nthe identified projects. The Consultant will also prepare a program timeline of priority projects to advance these\nrail crossing improvements.\n\nDeliverable\n1) Funding Strategy to Deliver Rail Crossing Safety Improvements\n\nTask 6. Public Outreach\n\nThe Consultant will prepare and implement a public communications/outreach plan for Solano County jurisdictions\nfocused on raising awareness about rail crossing safety and promoting rail safety education.\n\nDeliverable\n1) Public Communications/Outreach Plan for Vallejo Passenger Rail Study\n\n2) Report on Findings from Public Outreach\n\nTask 7. Compile a Solano Rail Crossing Safety Improvements Plan Update Report for\nadoption by STA\n\nThe Consultant will compile a Solano Rail Crossing Safety Improvements Plan Update. The Consultant will present\nthe findings at STA committees.\n\nDeliverable\n\n1) Draft and Final Report of Solano Rail Crossing Safety Improvements Plan Update\n2) Presentation Materials\n\nVallejo Passenger Rail Study\n\nsta\n\nSotano Transportatton Authority\n"