Texas Department of TransportationPage 1 of 6
Request for Proposal
Request for Proposals - Highway Safety Plan: In accordance with 43 TAC §25.901, et seq., the Texas Department of Transportation is requesting project proposals,excluding proposals to participate in Selective Traffic Enforcement Program Wave projects (STEP), to support the goals and strategies of a traffic safety program to reduce the number of motor vehicle related crashes, injuries and fatalities in Texas.goals and strategies listed in this request. These goals and strategies will form the basis for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 2006 (FY06) Highway Safety Plan (HSP). Proposals will not be required to participate in Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) - Wave. Requirements for projects to be considered for a STEP Wave will be established at a later date. Organizations with yearlong STEPs will not be eligible for the STEP Wave. Communities with yearlong STEPs may be allowed to participate in mobilizations using special funds. A separate request for proposals (RFP) will be issued for the following areas, so proposals for these type projects should not be submitted in response to this RFP:
- Technical Assistance and Data Analysis for Traffic Safety
- Mobile Video Instructor Training Course
- Traffic Safety Project Management Training
- Safe Communities Process Manager
- Safety belt surveys
- Police Traffic Services Support
- Child Passenger Safety Education and Distribution Program
- City/County Traffic Safety Assistance
As alcohol-related crashes are the leading cause of traffic fatalities in Texas, Pproposals to reduce driving while impaired (DWI) are especially sought and. Pproposals to improve the use of occupant protection use are especially soughtare also highly desired. All proposals must include a minimum of 10% local cost share in the first three years of an approved project. Proposals for a second or subsequent year of funding and multiyear proposals must include a Cost Assumption Plan (TxDOT Form 1845), demonstrating how the proposal will be funded after federal funding ends. . Proposals for a fourth or fifth year must contain a 35% and 50% local cost share respectively. Multiyear proposals will be accepted; however funding will be allocated on a single year basis. Each proposal must state which goal(s) and strategy(strategy(ies) included in this RFP it will support. the draft FY06 Performance Measures chart, available at The chart is also available from District Traffic Safety Specialists or Traffic Safety Program Managers. Eligible organizations are state and local governments, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations. Eligible, non-governmental organizations are subject to a pre-award audit prior to any grant execution.
Project Proposals: Organizations are responsible for insuring they use the appropriate proposal forms. Proposals for Selective Traffic Enforcement Projects must be submitted on TxDOT Form 1851LE, with appropriate attachments. All other proposals must be submitted on TxDOT Form 1851 with appropriate attachments. Proposals on obsolete or incorrect forms will not be scored for inclusion in the FY06 HSP. Current project proposal application forms and instructions, scoring criteria, and other related documents are available at the TxDOT internet site:
or upon request by contacting the Traffic Operations Division, Traffic Safety Section, attention Mr. Bill Strawn at (512) 416-2613 or from the Traffic Safety Specialist at the nearest TxDOT district office. District Traffic Safety Specialists and State Program Manager contact information may be found at It is recommended that potential proposal submitters contact either the responsible District Traffic Safety Specialist for proposals for local projects or the appropriate State Program Manager for proposals of statewide efforts in order to receive comments and feedback on any proposal, prior to final submission of the proposal.
Proposals must be submitted in writing to the nearest TxDOT district office, Attention: Traffic Safety Specialist, or mailed directly to Terry Pence, Traffic Operations Division, Texas Department of Transportation, 125 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas 78701-2483. Proposals must be received by TxDOT no later than 5 p.m., February 1, 2005.
Project Selection Process: The Texas HSP is developed through a strategic performance planning process, using goals established through analysis of the most recent available motor vehicle crash data. with tThe selection of individual projects is based on the problem identification and project solution offered in the proposals. Traffic safety managers will review and evaluate each proposal for applicability to Texas' and community traffic safety problems. Each qualifying project proposal will be scored against a number of selected criteria. Criteria include strength of problem identification supported with verifiable, current, and applicable documentation of the state or local traffic safety problem; quality of the proposed solution plan; realistic performance objectives and performance measures; time-framed action plan; cost eligibility; percent of matching funding proposed; and the a necessity and reasonable nessand necessary of the budget. Proposals including the purchase and distribution of child passenger safety seats or other occupant protection devices and supplies require a minimum 250% cost share for the safety seats. Any safety seats included in traffic safety proposals will be ordered through and purchased by the Texas Department of State Health Services, Safe Riders. Proposals for a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEPs) are limited to one or more combinations of the following: Driving While Intoxicated, Driving Under the Influence, enforcement of helmet laws, Occupant Protection, Speed, or and Intersection Traffic Control. STEP proposals to specifically address these problems listed above and other hazardous moving violation related to commercial motor vehicles will also be considered. A community should submit one combined proposal that covers all the desired traffic safety elements.Consolidated grants for all STEP elements will be issued for FY 2006. Education, training, or presentation proposals using public schools must include written support from target schools or school districts where the efforts will be made or thatwhere the product will be included in the curriculum. Proposals for immediate or potential statewide projects in public schools must also have verification of coordination and commitment from the Texas Education Agency. Proposals must be submitted by the responsible entity or have the written support from an authorized representative of that agency. Separate documents with information pertaining to the submitting agency's qualifications, commitment, availability of external resources, task force associations, or previous traffic safety or related experience may also be included with the proposal. Failure to follow the above requirements may disqualify your proposal from the scoring process. Any questions regarding your proposal should be directed to your assigned TxDOT representative representative(see attached list of TxDOT district and state contacts)..
Once the scoring process is complete, proposed projects are assigned priority for available funding. Selected proposals will be recommended for inclusion in the Texas HSP expected to begin in federal fiscal year 2005 2006 (October 1, 20042005). Eligible and worthwhile projects may be initiated prior to this dateOctober 1, 2005 if sufficient funding is available. Proposals selected for inclusion in the FY 2005 2006 HSP become cost reimbursable grant-in-aid agreements. Contracts with vendors for particular services will be made through the state purchasing process, not through this request for proposal process. All information resource-related activities will be subject to TxDOT information resource procurement procedures. Federal and state grant funds cannot be used for lobbying.
HSP Funding Apportionment: The traffic safety program will be divided into three categories;
- Core competencies – those programs which have the most direct impact on the number of traffic fatalities in the state. Reductions in fatalities caused by factors covered in core competencies have the greatest ability to decrease loss of life significantly in Texas.
- Contiguous competencies – these are programs that have an effect on the number of traffic fatalities in Texas, but the loss of life in these areas, and therefore the potential saving of life, is less, sometimes by a significant factor, than in the core competencies.
- Auxiliary competencies – programs which, by themselves do little to nothing to reduce traffic fatalities, but when used in support of the core competencies have a multiplier effect, meaning the effort expended in the core competency is increased in value and effect.
The elements of the various categories and the percentage of 402 traffic safety funding apportioned to each category are:
- Core competencies of police traffic services (to include all types of enforcement and Police Traffic Services Support), all alcohol countermeasures, and all occupant protection measures (except public information and education) will receive approximately 75 percent of available non-federally earmarked funds;
- Contiguous competencies of emergency medical services support, roadway safety, pedestrian safety, bicycle safety, Safe Communities processes, and motorcycle safety will receive approximately 10 percent of available non-federally earmarked funds; and
- Auxiliary competencies of public information and education and traffic records will receive approximately 15 percent of available non-federally earmarked funds.
HSP Review and Approval: The HSP will be submitted to the Texas Transportation Commission for approval. Upon approval, the HSP is submitted to the Governor's Office and forwarded to the federal government for review and comment.
HSP Implementation: The HSP becomes operational on October 1 of every year if federal appropriations allow. Funds are to be used to support state problem identification, planning and implementation of a traffic safety program to reduce crashes, deaths, and injuries on Texas roadways. The traffic safety program is designed to implement worthwhile projects to bewhere costs will be assumed by the sponsoring agency, not as financial support for continuing operation. Texas Traffic Safety Program project grant agreements supported with non-dedicated federal funds are limited to the length of the proposed grant period and usually do not receive extended funding beyond three years. Also, "supplanting" (use of federal funds to support personnel or an activity that is already supported by local or state funds) is prohibited. Funding is also provided from state, local, and private sources.
HSP Program Areas and Goals: Submitted pProposals must comply withare being solicited for the following goals and strategies: outlined in the draft FY06 performance measures chart at The chart is also available from the District Traffic Safety Specialist responsible for the geographical area of Texas in which the project will take place, or the responsible Traffic Safety Program Manager in the Traffic Operations Division if the project will be conducted statewide.
GOAL: Reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes, injuries, and fatalities in Texas
STRATEGIES:
•Increase enforcement of traffic laws
•Increase public education and information campaigns, including employer-based traffic safety
•Lower number of people driving while impaired
•Improve emergency medical services in rural areas
GOAL: Reduce alcohol related crashes, injuries and fatalities
STRATEGIES:
•Improve anti-DWI public information and education campaigns
•Improve blood alcohol content testing
•Increase enforcement of driving while impaired (DWI) laws
•Establish law enforcement task forces and coordinated enforcement campaigns
•Increase training for anti-DWI advocates
•Improve training, coordination, and information for law enforcement officers and DWI prosecutors
•Improve DWI processing procedures
•Increase intervention efforts
•Develop a DWI and minor-in-possession tracking system
•Improve adjudication of DWI cases through
•Improved training for judges
•Improved training for prosecutors
•Improved support materials for judges and prosecutors
•Improve judicial training on administrative license revocation (ALR)
•Improve data collection and linkages
•Improve education programs on alcohol for youth
GOAL: Reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes where the driver is under age 21
STRATEGIES:
•Increase enforcement of anti-DUI laws
•Increase public education and information, concentrating on youth ages 5-13 and 14-20, including parent education on drinking and driving
•Establish college campus anti-DUI programs
•Develop innovative ways and programs to combat underage drinking and driving
•Increase graduation/prom alcohol free activities
•Expand “El Protector” and keep concentration on alcohol issues
•Increase intervention efforts
GOAL: Reduce the number of speed-related crashes
STRATEGIES:
•Increase enforcement of speed laws
•Increase public education and information campaigns to reduce speeding
•Identify best practices for speed deterrence when law enforcement is not present
•Improve traffic calming techniques and use
GOAL: Increase safety belt use in all passenger vehicles and trucks
STRATEGIES:
•Increase enforcement of safety belt use laws
•Increase public education and information on benefits of safety belt use
•Increase intervention efforts by healthcare professionals, teachers, and all safety advocates
•Concentrate efforts on historically low use populations
•Increase judges and prosecutors awareness of correct safety belt use.
GOAL: Increase child passenger safety seat use
STRATEGIES:
•Increase enforcement of child passenger safety laws
•Increase public education and information campaigns on child passenger safety
•Increase retention of child passenger safety (CPS) technicians
•Increase training opportunities for CPS Instructors
•Continue CPS seat distribution programs for low income families
•Increase EMS/fire department involvement in CPS fitting stations
GOAL: Increase use of safety belts by passenger vehicle and pickup occupants ages 5-17
STRATEGIES:
•Increase enforcement of safety belt use laws
•Increase public education and information campaigns on occupant protection
GOAL: Reduce number of traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities in work zones per 100 million miles traveled in Texas
STRATEGIES:
•Increase enforcement of traffic laws in work zones
•Increase public education and information on traffic safety in work zones
•Evaluate best practices for reducing work zone crashes, injuries and fatalities
GOAL: Reduce the number of bicyclist fatalities
STRATEGIES:
•Increase enforcement of traffic laws about bicycle right of way
•Increase motorist awareness of bicycle rights through public information and education campaigns
•Increase use of safety equipment
•Improve bicycle crash data
GOAL: Reduce number of pedestrian fatalities
STRATEGIES:
•Improve identification of problem areas for pedestrians
•Improve public education and information on pedestrians and “safe walking”
•Improve data collection on pedestrian injuries and fatalities
GOAL: Increase use of motorcycle helmets
STRATEGIES:
•Increase enforcement of existing helmet law for riders and passengers under 21
•Improve public education and information on the value of wearing a helmet
GOAL: Improve timeliness, quality of and linkages between traffic crash data bases
STRATEGIES:
•Link Departments of Health, Transportation, and Public Safety databases
•Improve local databases and their ability to electronically transmit crash data to Departments of Health and Public Safety
GOAL: Reduce the number of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes, injuries and fatalities
STRATEGIES:
•Increase enforcement of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) speed limits
•Increase public education and information on sharing the road with CMV
•Insure all citations are attached to the CMV driving license
•Develop partnerships with CMV industry and trade associations to increase education and training of the general public and drivers
GOAL: Reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by distracted driving.
STRATEGIES:
•Improve crash data reporting where distracted driving is a factor
•Increase public information and education of distracted driving dangers
or upon request by contacting the Traffic Operations Division, Traffic Safety Section, attention Mr. Bill Strawn at (512) 416-2613 or from the Traffic Safety Specialist at the nearest TxDOT district office. Authority and Responsibility: The traffic safety grant program derives from the National Highway Safety Act of 1966 (23 USC §401, et seq.), and the Texas Traffic Safety Act of 1967 (Transportation Code, Chapter 723). An integral part of the Texas Department of Transportation and working through the department's 25 districts for local projects, the program is administered at the state level by the department's Traffic Operations Division. The executive director of the department is the designated Governor's Highway Safety Representative.