City of Seattle
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Consultant Contracting
Project Title: 13-98 Ship Canal Crossing Study
Procurement Schedule
Table 1: Procurement Schedule
Schedule of Events / Date / LocationRFQ Release / December 11, 2013 / DJC-eBid
Optional Pre-Submittal Conference / December 17, 2013
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM / Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave
Room 4080
Deadline for Questions / January 2, 2014
4:00 PM / eBid
Sealed Proposals Due to the City / January 15, 2014
4:00 PM / See Table 2
Potential Interviews / January 27 – 31, 2014 / TBD
Anticipated Notice to Proceed / March 1, 2014
The City reserves the right to modify this schedule at the City’s discretion.
Notification of changes will be posted on the eBid eXchange.
Procurement Contact
Consultant Contract Unit (CCU) Specialist: Sonia Palma, 206-684-4107,
All questions must be submitted via eBid. Response to questions will be posted eBid.
Table 2: Delivery Address
Fed Ex & Hand Delivery - Physical Address / US Post Office - Mailing AddressSonia Palma, Consultant Contract Specialist
Project Controls, Consultant Contracts Unit
Seattle Department of Transportation
700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3800
Seattle, Washington, 98104 / Sonia Palma, Consultant Contract Specialist
Project Controls, Consultant Contracts Unit
Seattle Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 34996
Seattle, Washington, 98124-4996
It is important to use the correct address for the delivery method you chose.
Unless authorized by the CCU Specialist, no other City official or employee may speak for the City regarding this solicitation until the award decisions are complete. Any Submitter seeking information, clarification, or interpretations from any other City official or City employee uses such information at the Submitter’s own risk. The City is not bound by such information. Following the submittal deadline, Submitters shall continue to direct communications to only the CCU Specialist.
Table of Contents
1. Purpose and Background. 3
2. Period of Performance. 3
3. Solicitation Objectives. 3
4. Minimum Qualifications. 4
5. Scope of Work. 4
6. Contract Terms and Conditions. 6
7. Instructions, Procedures and Requirements. 6
8. Response Format. 12
9. Selection Process. 13
10. Award and Contract Execution. 14
11. Attachments 15
1. Purpose and Background.
The City of Seattle, through its Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), requests statement of qualifications (SOQ) from engineering consulting firms to provide consulting services for conducting a study for the Ship Canal Crossing.
The Ship Canal Crossing Study (SCCS) is identified in the Seattle Capital Improvement Program as a part of the Ballard to Downtown High Capacity Transit and Ship Canal Crossing Project. Originally budgeted in 2015, this study has been funded in 2014. The SCCS responds to needs identified in the Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Transit master plans to improve multimodal crossing of the Ship Canal in the vicinity of the Ballard and Fremont neighborhoods. Substandard bicycle and pedestrian crossings exist on both the Ballard and Fremont bridges, and there is a strong desire to plan for improved crossings and respond to growing transit, bicycle and pedestrian demands. The Fremont and Ballard bridges also are significant chokepoints for bus transit, freight, and general purpose traffic.
A new light rail or rapid streetcar transit line currently being analyzed by Sound Transit and the City of Seattle may provide an opportunity to include additional multimodal crossings for bicycle, transit and pedestrian use. Conversely, a high capacity transit configuration in a tunnel or high bridge may not accommodate all multimodal needs.
The SCCS is informed by corridor alternatives developed for the Ballard to Downtown (B2D) Seattle Transit Expansion Study. The B2D ongoing study is a joint initiative of Sound Transit and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). The B2D study has identified five high capacity transit corridors and six alternative crossing types and locations. Three of the six crossing types and locations are tunnel options where accommodating bicycle, bus transit, or pedestrian crossings would be difficult. It is the intent of this project to consider the crossing configurations and locations identified in the B2D study and refine these based upon Seattle’s modal needs to identify a preferred crossing location or locations and a refined list of bridge types, sizes and costs in order to initiate environmental documentation and preliminary engineering.
It is desired to complete this study prior to 2015 so that the findings and cost estimates are available for local funding initiatives, such as a Bridging the Gap levy renewal, and are available to inform Sound Transit’s long-range plan update process and system planning effort.
The categories of consulting services that may be needed for this project include, but are not limited to: project management, structural, environmental, hydraulics, utility coordination, surveying, base mapping, geotechnical, bridge and civil engineering, project delivery analysis, cost estimating, landscape/urban design, traffic operations, environmental analysis, lighting, multimodal transportation planning, and community outreach.
2. Period of Performance.
SDOT intends to execute the contract early in 2014 and the project is expected to take approximately 10 months. The consultant effort is anticipated to be valued at about $400,000.
3. Solicitation Objectives.
The City expects to achieve the following outcomes through this consultant solicitation:
· Identify the highest qualified team for this study.
· Hire a skilled consultant firm/team that has a strong record and experience in bridge engineering and architecture, multimodal transportation planning and public engagement.
4. Minimum Qualifications.
Minimum qualifications are required for the consultant firm/team to be eligible to submit an RFQ response. Your submittal response must show compliance to these minimum qualifications. Those that are not responsive to these minimum qualifications shall be rejected by the City without further consideration:
· The consultant team must have experience in bridge analysis and design in accordance with the WSDOT Bridge Design Manual in the last five years;
· The consultant team must have a minimum of five years of continuous service/business experience in the transportation planning and engineering sectors with a specialization in traffic engineering and multimodal traffic design;
· The Engineer of Record for a structural design under any work authorized in the Contract must be a current State of Washington licensed structural engineer in good standing with 5 years of structural engineering experience;
· The Engineer of Record for the geotechnical analysis or design under any work authorized in the Contract must be a current State of Washington licensed engineer in good standing with 5 years of geotechnical engineering experience;
· The Consultant Project Manager must have demonstrated experience in working with public agency of similar size to the City of Seattle within the last 5 years, with services similar to those expected by the City for this contract; and
· The Consultant must have a minimum of 5 years continuous experience during which time the services have been the primary business service.
5. Scope of Work.
SDOT is seeking consultant services to identify multimodal bridge crossings of the Ship Canal that are coordinated with high capacity transit plans of the City and Sound Transit and the multimodal needs of the community including consideration for overall mobility of bus, pedestrian, bicycle, freight and automobile circulation. This study will support Seattle’s goals for social equity, economic productivity, sustainability, and livable neighborhoods. It is an objective of the study to enhance crossing conditions for the most environmentally beneficial modes that can move the greatest number of people with the least greenhouse gas emissions, and without negatively impacting ground, water and shore conditions. Desired outcomes of the scope of work include:
· Identify goals and objectives and crossing constraints and opportunities
· Established multimodal screening criteria for crossing locations
· Identification of crossing alignment alternatives and preferred locations
· A public engagement plan and process to screen bridge types to a reasonable set for future environmental review
· Cost alternatives for preferred locations considering 3-4 bridge types or alternative configurations
The Scope of Work of this project will likely include the general tasks listed below. However, SDOT encourages consultant teams/firms to propose alternative approaches that introduce innovative, higher quality or impactful results, and cost savings. The overall scope will identify a preferred crossing location or locations, 3-4 bridge type alternatives, and associated costs for each alternative, with enough engineering detail to begin environmental review, permitting and preliminary engineering.
Task 1: Project Management and Internal Review
Manage all technical aspects of the study, including quality assurance and quality control, and regular reports on the status of the project budget, work effort progress, and schedule. Work with the SDOT project manager to engage with and respond to input from the policy and technical reviewers and any internal advisory committee assembled to advise the project.
Task 2: Define Goals and Objectives
The consultant, working closely with SDOT staff, will define goals and objectives of the Ship Canal Crossing project. These directives will address the crossing location and type, functions, community values, environmental objectives and context of the area. The goals and objectives will be vetted with the community and will guide the development of the multimodal screening criteria.
Task 3: Multimodal Screening Criteria
Informed by the crossing alignments and configurations in the Ballard to Downtown Seattle Transit Expansion Study, the Transit Master Plan, the Bicycle Master Plan, the Pedestrian Master Plan, identified major truck streets, and community input, the consultant team will develop multimodal screening criteria to evaluate crossing alternatives and bridge types. In addition to accommodating many modes, the evaluation criteria will be developed to ensure transit, bicycle, and pedestrian facilities are the preferred modes for consideration, followed by freight, and single occupant vehicles. The screening criteria will encompass a wide range of factors including, but not limited to, traffic operations, existing utilities and structures, navigational clearances, land side connections, canal navigation, fish and wildlife, environmental analysis (for screening, not a full environmental review) and permitting conditions.
Task 4: Alternative Development and Refinement
The consultant team/firms will develop crossing alternatives for technical and community input and evaluations. It is the responsibility of the consultant team/firms to present in their RFQ an approach that will successfully allow public engagement and technical coordination with SDOT and impacted agencies. It is desired that the consultant team/firms present a process leading to the selection of a preferred crossing location or locations and a small number of bridge type alternatives, with enough detail to begin environmental review, permitting and preliminary engineering.
Task 5: Public Engagement
Assist with implementation of a public engagement strategy that will result in meaningful input for the Ship Canal crossing from a range of stakeholders including residents, businesses, major institutions, agencies, and others. Ensure compliance with the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative. Demonstrate the capacity to develop clear and concise graphic techniques to communicate key aspects of the study process, technical issues, and architectural bridge types. Include capacity to deploy interactive web tools for public input and participation.
Task 6: Develop Final Report
Develop a final report documenting the findings of the alternatives, costs, recommended strategies and next steps. The final report will document the technical analysis and community engagement process and findings. The consultant team/firms may be called upon to provide briefings to city committees, elected official, community and neighborhood associations.
6. Contract Terms and Conditions.
The SDOT consultant contract is provided (see Attachments Section).
Consultants submit proposals understanding all Contract terms and conditions are mandatory and no negotiations of those terms will be invited. Submittal of a proposal is agreement to the entire Contract without exception, unless the City brings forward contract modifications for negotiation. The City is the only party that has the right to negotiate changes to submitted proposals and to change the City's otherwise mandatory Contract form during negotiations. If the Consultant is awarded a contract and refuses to sign the Contract as provided in this RFQ, the City may reject the Consultant from this and future solicitations for the same work. Under no circumstances shall Consultant submit its own boilerplate of terms and conditions.
7. Instructions, Procedures and Requirements.
This section details the City instructions and requirements for your submittal. The City reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject the submittal of any Consultant that fails to comply with the instructions.
7.1 Registration into City Registration System.
If you have not previously done so, register at: http://www2.seattle.gov/ConsultantRegistration/. The City expects all firms to register. Women- and minority- owned firms are asked to self-identify. For assistance, call 206-684-0444.
7.2 Pre-Submittal Conference.
The City shall conduct an optional pre-proposal conference at the time, date and location in page 1. Submitters are highly encouraged to attend but not required to attend to be eligible to propose. The meeting answers questions about the solicitation and clarify issues. This also allows Submitters to raise concerns. Failure to raise concerns over any issues at this opportunity will be a consideration in any protest filed regarding such items known as of this pre-proposal conference.
7.3 Questions.
Submitters may submit written questions to the Consultant Contract Specialist via eBid until the deadline stated on page 1. The Seattle Department of Transportation requires questions to be submitted through eBid so that all applicants may see the questions and SDOT’s responses. Failure to request clarification of any inadequacy, omission, or conflict will not relieve the Consultant of responsibilities under in any subsequent contract. It is the responsibility of the interested Consultant to assure they receive responses to Questions if any are issued.
7.4 Changes to RFQ/Addenda.
A change may be made by the City if, in the sole judgment of the City, the change will not compromise the City’s objectives in this acquisition. A change to this RFQ will be made by formal written addendum issued by the Consultant Contracts Specialist via eBid and shall become part of this RFQ and may be included as part of the Contract.
7.5 Receiving Addenda and/or Question and Answers.
It is the obligation and responsibility of the Consultant to learn of addendums, responses, or notices issued by the City. Some third-party services independently post City of Seattle solicitations on their websites. The City does not guarantee that such services have accurately provided all the information published by the City.