Request for Proposals: Multimodal Planning Projects

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The City of Port Townsend (City) is soliciting proposals from civil engineering consulting firms to provide planning and preliminary design services for multiple projects. The City will receive proposals until Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 5:00 pm. Subsequent work including, but not limited to, surveying, design development, permitting, right-of-way acquisition, preparation of contract documents, bid support, and engineering support during construction are all contingent on available funding and may be awarded under this procurement action, at a later time, at the option of the City.

The City of Port Townsend reserves the right to amend terms of this “Request for Proposal” (RFP) to circulate various addenda, or to withdraw the RFP at any time, regardless of how much time and effort consultants have spent on their responses.

Overview of Projects

This Request for Proposal (RFP) focuses on projects that develop planning studies for non-motorized facilities in the City of Port Townsend. The projects include the following three distinct phases. Each phase is a separate grant, but the work is similar in nature.

Phase 1: Multimodal Arterial Street Cohesive Study. This study evaluates fifteen (15) arterial streets and is fully funded through the Transportation Alternatives Program. Total funding available for consultant services is $133,000. This project has funding approval and can begin immediately.

Phase 2: Port Townsend's Healthy Neighborhoods and Safe Routes to School Outreach, Study and Implementation Plan. This project evaluates neighborhood connections around schools through the Safe Routes to Schools Program. This project has been short-listed, but is not funded yet. Funding in the amount of approximately $350,000 for consultant services is anticipated in July of 2025.

Phase 3: Puget Sound to Pacific – Park and Ride to Fort Worden Connection (Segment J-286). This project evaluates the best route for extending the Olympic Discovery Trail to Fort Worden State Park. The project is funded through the RAISE grant with approximately $200,000 available for consulting services. This project is funded, but still needs WSDOT approval before work can begin.

Each of the above phases will be treated as separate projects, may be awarded out of numerical sequence, and will be authorized subject to funding requirements. The City may select one or multiple firms to perform the work associated with all phases. Work will only be authorized for each phase after funding has been approved by the WSDOT Local Programs. Additional details for each phase are outlined as follows:

Phase 1 – Multimodal Arterial Street Cohesive Investment Strategy

The Multimodal Arterial Street Cohesive Investment Strategy is a planning effort that will augment the City of Port Townsend’s efforts to build a forward-thinking transportation network that serves all modes of transportation: pedestrians, bicyclists, emergency services, private vehicles, delivery services, and public transportation. This effort will result in a plan that documents proposed concept drawings and cross sections and grant-level cost estimates for key routes in the City’s network.

Fifteen arterial streets have been identified as deficient key transportation routes that need a contextual analysis and public input in order to determine the appropriate street cross section that includes nonmotorized facilities as part of a connected network. Alternative sections for each street and the connected network will need to be developed based on field review, public input, affordability (scale that can be funded), and meeting the needs of a connected network. The purpose of this project is to prepare schematic plans and to develop a series of figures and cost estimates for future grant applications. In summary, this plan would develop a cohesive strategy that is fundable and balances functionality with unique features of each street such as right of way, topography, existing improvements, land-use, etc.

Phase 2 - Port Townsend's Healthy Neighborhoods and Safe Routes to School Outreach, Study and Implementation Plan

The City of Port Townsend has three school campuses in need of better neighborhood connectivity with non-motorized facilities. Port Townsend is a historic city with limited bike lanes, sidewalks and ADA ramps, so a plan is needed to prioritize city-wide connectivity and safe routes to school (SRTS). Adults and children are forced to walk in shared traffic making prioritized bike/ped routes essential. The high school, located in the central Uptown neighborhood, will conduct a 2025 campus master plan, which aligns with this grant schedule and scope to vision near and long-term improvements. Given the immediate need, and due process, this study may suggest capital projects and "temporary implementation," as allowed by the grant description.

Phase 3 - Puget Sound to Pacific – Connection to Fort Worden (Segment J-286)

As part of the $16 million RAISE grant for the Olympic Discovery Trail, the City of Port Townsend was awarded funding to develop a plan for a trail connection from the existing Larry Scott Trailhead to Fort Worden State Park. The purpose of this study is to work through a public process to develop alternatives. Developing alternatives would lead to a preferred alignment in order for the City to incorporate into transportation plans. To the extent feasible, this project will also include preliminary design and preliminary NEPA environmental analysis. Work to be performed in 2026. Additional information is available at https://biparksfoundation.org/ps2p-fy2023/  

Contract Type: It is anticipated that all consultant contracts for the listed projects will have the contract type and method of payment as “Negotiated Hourly Rate” in accordance with 23 CFR § 172.9

RFP Schedule

The City will receive proposals until Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 5:00 pm. Based on responses to the submittal criteria, the City will select a firm within the following four weeks. The project schedule will be as follows

Submittal

Submittals should include the following:

• Contact information

• Project personnel

• Firm experience (see criteria items 2 & 3 below)

• Project understanding and approach • Schedule

• Past projects: scope and owner contact information

• Proposals should not include any references to fees or costs (per Chapter 39.80 RCW this is a Qualifications-Based Selection

Submittals will be evaluated and ranked based on the following criteria:

1. Key personnel who will be assigned to the project

2. Firm’s experience and ability to develop low cost and innovative solutions

3. Firm’s experience with:

    o Bicycle and pedestrian facility planning, designing, and cost estimating

    o Landscape and urban design, storm water, and roadside plantings

    o WSDOT/FHWA standards and right-of-way

4. Firm’s understanding and approach for the project 

5. Schedule:

    o Estimated time to complete project

    o Availability to respond to City staff inquiries

6. Relevant past project scopes/references

The criteria listed will carry equal weight during the selection process

Submittals shall be limited to no more than 10 single-sided or 5 double-sided pages. Please submit one (1) digital version of your proposal via email to frontdesk@cityofpt.us. Subject line should be: Proposal for Multimodal Transportation Planning Studies and Preliminary Engineering - Attn: Laura Parsons, P.E

The City of Port Townsend encourages disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned firms to respond

These projects (Phases 1-3) are federally funded and have a 0% UDBE goal for the consultant agreement.

Federally funded projects, like the Multimodal Transportation Planning Studies and Preliminary Engineering listed in this RFP, are held to Federal EEO requirements.

Title VI Statement

The City of Port Townsend, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information

The City of Port Townsend, in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. This material can be made available in an alternate format by emailing the City of Port Townsend ADA Coordinator, Alyssa Rodrigues at arodrigues@cityofpt.us or by calling collect 360-379- 5083.

City Contact

Additional project information is available at: https://cityofpt.us/rfp  

Questions regarding this Request for Proposal may be directed to: Laura Parsons, P.E. at lparson@cityofpt.us