Request For Proposal For Project # 1389R2 Planning/Feasibility Study West Baltimore United Reconnecting Communities

Background
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) for a federally funded planning/feasibility study for the 1.4-mile US-40 expressway corridor in West Baltimore. This initiative follows the awarding of a Reconnecting Communities Planning Grant in February 2023, aimed at addressing the significant impacts suffered by local communities due to the construction of the US-40 Franklin and Mulberry expressway in the 1970s. This construction resulted in the demolition of homes and businesses and the displacement of over 1,500 residents.

Work Details
The contract involves conducting a comprehensive planning/feasibility study that includes:

1. Project Management: Coordination with BCDOT, stakeholder engagement, and regular progress updates.

2. Review Existing Materials: Assessment of previous studies relevant to the project.

3. Stakeholder Engagement/Public Outreach: Organizing community meetings, workshops, and maintaining an interactive project website.

4. Field Surveys: Conducting topographic surveys and utility designations along the corridor.

5. Infrastructure Asset Inventory: Assessing existing conditions of infrastructure assets including bridges and retaining walls.

6. Environmental Inventory: Completing a desktop inventory of environmental resources and preparing a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) document.

7. Traffic Analysis: Preparing traffic counts, crash data analysis, and transit route identification.

8. Market Analysis: Evaluating market conditions to inform land use planning.

9. Concept Development: Developing preliminary transportation concepts to reconnect communities divided by the highway.

10. Forecasting Traffic Scenarios: Utilizing travel demand models to predict traffic volumes for build scenarios.

11. Purpose and Need Statement: Collaborating with BCDOT to articulate transportation challenges addressed by the study.

12. Permits and Approvals: Identifying necessary permits for project execution.

13. Financing Strategies: Exploring funding opportunities including grants and alternative delivery methods.

14. Planning Study Report: Compiling findings from all tasks into a comprehensive report for public review.

Period of Performance
The duration of the contract will not exceed two years.

Place of Performance
The project will be conducted within West Baltimore along the US-40 expressway corridor.

Bidder Requirements
Firms must be prequalified by the Office of Boards and Commissions for applicable disciplines at the time of submission. The project has a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goal of 30%. All firms must comply with federal regulations regarding DBE participation, including prompt payment provisions to subconsultants.