1-RFQ032577 VRU Bid Book ALL INCL POST REV for 4.10.2026.pdf

City of Columbus Solicitation Number: RFQ032577

Request for Proposals for Vision Zero – Vulnerable Road User Plan (VRU)

Department of Public Service Capital Improvement Project No: 532000-100010

Version Dated: 04/10/26

Response Due Date and Time:

May 8, 2026, 10:00 AM, Eastern Time

Submit Electronic Proposal Package through Bonfire at:

https://columbus.bonfirehub.com/login

CITY MBE/WBE GOAL FOR THIS PROJECT: 0%

NEW PROPOSAL PAGE LIMIT OF 15 PAGES. SEE SECTIONS 6.5 AND 6.6 FOR

DETAILS.

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CHANGES TO THE RFP DOCUMENTS. PLEASE REVIEW

ALL SECTIONS OF THE DOCUMENTS.

https://columbus.bonfirehub.com/login

PROPOSAL SIGNATURE FORM

This page, signed by an officer of the offering firm or a designated agent empowered to bind that entity in a contract with the Department of Public Service, should accompany each proposal submitted for consideration.

I, the undersigned, having carefully examined the Request for Proposals (RFP), propose to furnish services in accordance therewith as set forth in the attached proposal.

I hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge, this submission is complete and all statements made therein are true and accurate.

I also affirm I am duly authorized to sign and submit this response on behalf of the Offeror named below.

I further acknowledge that by signing this form I am representing that, in the event this proposal is accepted, the Offeror is willing and able to execute a contract in the form shown in the RFP with no changes to the terms and conditions unless approved by the Department of Public Service, with the understanding that the scope and compensation provisions will be negotiated and included in the final contract.

By my signature below, I attest that I have read, understand and agree to the terms, conditions and requirements set forth in the RFP and associated documents.

Failure to sign and return this form may result in the rejection of the proposal.

OFFEROR CONTACT INFORMATION:

OFFEROR (Company Name): ______________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________________________

CITY, STATE, ZIP: _______________________________________________________________________

CONTACT PERSON: _____________________________________________________________________

CONTACT PERSON PHONE: _________________________

CONTACT PERSON EMAIL: _____________________________________________

AUTHORIZATION TO PROPOSE:

Signature Date

Printed Name Title

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

Special conditions included in the specifications, if inconsistent with provisions included in this "Terms and Conditions for Submitting Proposals" section, shall take precedence over any provisions in this "Terms and Conditions for Submitting Proposals” section.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL

Proposals must be submitted according to the information contained in the Request for Proposal form.

All proposals and other material submitted in response to this Request for Proposal (RFP) become the property of the City of Columbus. The City may choose to retain or return these materials to the offeror, at the offeror’s expense.

ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION

This proposal submitted by the Consultant to the City of Columbus will be accepted or rejected within a period of 180 days from proposal due date. The City reserves the right to waive technicalities and to request new proposals (rebid) for the advertised project. Each Request for Statements of Qualifications and Request for Proposals issued by the City may be cancelled and a proposal may be rejected in whole or in part when it is for good cause and in the best interests of the City.

WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS

Consultants may withdraw their proposals at any time prior to the time specified in the advertisement as the closing time for the receipt of proposals. However, no Consultant shall withdraw or cancel a proposal for a period of 180 calendar days after said advertised closing time for the receipt of proposals.

DEFAULT PROVISION

In case of default by the Consultant, the City of Columbus may terminate any resultant contract and may procure the articles or services from other sources and hold the Consultant responsible for any excess costs occasioned or incurred thereby.

SIGNATURE REQUIRED

By submitting this response electronically, offeror is affixing an electronic signature as defined by the Ohio Uniform Transactions Act. Said signature represents that he/she has the authority to bind the entity to the terms and conditions contained herein

APPLICABLE LAWS

The Revised Code of the State of Ohio, the Charter of the City of Columbus, and all City ordinances insofar as they apply to the laws of competitive bidding, contracts, purchases, and wage theft prevention, are made a part hereof.

REMEDIES

All claims, counterclaims, disputes and other matters in question between the City, its agents and employees, and the Consultant arising out of or relating to this Contract or its breach will be decided in a court of competent jurisdiction within the County of Franklin, State of Ohio. Terms and conditions, submitted with this proposal, which are contrary to City Code or Charter shall be disregarded for the purpose of any subsequent contract.

CONTRACT

The Consultant to whom an award is made will be required to execute a written contract with the City of Columbus, Ohio, within seven days after receiving such contract for execution.

TAXES

The City, being a municipality, is tax exempt.

Federal and/or State Taxes are not to be included in prices quoted. The successful Consultant will be furnished an exemption certificate if needed.

PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS

The City of Columbus, as a political subdivision of the State of Ohio, is subject to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 149, known as the Ohio Public Records Act. Accordingly, the Bidder understands that ALL records submitted in response to this RFP are generally considered public records and WILL be released in response to valid request for public records, unless said records are legally exempt or non-record per the Ohio Public Records Act.

Upon receipt of a valid request for public records for this submittal, the City will send notice of said request to Bidder, via electronic mail, to the most recent electronic email address on record for the Bidder. The City will initially review the submittal and redact records that it believes it can legally justify under the Ohio Public Records Act. However, Bidder has the sole responsibility of identifying records that it believes may contain proprietary trade-secrets from release under the Ohio Revised Code. If Bidder believes the submittal does contain proprietary trade-secrets, the City will NOT assert the legal position of Bidder that said records are protected. Instead, Bidder must obtain an order from a Court of competent jurisdiction in Franklin County, Ohio enjoining the release of said records. The City will delay release of records for seven (7) calendar days after the notice was sent to the Bidder to allow for Bidder to obtain a court order.

Failure to take timely action will result in the release of records.

THE CITY STRONGLY ENCOURAGES

BIDDER TO NOT INCLUDE ANY

RECORDS IN SUBMITTAL THAT CONTAIN

PROPRIETARY TRADE-SECRETS.

seholt Highlight

COSTS INCURRED FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

The City is not liable for any cost associated with the preparation of the proposal or any other costs incurred by any offeror prior to the execution of the Contract. The rejection of any proposal in whole or in part, at the City’s sole discretion, will not render the City liable for incurring any cost or damage.

CONTRACT COMPLIANCE

All consultants shall identify all sub-consultant(s) who will perform any type of contracting on City proposal(s). All consultants shall include in their proposal response the anticipated scope of work and percentage of work that will be performed by all sub-consultant(s), along with their contract compliance number(s).

All consultants, including sub-consultants, who are party to a contract as defined in Columbus City Code 3901.01, must hold valid contract compliance certification numbers before a contract can be executed. The consultant and all sub-consultants must have valid contract compliance certification numbers within seven business days of the City issuing a notification of intent to award the contract. If the consultant or any subconsultants do not all have valid contract compliance certification numbers by that time, the City may rescind the contract award and award another offeror.

Go to Vendor Services to verify that vendors have a valid contract compliance number. Vendor Services can be accessed via:

http://vendorservices.columbus.gov/

Vendor Services contact information is:

Email: vendorservices@columbus.gov Phone: 614-645-8315

Vendors must register on the Vendor Services portal before doing business with the City of Columbus and becoming Minority or Women Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) certified. To get registered, please visit the following link:

https://new.columbus.gov/Business- Development/Bids-Solicitations/Vendor- Resources.

After vendor registration, you will receive an email inviting you to complete the required Contract Compliance (EBO) Questionnaire. Vendors must be contract compliant in order to do business with the City of Columbus. To get compliant, please visit the following link:

https://new.columbus.gov/Business- Development/Bids-Solicitations/Vendor- Resources.

To complete our online certification application, track the status of your application and receive a copy of your certification approval letter, visit:

https://columbus.diversitycompliance.com/.

For more certification information or questions, contact us at: DiversityCertifications@columbus.gov.

For additional inquires, contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at: odi@columbus.gov.

REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

http://vendorservices.columbus.gov/ mailto:vendorservices@columbus.gov https://new.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Bids-Solicitations/Vendor-Resources https://new.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Bids-Solicitations/Vendor-Resources https://new.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Bids-Solicitations/Vendor-Resources https://new.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Bids-Solicitations/Vendor-Resources https://new.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Bids-Solicitations/Vendor-Resources https://new.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Bids-Solicitations/Vendor-Resources https://new.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Bids-Solicitations/Vendor-Resources https://new.columbus.gov/Business-Development/Bids-Solicitations/Vendor-Resources https://columbus.diversitycompliance.com/ mailto:DiversityCertifications@columbus.gov mailto:odi@columbus.gov

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

1. Project Information

1.1 Project Name: Vision Zero –Vulnerable Road User Plan (VRU) Capital Improvement Project No: 532000-100010

1.2 Project Overview:

The City of Columbus has been awarded funds via the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant from the US Department of Transportation to develop a Comprehensive Vulnerable Road User Plan. The plan will support our Vision Zero Columbus initiative and associated Action Plan 2023-2028 (Action Plan), which outlines foundational activities to advance our goal of zero traffic-related serious injuries and deaths on Columbus streets by 2035.

This project is intended to ground us deeply in data to create a safe mobility plan that addresses the specific traffic safety needs of the identified vulnerable road user groups.

Selected consultants will collaborate equitably with community throughout the process.

Qualitative and quantitative data will be included in analyses. Deliverables will expand our knowledge of how to achieve zero fatal crashes in the next 10 years.

The Request for Proposal (RFP) outlines the scope of services and deliverables needed by the City of Columbus for the Comprehensive Vulnerable Road User Safety Plan project. The successful bidder will demonstrate an ability to commit the appropriate expertise and resources to complete the requested tasks in accordance with a well-defined schedule. The evaluation process for this project may include interviews of potential consultants. The Consultant team should reflect the makeup of our business community and have experience in developing Safety Action Plans.

The scope of services provided below generally describes services the selected consultant team is expected to be capable to perform. With each task assigned under this Task Order contract, a task-specific Scope of Services and associated fee for services will be agreed to by the Department and consultant prior to proceeding.

The City of Columbus anticipates an initial contract amount of up to $1,250,000 for the 36-month project.

The selected Consultant shall attend a scope meeting anticipated to be held about May 28, 2026. If the Project Manager is not available, the Consultant may designate an alternate(s) to attend.

1.3 References:

The links and information provided below correspond to the components of the RFP.

Please review these as resources to become familiar with the Vision Zero initiative, its approach and related mobility plans in the Central Ohio community. The references provided include links to other cities’ plans and are provided only as example precedents.

Submissions are expected to demonstrate sufficient understanding of Vision Zero principles and the Safe System Approach.

The references are also intended to help respondents develop a submission that clearly demonstrates strength and/or appropriate collaboration with firms that have professionals capable of performing all tasks to the extent described in the RFP. That includes expertise in each of these areas: spatial data analysis, planning, policy and authentic community engagement.

1.3.1 FHWA Grant Requirements

1.3.2 Vision Zero website with Action Plan

Columbus.gov/visionzero

1.3.3 Safe System Approach

https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS/SafeSystem

1.3.4 Ohio Department of Transportation Vulnerable Road User Assessment https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/working/publications/vulnerable-road-user-assessment

1.3.5 LinkUS Columbus

https://linkuscolumbus.com/

1.3.6 Columbus Safe Routes to School District Wide Travel Plan (2022)

1.3.7 City of Columbus Bike Plus Plan

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fa0d7f19855a46f5a67ad741da665439?cove r=false&header=false&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

1.3.8 Climate Action Plan

https://www.columbus.gov/files/sharedassets/city/v/1/utilities/sustainability/cap/co lumbus-climate-action-plan_final.pdf

1.3.9 MORPC Regional Mobility Plan

https://www.morpc.org/programs-services/regional-mobility-plan/

1.3.10 Detroit Comprehensive Safety Action Plan

https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2022-09/Detroit%20CSAP.pdf

1.3.11 Portland’s Citywide Pedestrian Plan

https://www.portland.gov/transportation/planning/pedpdx

1.3.12 Pittsburgh’s Pedestrian Safety Action Plan

https://www.pittsburghpa.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/domi/documents/14356_pittsbur gh_psap_final.pdf

1.3.13 Minneapolis Pedestrian Crash Study

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/media/-www-content-assets/documents/Peds- Study-2017.pdf

2. Scope of Services: Comprehensive Vulnerable Road User Safety Plan The full scope of services follows; however, the consultant is encouraged to include suggestions for the project within their understanding of the project or project approach if they believe substantial changes are necessary to best meet the objectives of the project. The final project scope will be determined in meetings between the Department of Public Service (DPS) and the offeror the Department selects for potential contract award.

Overall, the scope of services will include development of a Comprehensive Vulnerable Road User Safety Plan that serves as both a supplement to the existing Vision Zero Action Plan (2023-2028) and informs necessary strategies for the future 5-year action plan, a pedestrian priority network, and a new 5-year Safe Routes to School District Wide School Travel Plan.

Consultants should utilize research, best practices and engagement efforts in development of each component. Submissions are encouraged to collaborate and add subject matter experts to ensure their proposal is strong across all components. Any proprietary tools or processes https://vision-zero-columbus.hub.arcgis.com/ https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS/SafeSystem https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/working/publications/vulnerable-road-user-assessment https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/working/publications/vulnerable-road-user-assessment https://linkuscolumbus.com/ https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fa0d7f19855a46f5a67ad741da665439?cover=false&header=false&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fa0d7f19855a46f5a67ad741da665439?cover=false&header=false&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery https://www.columbus.gov/files/sharedassets/city/v/1/utilities/sustainability/cap/columbus-climate-action-plan_final.pdf https://www.columbus.gov/files/sharedassets/city/v/1/utilities/sustainability/cap/columbus-climate-action-plan_final.pdf https://www.morpc.org/programs-services/regional-mobility-plan/ https://detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2022-09/Detroit%20CSAP.pdf https://www.portland.gov/transportation/planning/pedpdx https://www.pittsburghpa.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/domi/documents/14356_pittsburgh_psap_final.pdf https://www.pittsburghpa.gov/files/assets/city/v/1/domi/documents/14356_pittsburgh_psap_final.pdf https://www.minneapolismn.gov/media/-www-content-assets/documents/Peds-Study-2017.pdf https://www.minneapolismn.gov/media/-www-content-assets/documents/Peds-Study-2017.pdf used in the project need to be delivered in a format that is usable and replicable by City of Columbus.

Plan elements will include equitable public engagement, policy recommendations, priority network development, facility type recommendations, project constructability/feasibility analysis, and a recommended capital improvement program for priority implementation projects.

In addition to vulnerable road users defined by mode (pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcycle riders), the plan will include demographic subgroups that have traffic safety vulnerabilities (‘road users of emphasis’). Additional road users of emphasis may be identified by the consultant and included in the project, such individuals that are new to Columbus or individuals that primarily speak/understand a language other than English. The identification of any additional road users of emphasis must be supported by data.

2.1 Existing Conditions and Analysis

2.1.1 Aligned Plans Review. The Consultant will review relevant planning documents as provided by the City. Additional documents may include upcoming projects, plans developed by other City Departments or outside agencies to identify opportunities to align safety and connectivity priorities. The aligned plans review should result in a comprehensive dataset that identifies locations for which safety projects are scheduled through 2035 and an accompanying PDF that describes key findings about the alignment with Vision Zero Columbus.

2.1.2 Existing sidewalk, crosswalk, shared use path, and trails analysis. Review and analyze existing pedestrian facilities and their connectivity within a meaningful geographic boundary. The definition of pedestrian facilities will follow existing definitions determined by DPS, which include sidewalks, crosswalks, shared use paths, and trails. This task will use spatial datasets managed by DPS Data Solutions & Compliance Group and Columbus Recreation and Parks. This task will consist of identifying gaps in the existing sidewalk or crosswalk network throughout the City and prioritizing gaps to be addressed.

2.1.3 The consultant needs to use the existing definition of ‘sidewalk gap’ as provided by DPS Division of Infrastructure Management. Gaps in “crosswalk network” will be defined prior to beginning analysis by project team. Determination of any business rules for prioritization will include a representative from both DPS Data Solutions & Compliance Group and Division of Infrastructure Management. Those representatives from DPS will stay involved throughout the entire development process.

2.1.4 Barriers Analysis. This analysis will identify critical network barriers (e.g.

freeways, rivers, major arterial roadways or complex intersections, etc.) that currently limit the ability of pedestrians to safely and comfortably travel to desired destinations within the proposed network. This analysis will be used to prioritize improvements that will facilitate travel across barriers within identified priority networks. A geospatial dataset depicting the locations and extents of the barriers shall be generated and provided to the City by the Consultant.

2.1.5 Benchmarking and Case Studies. This task will identify peer cities and comparative projects relevant to the City of Columbus context. Benchmarking should identify cities and corridors which may have previously shared similar characteristics as Columbus today, and where strategic investment in infrastructure has had measurable positive effects (e.g. mode shift, public health, equitable access, economic development and small business activation, etc.), especially for vulnerable road users and road users of emphasis. This information will be used in stakeholder and public engagement tasks to help communicate the potential outcomes from investments to be recommended through the planning process. Citywide and project-specific benchmarking should reflect the project goals and priorities as noted above. Consultants will also conduct crash data benchmarking to compare the City of Columbus with cities with similar populations across the country, in terms of the number and severity of traffic crashes involving the vulnerable road users and road users of emphasis defined in the project.

2.1.6 Existing Conditions and Analysis Report is the expected deliverable.

2.2 Public and Stakeholder Engagement

The Consultant team will utilize existing Vision Zero Strategic Communications & Engagement Plan to propose meaningful and equitable community outreach and engagement for plan development and adoption. This component will focus on multilingual engagement for vulnerable road users, including both online and offline elements, and prioritizing locations based on traffic safety data and demographics of the most impacted people in Columbus. Engagement activities should also ensure appropriate representation of agencies that serve individuals from the road user groups of emphasis and individuals from those groups. The consultant will be expected to build upon completed and planned engagement and avoid duplication of effort.

2.2.1 Review Recent Engagement. Various recent and ongoing projects led by the City and/or partner agencies have included surveys and public feedback that will be useful in establishing a baseline understanding of current community sentiment around walking, bicycling, micromobility and transportation in Columbus. City staff will compile and provide this information, including the recently completed Vision Zero Strategic Communications & Engagement Plan.

The Consultant team should review and identify relevant themes of community sentiment to help inform priorities for engagement as part of this project. The result of the review should also identify challenges of recent engagement, including timing, location, and mode representation to be addressed in the outreach and engagement plans associated with this project.

2.2.2 Outreach and Engagement Plan for each Component. Develop an initial outreach and engagement plan to accompany the process for each of the components listed within the Scope of Services.

2.2.3 Steering and Implementation Committee. The Consultant will assist the city in convening a technical group of Vision Zero partners, including representation from each of the relevant divisions within DPS, as well as representation from other City Departments, agencies, and institutions involved in traffic violence prevention to provide input on development of the plan and take ownership of identified strategies. The Consultant will work with staff to identify areas of concern, potential conflicts with existing policies, standards, or projects underway, and collaborate to resolve such issues. Committee will meet at least once every other month during the project period.

2.2.4 Stakeholder Interviews/Focus Groups. The Consultant will assist City staff in conducting one-on-one or small group interviews with residents or Vision Zero partners in alignment with the existing Vision Zero Columbus Strategic Communications & Engagement Plan.

2.2.5 Engagement Plan. The Consultant Team will develop communications for widespread dissemination of information to the public and key stakeholder groups. Information will be distributed according to existing Vision Zero Columbus Strategic Communications & Engagement Plan and through channels already established by the City.

2.3 Pedestrian Priority Network

The Consultant will lead the development of a pedestrian priority network that reflects a citywide vision for zero pedestrian-involved crashes by 2035. This network will serve as the foundation for future pedestrian safety infrastructure investments and assist the department in applying best practices to the identification of projects with the greatest potential to improve safety, connectivity, and equitable access. The final network shall be delivered in a geospatial format approved by DPS.

2.3.1 Trip and User Demand Analysis. The Consultant team will propose an analysis methodology to identify pedestrian travel patterns within the City. This will include an assessment of trip types, trip lengths, origins/destinations, preferred routes, travel sheds, and user types, using the City’s technology stack where available.

Analysis should also include an assessment of latent demand for pedestrian infrastructure based on relevant factors such as neighborhood socio-demographics, development density, land use, 311 requests, field observations, and other recommended criteria. This effort should also accommodate for anticipated growth patterns in the City. This effort should be able to be repeatable by City staff and include a document containing the methodology and listing all data sources used.

2.3.2 Goals and Priority Development. In addition to the City’s Vision Zero commitment of zero traffic fatalities, serious injuries and vulnerable road user-involved crashes on our roadways by 2035, the Consultant will work to identify goals and priorities based on relevant planning efforts, community stakeholder input, and benchmarking completed as part of the project. The planning process is expected to develop an aspirational yet implementable vision for an interconnected pedestrian network throughout the City.

2.3.3 Pedestrian Priority Network Dataset. The Consultant will develop a Pedestrian Priority Network that synthesizes all prior analysis. Baseline for the network dataset will be provided in GIS format per DPS Data Compliance & Solutions standards. The network should reflect a citywide vision for pedestrian mobility, highlighting the corridors and areas where investments in pedestrian infrastructure will have the greatest impact on safety, mobility, connectivity, and access. This network will serve as a guiding framework for future planning, capital programming, and policy decisions.

2.3.3.1 The pedestrian priority network will include transit networks as a layer in the facility planning and analysis will consider transit data, such as ridership at stops and service (number of bus lines, schedule of service) as part of prioritization.

2.3.3.2 Corridors with bus stops on both sides of the road should have a pedestrian facility on both sides of the roadway or at least provide access to/from the nearest stop on the opposite side of the street with consideration for pedestrian crossings to access stops on each side of the street.

2.3.4 Project Prioritization and 5-Year Capital Improvement Program. The Consultant will develop a methodology for prioritizing specific infrastructure improvement projects based on the goals and priorities identified through the planning process. The methodology should be a best practice approach that will be replicable for the Department to use and maintain on an on-going basis. Using this approach, the Consultant will identify a set of high-priority projects and develop a 5-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that outlines recommended projects, cost estimates, phasing, and potential funding sources. A corresponding geospatial file for the projects must be provided.

2.3.5 Project Feasibility Assessment. The Consultant will conduct technical analysis to assess the feasibility of high-priority projects identified in the 5-Year CIP. This assessment should confirm that a subset of projects are practical for near-term implementation – ideally within 12-18 months of plan adoption. These projects should be low-cost, high-impact projects that can serve as early action items to demonstrate progress on the plan’s goals. Definitions for feasibility, low-cost and high-impact to be determined during the scoping effort with selected Consultant.

2.3.6 Graphic Illustrations. The Consultant will provide graphic illustrations in the form of diagrams, conceptual plan layouts, illustrative cross sections, or perspective renderings designed for communication with stakeholders and/or the general public.

2.3.7 Deliverable. The final deliverable must include the written methodology, including business rules and other ad-hoc analysis decisions of how the network was developed, and an exported, zipped file geodatabase of three feature classes: (1) Pedestrian Priority Network in a data schema provided by the City (2) established network barriers as defined in 2.1.2, and (3) Mapped priority projects in a schema as provided by the City with recommendations made by the Consultant. The deliverable will undergo quality control and correction by both the vendor and City prior to acceptance.

2.4 Safe Routes to School Community Wide Travel Plan (5-year).

The Consultant team will lead the development of a new, inclusive Safe Routes to School Community Wide Travel Plan that will guide infrastructure investments, programming efforts, and policies over a five-year period. The plan will use results of safety analyses included in this project as well as additional data to identify opportunities to support a safe and comfortable network for students across the City.

2.4.1 Establish Project Team. The Consultant will collaborate with school districts within the City of Columbus corporate boundary and relevant partners to form a multi-disciplinary project team. This team will include representatives from Columbus City Schools and DPS Data Solutions & Compliance group. The project team will help guide the data collection and policy recommendations throughout this planning process. School Boards from relevant districts should be engaged during project kick-off and receive regular engagement from this Project Team.

2.4.2 Data Collection. The Consultant will lead the collection and analysis of data to better understand how students in grades PreK through 12 currently travel to and from school, as well as other key neighborhood destinations and the safety of their routes. This effort will be inclusive of identifying libraries, community centers, and other after school destinations. Data collection will include the required Safe Routes to School data (Travel Tallies and Caregiver Surveys) districtwide at Columbus City Schools, on-site observations during arrival and dismissal periods to assess student access and travel patterns at a representative sample of schools within the City of Columbus, assessment of School Zone and school bus stop infrastructure. Details of the School Zone and school bus stop safety assessments will be determined by the Project Team. All schools within City of Columbus corporate boundary will be invited to contribute to the data collection.

2.4.3 Conditions Assessment. Based on the data collected, the consultant will assess the current conditions of the school environment, including transportation infrastructure, safety concerns, travel patterns, and policy constraints. The assessment will include school site reviews and a community-wide analysis to identify common challenges and areas of opportunities. Findings should be documented at both the individual school and district-wide levels.

2.4.4 Community Engagement. The Consultant will design and implement an inclusive community engagement process to gather input from caregivers, students, school staff, and other key stakeholders. This process should ensure language accessibility and cultural relevance. This effort may include community meetings, open houses, interviews, or school-based events. Engagement should inform both the assessment of current conditions and the development of recommendations.

2.4.5 Barrier Identification. Using input from the assessment and engagement activities, the Consultant will identify barriers that prevent students from safely traveling to/from school, especially students that currently walk, bike or take public transit to school and students within walking or biking distance of their school location. The barriers may include physical infrastructure gaps, social, or behavioral challenges, and policy or program limitations. When appropriate, barriers identified in this task shall be included in the dataset defined in section

2.1.2. Findings should be provided for individual schools and at a community-or district-wide level.

2.4.6 Recommendations Development. The Consultant will develop actionable recommendations to address identified barriers and support safe, convenient student travel. Recommendations should include school-specific strategies as well as district-wide improvements, covering infrastructure, programming, and policy changes. Recommendations will be prioritized based on safety, feasibility, community input, and potential impact.

2.4.7 Deliverable. The overall deliverable for this task is a 5-year School Travel Plan that satisfies all Ohio Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School Program requirements, including related artifacts and datasets used to develop the plan.

2.5 Comprehensive Vulnerable Road User Safety Plan

2.5.1 Policy Landscape Analysis. Conduct a complete analysis that includes stakeholder mapping, policy and legal review, political and social environment assessment, and a review of the Vision Zero Columbus Research findings. A detailed final report of the analysis will be provided. As part of the report, actionable updates to internal policies at the City of Columbus will be identified. Results of the analysis will be synthesized for inclusion in the final plan document.

2.5.2 Crash Network for Vulnerable Road User and Road User Groups of Emphasis.

2.5.3 Risk Profiles and Recommendations. Develop a risk profile for each of the vulnerable road user and road user groups of emphasis based on all analyses conducted as part of the project. Include the risk profiles in the final plan document.

Key recommendations in data, policy/land use, infrastructure, education, enforcement, funding and partners shall be included in the final plan document that respond to the identified risks and that will contribute to the steepest decline in fatal and serious injury crashes.

2.5.4 Actions to Prevent Harmful Crashes. The final plan document will include specific, data-informed action items to prevent fatal, serious and vulnerable road user-involved crashes. Actions should include scaling of successful interventions from existing Vision Zero Columbus plans. Actions should also consider the overall goal of eliminating fatal crashes by 2035. Indicate actions for implementation within five years. Timeframe, cost, responsible entity, and performance measure(s) for implementation of actions will be determined with input from all transportation Divisions and the Data Solutions & Compliance group at DPS.

2.5.5 Monitoring and Evaluation. Identify metrics for each of the components and subcomponents to monitor progress and report on progress to Vision Zero stakeholders within appropriate timeframes. The process of monitoring the project should also address how input from Community Advisory Committee and Steering and Implementation Committee will be harmonized.

2.6 Implementation Toolbox

Develop an implementation toolbox for Vision Zero Columbus, which will be made available to partner jurisdictions across the region, that includes a customized countermeasure matrix/tool partners can refer to when developing their own safety projects and that emphasize vulnerable road users. Contents should include necessary information to create comprehensive projects that address multiple elements of the Safe System Approach.

The toolbox will serve as a comprehensive resource for transportation agencies, community leaders, and other stakeholders involved in implementing Vision Zero. A variety of resources will be compiled to develop the Implementation Toolbox, including educational materials, planning guides, infrastructure design standards, funding sources, policies, programs, and evaluation methods. This will be made available to partner jurisdictions across the region and customizable for their context.

As part of the process of developing the Implementation Toolbox, the consultant will conduct a literature review of successful implementation tools in use by other jurisdictions with particular attention to cities in the Midwest and/or with a similar population size. A memo summarizing the review will be provided. The Consultant will provide workshops during development of the Toolbox that supply participants with tools for advocacy, such as budget and potential treatments for roadways around identified priority locations for protection of vulnerable road users, and mobilizing for lower speed limits; identify opportunities for more connection between departments and agencies involved in Vision Zero work and key vulnerable road user stakeholder groups/agencies

(ex. schools, public transit agencies, and state agencies).

2.7 Project Deliverables

Deliverables for each project task are described within the respective section above. All deliverables must be in a city-accepted format as specified in the description of each task. All graphics must be provided in both final gif or jpeg format, as well as the original design source (either .ai or .vsdx).

2.8 Project Management and Meetings.

2.8.1 The Consultant shall allocate time to attend monthly coordination/progress meetings with the City. No more than two representatives from the prime consultant shall attend and at least one of the representatives must be the dedicated Project Manager for the Comprehensive Vulnerable Road User Plan.

2.8.2 The Consultant shall develop a project calendar with milestones.

2.8.3 The Consultant shall provide for the following additional, if-authorized, meetings:

Two meetings with City officials or Federal Highway Association and other affected parties as applicable where materials shall be presented formally and include a PowerPoint presentation.

3. Consultant/Personnel Prequalifications

3.1 No ODOT Prequalifications are required for this proposal.

3.2 Other prequalifications required

3.2.1 THE SELECTED CONSULTANT MUST BE REGISTERED WITH SAM.GOV

BEFORE THE CONTRACT CAN BE EXECUTED. IF YOUR COMPANY IS NOT

REGISTERED, PLEASE DO SO ASAP AS IT CAN TAKE 30 DAYS TO

COMPLETE THE PROCESS.

4. Project Schedule:

Deadline for question submittal: April 24, 2026 RFP Due:

Consultant Selected:

Scope Meeting City Council Legislation:

Notice to Proceed:

May 8, 2026 May 2026 May 28, 2026 June 2026 June 2026

5. RFP Pre-Proposal Meeting: None

6. Proposal Submittal Instructions:

6.1 Proposals will be received electronically via Bonfire until 10:00 AM on the due date.

Only proposals received via Bonfire by the due date and time will be reviewed and considered for contract award. Proposals should not be able to be submitted via Bonfire after the due date and time. If any proposals should be received after the due date and time, they will be rejected by the City. Proposals sent or delivered to the City using any other method will not be reviewed.

To submit a proposal via Bonfire go to:

Note: The Bonfire link listed above for submitting proposals is not a help link. See Section 6.2.3 for help with submitting a proposal through Bonfire. See Section 6.3 for information concerning submitting a question concerning this Request for Proposal.

6.2 Electronic Submittals

6.2.1 Proposals shall be submitted as a PDF document. Please do not embed any documents within the uploaded file as such documents will not be accessible or evaluated.

6.2.2 Notes Regarding Submissions

6.2.2.1 Proposals will only be visible and accessible to the Department or evaluators after the due date and time.

6.2.2.2 Uploading large documents may take significant time, depending on the size of the file(s) and the Internet connection speed of the Offeror.

6.2.2.3 Offerors are solely responsible for ensuring their proposals have been successfully uploaded and received by Bonfire before the due date and time specified in the RFP. Technical problems uploading a submission, or longer than expected upload times, causing a response to miss the due date and time will not be considered valid reasons for accepting a late response.

6.2.2.4 The City cannot see any uploads in Bonfire prior to the due date and time specified in the RFP. The City is unable to tell you if your upload was successful until after the due date and time specified in the RFP.

6.2.2.5 Minimum system requirements:

• Use a browser supported by Bonfire: Internet Explorer 11 or Microsoft Edge (Windows); Google Chrome (Windows and Mac): or Mozilla Firefox (Windows and Mac).

• JavaScript and browser cookies must be enabled.

These minimum requirements are in place to ensure a secure and stable submission process. If you have a question about system requirements, contact Bonfire per the contact information in Section

6.2.3 of this document.

6.2.3 Bonfire Technical Help

The City of Columbus is using a Bonfire portal for accepting and evaluating proposals digitally. Offerors must contact Bonfire for technical help related to submissions at:

• https://columbus.bonfirehub.com/portal/support

• or Support@GoBonfire.com

• or 1-800-354-8010 (extension 2)

6.3 Questions Concerning the Request for Proposal Information

The deadline for question submittal for this RFP is stated in Section 4. Project Schedule.

Direct questions via e-mail only to: capitalprojects@columbus.gov

The subject line should reference the name of the project.

In order to receive consideration, questions must be received by the “deadline for question submittal for this RFP” listed in section 4, Project Schedule. Any interpretations of questions so raised, which in the opinion of the City or its representative require interpretations, will be issued by addenda posted on the Bonfire website. A notice stating addenda was posted on Bonfire will also be posted on the City’s Vendor Services website. The City or its representative will not be bound by any oral interpretations which are not reduced to writing and included in the addenda.

No contact regarding an RFP is to be made with the City after the RFP has been posted other than through the generic e-mail listed in this section, or in response to an email from the City sent following up on a question submitted to the generic e-mail address. Making contact with anyone else regarding this RFP after it has been issued, and prior to the due date and time, may result in the disqualification of any proposal submitted by the company of the person that made the contact.

For technical questions regarding submissions/Bonfire, see Section 6.2.3.

6.4 Evaluation

Proposals will be evaluated based on the evaluation criteria listed in Section 7 below and in accordance with Columbus City Code, Title 3, Chapter 329.

6.5 Proposal Page Limit and Page Format

6.5.1 Proposals may not exceed a total of fifteen (15) letter-size (8.5” x 11”) pages and shall include the information specified in 6.6.3. A “page” is one side of a sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper with text, graphics, etc. If only one side of a sheet of paper has text, graphics, etc., then that is counted as one page. If both sides of a sheet of paper have text, that is counted as two pages. Proposals exceeding the fifteen (15) page limit may be rejected.

6.5.2 The Proposal Signature Form is required forms. This document shall be signed by a person authorized to obligate the Offeror’s firm and be uploaded to Bonfire as separate documents.

https://columbus.bonfirehub.com/portal/support mailto:Support@GoBonfire.com mailto:capitalprojects@columbus.gov

6.5.3 Page numbers are desired and requested to be centered at the bottom of each page.

• The page numbering is to start with the first page of the Proposal Content

(Section 6.6 below).

6.5.4 Font size should be 12 point. A font type of Times New Roman or Arial is preferred but any font type can be used. The purpose of this standard font size is for all proposals to have roughly the same amount of space for their response, giving each Offeror an equal opportunity to present their ideas and information, while staying within a 15 page limit. Offerors not following this criteria may be reformatted by Public Service to meet this standard. Reformatted proposals that exceed the 15 page limit will be rejected per 6.5.1.

6.5.5 Cover letters are not required. If submitted, a cover letter will count against the page limit of the proposal.

6.5.6 Unless listed as an exception in Section 6.5.7, appendices or additional information in any form (even if the information is uploaded into Bonfire as an additional document) will be counted against the page limit.

6.5.7 Pages that will not count against the page limit are:

• Proposal Signature Form

• Section tab dividers (unless they contain text other than that necessary to identify the section)

• Title pages (unless they contain more information than just titles)

• ODI required documentation

6.6 Proposal Content

6.6.1 The purpose of this section is to standardize the information received and the order in which it is presented, aiding the evaluation committee in reviewing and scoring proposals by preventing them from having to hunt for information scattered throughout a proposal. Following this format also helps the Offeror as it minimizes the chance that required information, or information critical to scoring of the proposal, will be overlooked.

6.6.2 Provide the information requested in response to this RFP in the order outlined below. The Department of Public Service may reject any proposal that does not provide the information in the order stated below.

6.6.3 No more than fifteen (15) pages of the proposal should be dedicated to the information below, organizing the required information using the headings provided below. These elements correspond to the evaluation criteria noted in Section 7. Note that page breaks are not required between sections.

Section A. Anticipated Project Team Identify the Project Team, including sub-consultants, the percentage of contract dollars anticipated to be paid to each firm, along with the address of each team member’s office. (The percentage of contract dollars is not to be listed as a range.) The overall subcontracted percentage listed in the contract that results from this RFP is expected to be at least the amount the Offeror listed in the proposal. Also include the CAGE Number or System for Award Management (SAM) Unique Entity ID, City of Columbus contract compliance certification number, the City certification business type, and the contract compliance expiration date for each firm.

Replicate the table below in your proposal, providing the requested information for each firm on your team.

Project Team

Firm Name

Full Address of Firm

CAGE

Number or

SAM

Unique

Entity ID

City Contract

Compliance Number

(CC#)

Current City Certification Type (MAJ, MBE, WBE, etc.)

Contract Compliance Expiration

Date

% of Contract Dollars

Immediately beneath the table state the following:

• Number of Columbus based employees for the Lead Consultant.

• Number of employees company-wide for the Lead Consultant. (State this second number even if the number is the same as the number of Columbus based employees.)

Include an organizational chart showing key individuals that are assigned to the project along with resumes of the Project Manager and key Project Team members’ containing professional information relevant to the project.

Project Manager. Present the education, experience, and availability of the Project Manager. Availability shall be indicated as hours per week on average.

Project Team. Present the education, experience, and availability of the key team members. Availability shall be indicated as hours per week on average.

Also include what the various firms will be assisting with on the project.

Address topics discussed in Section 7.1 and 7.2.

Section B. Relevant Experience and Past Performance Present the proposed Project Manager’s and Project Team members’ experience and past performance on specific projects relevant to this project.

For each project identified include: Team member(s), project name, project owner and contact information, design contract amount, and the date the contract was awarded. Projects with greater relevancy to this project will be given greater consideration.

Address topics discussed in Section 7.3.

Section C. Understanding of the Project/Project Approach Present the Consultant’s understanding of the scope, challenges, and limits within the context of the project. Include an explanation of public involvement, innovative approach, and cost containment measures for design and construction.

Address topics discussed in Section 7.4.

7. Evaluation Criteria:

7.1 Project Manager (25 points maximum).

Points will be awarded based on the education, experience,…