DOT-RFI-24-5001-WILD.pdf

RFI Shell07/2018

DOT-RFI-24-5001-WILD

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) from the Florida Dept. of Transportation

The Department of Transportation, District Five, Office of Transportation Systems Management & Operations (TSM&O) is requesting the following information from prospective vendors about the commodities and/or contractual services described below.

Description of commodities/contractual services:

Florida Department of Transportation is interested in evaluating technology-based roadside solutions to improve the overall safety of the transportation network by reducing vehicle-to-wildlife collisions in heavily trafficked areas.

Wildlife collision-avoidance systems (WCAS) shall be capable of providing reliable detection of wildlife within or near the roadside envelope (i.e., right-of-way), alerting motorists in real-time, and quantifying wildlife crossing statistics. Pilot deployment system(s) will be installed along thirty (30) miles of SR 40 within the Ocala National Forest and include coordination with partner agencies – including Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), US Forest Service, and more. The overall objectives of this project are identified below:

Improve the safety of motorists through heavily forested areas by reducing vehicle-to-wildlife type crashes

Reduce the number of collisions with wildlife, increase safety of threatened and endangered species Provide advanced warning notifications to motorists of potentially dangerous conditions when wildlife is within the area Quantify wildlife crossings to provide real-time and historical data

As an integrated solution the WCAS shall include a wildlife detection subsystem and motorist information subsystem. The wildlife detection subsystem shall include all sensors and equipment necessary to detect, classify, track, and verify animals entering and exiting the detection limits. The motorist information subsystem shall include all roadside equipment used to alert drivers within the immediate vicinity of a wildlife crossing and must be capable of receiving and responding to a signal from the wildlife detection subsystem with no latency. Due to the actuation of traffic control devices, cloud-hosted solutions will not be permitted – detection subsystem shall function entirely on-premise and not accessible or managed remotely.

The primary intent of this Request for Information (RFI) is to better understand available solutions for the wildlife detection subsystem. Vendor responses shall focus on the technology and systems used to accurately detect, classify, and verify wildlife, as well as the means of data transmission between field locations and a centralized location (i.e., Regional Traffic Management Center). The Department is aware of available solutions and available integration for other components of the system.

The following identifies the minimum technical requirements related to technology-based wildlife collision-avoidance system (WCAS) to be deployed along roadways owned and maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation. The following are not intended to be complete technical specifications but define the baseline functionality of the system(s).

System shall be capable of generating “detection” events. Detection events are classified as the initial detection of wildlife movement within the roadside envelope triggering a localized response (e.g., flashing signs) to promote the motorist to drive with caution in the subject area.

System shall be capable of differentiating wildlife by size and actuating distinct responses for meso species (e.g., raccoons, opossums, rabbits, turtles) versus macro species (e.g., deer, bears, bobcats, wild cattle). The system is not required to detect wildlife that spends the majority of their lifecycle below the grass line – such as snakes and insects.

System shall include sensor(s) capable of detecting macro animal species within the target area with ninety percent (90%) true-positive accuracy or better (“detection” event). The system shall be capable of maintaining the detection of wildlife throughout the target area. If the system drops the “detection” event while wildlife remains in the target area, this will be considered a missed event.

System shall include sensor(s) capable of detecting wildlife with a false-positive rate of less than two (2) events per twenty-four (24) hour period (“detection” event).

System shall be capable of reliable detection of wildlife in all weather (e.g., clear, heavy rain, fire or smoke, fog) and lighting conditions (e.g., daytime, nighttime, sunrise, and sunset).

System shall be capable of determining “detection” events in near-real time actuating the motorist alert subsystem no longer than one (1.0) second after the detection event.

System shall be capable of capturing location (GPS coordinates), date, and time for each “detection” event.

System shall include all necessary sensors, equipment, and processors to determine wildlife “detection” events completely at the roadside (edge). Cloud-hosted solutions are not acceptable.

System shall actuate a localized response for each “detection” event. Localized responses are defined as initiation of motorist alert subsystems deployed on the roadside at or near the point of detection to alert the motorist and encourage caution during driving (e.g., begin flashing LED sequence).

System shall include a motorist alert subsystem compliant with the latest version of the Manual with

Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) to provide drivers with real-time warning notifications actuated by “detection” events. Motorist alert subsystems may include, but are not limited to, flashing beacons, rapid rectangular flashing beacons (RRFB), light-emitting diode (LED) highlight signs, in-roadway lighting, blank-out signs, and more.

System shall allow users to generate reports for a specified time interval to identify the location, quantity, and timestamps of “detection” events. Reports shall be customizable and allow the user to modify time periods and locations.

System shall be capable of providing an output to allow for the future integration with the Department’s central Advanced Traffic Management System software platform SunGuide.

System shall provide the ability to monitor the health status of field devices and components alerting operations personnel within the Regional Traffic Management Center (RTMC) when there is a component failure within thirty (30) minutes.

System shall be outdoor-rated and environmentally hardened for long-term outdoor installation.

System shall include a single, integrated rack-mounted insert panel with all in-cabinet equipment mounted and wired. Insert panels shall be compatible with standard 19-inch EIA/TIA network racks.

Insert panels shall be installed within standard ITS cabinet assemblies (e.g., Type 336S, Type 334).

System shall be compliant with the requirements set forth in the Buy America Build America (BABA) act.

System shall adhere to following Florida Administrative Code (FAC) statues related to cybersecurity:

o 60GG-1 Department of Management Services Project Management and Oversight o 60GG-2 Information Technology Security o 60GG-3 Data Center Operations o 60GG-4 Cloud Computing o 60GG-5 State of Florida Enterprise Architecture

Specific Information Requested:

1. Vendor Name

2. Description of Proposed Solution - Provide a brief write-up of the overall system – include an product name and overview of the system architecture; identification of subsystem, field devices, or components; minimum system requirements of infrastructure; technology differentiators; and other pertinent information. Please provide specific information on the communication protocols for network connectivity and health monitoring status (e.g., SNMP); interfaces or protocols utilized to actuate hardware for the “localized response” (e.g., dry contact closure, Modbus); and minimum power requirements.

3. Has the proposed solution been successfully deployed on the roadside?

4. If the answer to Question No. 3 is “Yes”, please identify the location (roadway, city, state), quantity, owner / agency, and Project Manager contact information (e-mail address, phone number) for each successful deployment project.

5. Please identify if the proposed solution meets the minimum technical requirements (Yes / No).

6. If the answer to Question No. 5 is “No”, please provide additional information for which technical requirement(s) are not met by the proposed system.

7. Has the proposed system been previously evaluated, certified, or approved by a public agency or governing body (e.g., NEMA)?

8. If the answer to Question No. 7 is “Yes”, please identify which public agencies or governing bodies have provided certifications or approvals.

9. Current Lead Time for System Delivery - Provide low and high range (in weeks) for delivery of all materials necessary for a complete system installation. Do not include third-party construction materials (e.g., conduit, poles, pull boxes).

10. Provide the approximate cost estimate range (low and high) for the procurement of one (1) complete proposed solution.

11. Provide any additional information on estimated costs on the capital investment for a complete solution.

12. Include information regarding the contractual mechanism, pricing breakdown for various options (if applicable), and other details for the one-time purchase cost.

13. Provide the estimated annual operations and maintenance costs for proposed solution. Include information regarding recurring costs for operations and maintenance (e.g., annual licensing, maintenance packages, remote support), and other associated costs related to the proposed solution.

14. Identify potential risks and cost drivers related to the proposed solution. Include information or mitigation strategies to ensure the highest level of accuracy for the system delivering accurate detection of wildlife (e.g., spacing between sensors, maximum detection range, detection criteria varies based on animal size or distance, grass height impacts).

Please attach additional information for the proposed solution(s) along with the completed questionnaire – including but not limited to product data sheets, technical specifications, brochures, client testimonials, and other resource materials providing a complete overview of the system(s) to be evaluated.

Timeline

Advertisement Date – October 24, 2023 Deadline for Questions – November 2, 2023, at 10:00AM Deadline for posting Questions and Responses – November 6, 2023, at 10:00AM Responses Due – November 8, 2023, at 10:00AM Public Meeting to Open Responses – November 8, 2023, at 11:00AM

Contact for Questions or clarification:

Please submit all questions in writing to D5.ProcurementQuestions@dot.state.fl.us

The requested information must be received by 10:00am (EST) on November 8, 2023.

E-mail to: D5.Purch@dot.state.fl.us

NOTE: Responses to this Request for Information (RFI) will be reviewed by the agency for informational purposes, and will not be considered as offers to be accepted by the agency to form a binding contract. Advertisement of any subsequent competitive solicitation that may result from this RFI will be posted on the Florida Vendor Information Portal.

mailto:D5.ProcurementQuestions@dot.state.fl.us mailto:D5.Purch@dot.state.fl.us