NMCOG RFP 26-03 CPT-HST Plan.pdf

Schedule RFP released:

Questions due:

Answers to questions posted:

Proposals due:

Potential interviews:

Contract window:

Monday, October 26, 2026

Thursday, November 5, 2026 4:00 pm

Tuesday, November 10, 2026 4:00 pm

Monday, November 23, 2026 12:00 pm

November 30 through December 11, 2026

December 2026 – September 2027

Questions All questions regarding this Request for Proposals (RFP) should be directed to:

Kelly Lynema, Deputy Director

E-mail: klynema@nmcog.org

Submission Proposals must be submitted electronically by Monday, November 23, 2026, by 12:00 pm Eastern

Standard Time ; email an electronic file to klynema@nmcog.org

All responses will be opened on Tuesday, November 24, 2026, at 11:00 am

RFP advertised at: www.nmcog.org, Goods & Services Bulletin, COMMBUYS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #26-03

COORDINATED PUBLIC

TRANSIT–HUMAN SERVICES

TRANSPORTATION PLAN

NORTHERN MIDDLESEX METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION

mailto:klynema@nmcog.org mailto:klynema@nmcog.org https://www.nmcog.org/

NMCOG RFP #26-03 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Plan RFP Page 2 of 41

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1. About the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments

1.2. Project Overview

1.3. Background and Study Area

1.4. Project Objectives

1.5. Project Budget

1.6. Project Schedule

1.7. Reference Documents

SECTION 2: STATEMENT OF WORK

2.1. Introduction

2.2. Roles and Responsibilities

2.3. Scope of Work

2.10. Proposed Project Schedule

SECTION 3: CONTENT FOR PROPOSALS

3.1. Contents of Proposal Response

3.2. Proposal Package Structure

SECTION 4: SUBMISSION, EVALUATION, AND SELECTION

4.1. Submission Process

4.2. Evaluation Criteria

4.3. Award of the Contract

SECTION 5: MAJOR CONTRACT PROVISIONS

5.1. Payment

5.2. Conflict of Interest

5.3. Performance Standards

5.4. Delivery of Data and Work Products

5.5. Ownership of Data and Work Products

5.6. Cancellation

5.7. Contract Termination

5.8. Availability of Funds

5.9. Confidentiality

5.10. Removal of Contract Employees

5.11. Contract Term

5.12. Insurance

SECTION 6: REQUIRED FORMS AND ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A: CERTIFICATION OF NON-COLLUSION

ATTACHMENT B: CERTIFICATION OF CONTINGENT FEES

ATTACHMENT C: CERTIFICATION OF FAIR EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

ATTACHMENT D: CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE

ATTACHMENT E: ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1. About the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments

The Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG) is one of thirteen regional planning agencies within Massachusetts. NMCOG is based in Lowell and serves nine member communities—

Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Pepperell, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, and Westford.

The planning district was created in 1963 pursuant to G.L. c. 40B, §3. The geography is referred to interchangeably as “Northern Middlesex” and “Greater Lowell.

NMCOG advances the coordinated, efficient, and equitable development of its planning district by preparing studies and plans that promote economic growth, community prosperity, and the general welfare of its municipalities. Serving as both a regional leader and liaison across local, state, and federal levels, the Council fosters collaboration between municipalities and public and private sectors to address shared challenges. Guided by its vision to lead in sustainable regional planning, strategic resource allocation, and collaborative governance, the Council’s mission is to drive transformative change through inclusive planning that supports climate resiliency, democratized data, housing abundance, economic opportunity, natural resource preservation, safe and accessible transportation, and municipal stability—delivering direct technical assistance and promoting regional coordination in alignment with its Strategic Plan.

NMCOG staff carry out the comprehensive, continuing, and cooperative transportation planning process for the Northern Middlesex Metropolitan Planning Organization (NMMPO) under contract with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), including the preparation of the

NMMPO’s certification documents and the public participation process for those documents.

The NMMPO is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization responsible for coordinating regional transportation planning and programming across the Greater Lowell /

Northern Middlesex region. It functions as the transportation arm under NMCOG’s umbrella.

Membership on the MPO includes the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the

Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA), NMCOG Council representative, municipal representatives), and other regional stakeholders.

1.2. Project Overview

NMCOG is seeking a Consultant to update the region’s Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services

Transportation Plan (CPT-HST, or “Coordinated Plan”). The Coordinated Plan identifies the transportation needs of older adults, people with disabilities, and people with low incomes;

inventories the public, private, and nonprofit transportation services available to them; provides strategies for meeting unmet needs and improving coordination among providers; and prioritizes those strategies for funding and implementation. This work is funded through the agency’s

Metropolitan Planning Funds (PL).

Federal transit law (49 U.S.C. 5310) requires that projects funded through the Federal Transit

Administration (FTA) Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities

Program be included in a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan, developed and approved through a process that includes older adults, people with disabilities, representatives of public, private, and nonprofit transportation and human service providers, and other members of the public. In Massachusetts, MassDOT administers Section 5310 funds and state Mobility Assistance Program funds through its annual Community Transit Grant https://www.nmcog.org/DocumentCenter/View/120/2025-to-2028-Strategic-Plan-PDF?bidId=

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Program, and applicants to that program are asked to show that their projects reflect the community needs identified in their region’s Coordinated Plan. The plan is therefore the gateway to these funds for the LRTA, Councils on Aging, municipalities, and nonprofits in Greater Lowell.

The current plan was prepared by NMCOG staff and endorsed by the NMMPO on July 26, 2023. For this update, NMCOG is seeking a Consultant to collaborate as the public face of the project and to lead its stakeholder and community engagement. NMCOG staff will remain closely involved as a partner, providing regional data, stakeholder contacts, meeting logistics, engagement promotion, and coordination with the NMMPO. The Consultant, however, will design and facilitate engagement activities, synthesize what is heard, and translate it into the plan.

Outlined below is the preliminary scope of work, as well as a list of tasks and deliverables that are envisioned for this project. The Consultant may suggest modifications to these tasks in the RFP response that would facilitate a successful work program and collaboratively work with NMCOG to further refine and modify the scope to achieve the goals of the project.

1.3. Background and Study Area

The study area consists of the NMCOG region. Together, NMCOG communities have a land area of approximately 195 square miles and an inland water area of 5.76 square miles. The region is located along the Merrimack River in the northeast section of Massachusetts and is bordered by Essex

County to the east, by southern Middlesex County to the west and south, and by New Hampshire’s

Hillsborough County to the north. The City of Lowell is located 26 miles from Boston.

The region ranges from the City of Lowell, its urban core and transit hub, to suburban communities and smaller towns such as Dunstable and Pepperell, producing very different transportation needs and service options from one community to the next.

FIGURE 1: GREATER LOWELL REGION

As documented in the 2023 Coordinated Plan, transportation for older adults and people with disabilities in the region is provided by a patchwork of public, private, and nonprofit providers, including:

• The Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA), the region’s primary public transit provider, established under Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws. The LRTA’s service area includes all nine NMCOG communities as well as Acton, Carlisle, Groton, Maynard, and

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Townsend. The LRTA operates fixed-route bus service in Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, and Westford, and the Road Runner ADA complementary paratransit service throughout Lowell and within three-quarters of a mile of its fixed routes.

• Municipal Councils on Aging (COAs), which provide senior and disability transportation, primarily for local trips on weekdays, in partnership with the LRTA. Dunstable contracts separately for its senior transportation.

• Human service transportation brokered by the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) for MassHealth and other state human service agencies.

• Other regional, nonprofit, and private providers, including AgeSpan, the Disabled American

Veterans (DAV) shuttle to Veterans Affairs facilities, Merrimack Valley Transit (MeVa) service between Lowell and Lawrence, MBTA commuter rail on the Lowell Line, college and university shuttles, and private wheelchair van, ambulance, taxi, ride-hailing services, and social service providers.

Outreach for the 2023 plan identified recurring challenges, including difficult transfers between COA services and Road Runner for cross-town trips; confusion about service areas and eligibility; limited evening and weekend service; driver shortages; outdated scheduling technology; and limited access to out-of-region medical destinations such as Boston hospitals, the Bedford VA, and Lahey Clinic in

Burlington. The 2023 plan also documented rapid growth in the region’s older adult population; the population aged 65 and over more than doubled in Pepperell between 2011 and 2021. Since 2023, service providers across the region have noted increased rates of utilization of rideshare vouchers among their constituents, suggesting that current services are not meeting the needs of residents across the region. The Consultant will be expected to verify, update, and build upon these findings.

1.4. Project Objectives

The purpose of this plan is to build on the 2023 Coordinated Plan, Envision 2050: the Long-Range

Transportation Plan for Greater Lowell, Greater Lowell Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, Greater Lowell

Vision Zero, and related regional and local efforts to provide an updated, actionable roadmap for improving mobility for older adults, people with disabilities, and people with low incomes in Greater

Lowell. Project objectives include:

• Meet all federal requirements for a coordinated plan under 49 U.S.C. 5310 and FTA Circular

9070.1H, and position projects in the region for Section 5310 and MassDOT Community Transit

Grant Program funding;

• Document the full range of public, private, and nonprofit transportation services available to the target populations, updating the 2023 inventory;

• Lead an accessible, inclusive engagement process with the Consultant as the visible lead that reaches older adults, people with disabilities, people with low incomes, people with limited

English proficiency, caregivers, and the organizations that serve them;

• Assess unmet needs and service gaps (geographic, temporal, eligibility, informational, physical, and institutional) and identify opportunities to reduce duplication and achieve efficiencies in service delivery;

• Evaluate progress on the 2023 plan’s recommendations and document why recommendations did or did not advance;

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• Develop specific, actionable recommendations, each assigned to a lead entity and accompanied by partners, a timeframe, a planning-level cost, potential funding sources, and a performance measure;

• Prioritize strategies for implementation based on resources, time, and feasibility;

• Forefront accessibility throughout the planning process and within the final product; and

• Establish a simple framework that NMCOG and its partners can use to track and report implementation progress between plan updates.

1.5. Project Budget

This project has a not-to-exceed budget of $50,000 for consultant services, inclusive of all labor, any subconsultants, and direct expenses (such as travel, printing, interpretation, and meeting materials).

NMCOG will fund the consultant contract with federal transportation planning funds programmed in the NMMPO’s Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) under Task 7.2 Strengthening our Regional

Transit System. NMCOG staff hours on this project are also funded under the FFY 2027 UPWP. This

RFP breaks down roles for NMCOG staff and the Consultant based on this budget. Before the contract is awarded to the selected Consultant, the Consultant and NMCOG will enter contract negotiations to determine the final scope, fee, and the contract arrangement.

1.6. Project Schedule

The project is anticipated to begin in December 2026. The draft plan should be completed and presented to the NMMPO by August 2027, after which the NMMPO will release the plan for a 21-day public comment period. Under this schedule, the final plan with public comments would be presented for NMMPO endorsement in September 2027. Consultants are asked to propose a schedule that meets the milestones laid out in the scope of work (see Section 2.10).

1.7. Reference Documents

• NMCOG 2023 Coordinated Plan, Envision 2050, and other NMMPO plans: www.nmcog.org

• FTA Circular 9070.1H, Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program

Guidance and Application Instructions (2024)

• MassDOT Community Transit Grant Program: www.mass.gov/community-transit-grant-program

• National RTAP, NCMM, and NADTC, Writing a Coordinated Public Transit Human Services

Transportation Plan (2021) https://www.mass.gov/community-transit-grant-program

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SECTION 2: STATEMENT OF WORK

2.1. Introduction

The following project scope was developed assuming a budget of not more than $50,000 for the

Consultant; NMCOG staff time is funded under the agency’s UPWP. However, proposals do not need to strictly adhere to the proposed scope and NMCOG encourages creative approaches to the project that meet the Project Objectives outlined in this RFP. NMCOG would entertain a different project approach and/or breakdown of roles if a respondent believes they can better achieve the Project

Objectives with a different approach within the same project budget.

If specific tasks cannot be fulfilled based on this budget, respondents must list those tasks as potential add-ons and indicate an approximate cost for the specific tasks. Quantities in this scope

(for example, the number of meetings, interviews, or focus groups) are minimums or maximums as noted; respondents should state the quantities their fee proposal assumes.

2.2. Roles and Responsibilities

The Consultant will lead and facilitate stakeholder and community engagement and will be the primary presenter of findings and recommendations. NMCOG will act as a partner in support of the

Consultant’s work. The table below summarizes the proposed division of effort, which is described in detail in each task.

TASK CONSULTANT (LEAD) NMCOG (SUPPORT)

1. Project Management

• Kickoff meeting and Project

Management Plan

• Bi-weekly coordination calls

• Monthly progress reports and invoices

• Contract administration

• Review of deliverables

• Coordination with MassDOT

2. Stakeholder and Community

Engagement

• Public Involvement Plan

• Facilitation of all interviews, workshops, listening sessions, focus groups, and pop-ups

• Survey design and analysis

• Outreach materials and Engagement

Summary

• NMMPO presentations

• Coordinate venues and meeting logistics

• Promotion of engagement opportunities through NMCOG channels

• Translation of Executive

Summary per Language Access

Plan

• Stakeholder contacts and introductions

3. Existing Conditions

• Plan review and evaluation of 2023 recommendations

• Provider inventory questionnaire and follow-up

• Existing Conditions Technical

Memorandum

Collect and share:

• Demographic, equity, and REJ+ analysis and maps

• LRTA and other available data

• Destination and service-area maps

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TASK CONSULTANT (LEAD) NMCOG (SUPPORT)

4. Needs and Gaps

• Needs assessment and gap analysis

• Needs and Gaps Technical

Memorandum

• Supporting maps and review

5. Recommendations and Implementation

• Strategies and prioritization framework

• Implementation Action Plan

• Validation with proposed lead entities

• Funding strategy and tracking tool

• Review and identification of

NMCOG/NMMPO actions

• Facilitation of partner review

6. Draft and Final Plan

• Administrative, public, and final drafts

• Executive Summary

• Draft responses to public comments

• Final files

• Consolidated review comments

• Administer public comment period and NMMPO process

• Translation of Executive

Summary

• Posting and press releases

2.3. Scope of Work

TASK 1 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Task 1.1: Kickoff Meeting and Project Management Plan

The Consultant will lead a project kickoff meeting with NMCOG staff to confirm the scope, schedule, outreach plan, communication protocols, roles and responsibilities, invoicing procedures, and data needs. At this meeting, the team will review background information on the region and ongoing projects that may affect the plan. Following the kickoff meeting, the Consultant will prepare a Project

Management Plan (PMP) that includes key project milestones over an approximately nine-month project schedule. The PMP will include engagement activities, NMMPO presentations, progress reports and invoice schedule, task milestones and deliverable dates, as well as coordination meetings between NMCOG and the Consultant. NMCOG will review the PMP to ensure the milestones and schedule are in line with the overall study strategy. The Consultant and NMCOG will together determine the method to share and store documents (e.g., SharePoint).

Consultant Deliverables:

• Kickoff meeting agenda, materials, and summary of decisions

• Project Management Plan and study schedule

• SharePoint site set-up (or similar)

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Attend kickoff meeting; provide 2023 plan files, stakeholder contacts, and available data

• Review and approve Project Management Plan

Task 1.2: Coordination Calls

The Consultant will participate in bi-weekly half-hour virtual check-in meetings attended by at least the Consultant project manager during the project. The purpose of the calls is to discuss project

NMCOG RFP #26-03 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Plan RFP Page 9 of 41 status and issues, monitor progress, and ensure compliance with scope, budget, and schedule. On occasion, these calls may include additional invitees necessary to provide perspective and guidance.

The Consultant will prepare a brief agenda, schedule calendar invites, and prepare a list of action items for each bi-weekly call based on the result of the coordination call. The Consultant will share notes from each call, specifying action items, within two business days of each call.

These meetings may be adjusted based on project needs, such as additional meetings before major events or cancellation of meetings during slow periods of the project.

Consultant Deliverables:

• Coordination and participation in bi-weekly calls, including a schedule, agenda, action items, and notes for each

Task 1.3: Monthly Progress Reports and Invoices

The Consultant will prepare monthly progress reports and invoices to submit to NMCOG. The report will include brief narratives of work accomplished, upcoming activities, any issues affecting scope, schedule, or budget, and a summary of budget expended by task during the period.

Consultant Deliverables:

• Monthly progress reports and invoices

TASK 2 – STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The Consultant will lead stakeholder and community engagement for this project and will be the primary point of contact and facilitator at engagement activities. Many of the people this plan is meant to serve do not use the internet regularly, do not drive, have limited English proficiency, or depend on the very services the plan is evaluating to attend a meeting. The engagement approach should account for these realities and should give stakeholders and members of the public reasonable opportunities to be involved at key decision points.

All engagement activities shall be accessible and universally designed. In-person meetings shall be held in facilities that are accessible to people with disabilities, including wheelchair users, and that can be reached by accessible public transportation during hours when it operates. Materials shall be written in plain language and made available in accessible formats on request (e.g., large print or screen-reader-accessible digital files). Sign language interpretation, Communication Access Realtime

Translation (CART), and language interpretation shall be available on request for Consultant-led events, and their cost should be included as a direct expense in the fee proposal.

Task 2.1: Public Engagement Plan

Based on the approved project schedule, the Consultant will prepare a Public Engagement Plan

(PEP) consistent with the NMMPO’s Public Participation Plan, Title VI Program, and Language Access

Plan. The PEP will outline key activities, milestones, and a schedule of public involvement tasks;

identify stakeholders and stakeholder groups (Task 2.2); identify the languages in which materials will be provided; describe accessibility accommodations and how to request them; and outline strategies to engage the public throughout the project, including targeted outreach to environmental justice (EJ) and limited English proficiency (LEP) populations, older adults who are not online, people with disabilities, caregivers, and residents of the region’s smaller towns. The PEP should show how each engagement activity connects to a decision point in the plan.

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Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Draft and final Public Engagement Plan (PEP)

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Review and comment on the draft PEP

• Identify applicable Title VI and language access requirements

• Share existing stakeholder lists

• Coordinate meeting dates and times with stakeholder groups identified by the Consultant

Task 2.2: Stakeholder Identification and Contact Database

NMCOG and the Consultant will maintain a single shared stakeholder contact list for the duration of the project, hosted on the project SharePoint site established in Task 1.1 or another platform agreed to at kickoff. At project kickoff, NMCOG will populate the list with its existing contacts, including

Councils on Aging, municipal staff, the LRTA, human service agencies, and other partners NMCOG works with regularly. NMCOG and the Consultant will then review the list together against the stakeholder groups below to identify gaps.

The Consultant will be responsible for filling those gaps by identifying and adding contacts for organizations and groups that are not yet represented, and for keeping the list current through the end of the project. NMCOG will assist the Consultant in finding contacts on a case-by-case basis, for example by suggesting a point of contact or making an introduction where NMCOG has an existing relationship.

Stakeholders should include, at a minimum:

• The LRTA and its paratransit operations

• Councils on Aging and senior centers in all nine communities

• Municipal disability commissions, ADA coordinators, and veterans’ services officers

• AgeSpan and other Aging Services Access Points and Area Agencies on Aging serving the region

• Independent Living Centers and disability advocacy organizations

• The MART human service transportation brokerage, MassHealth, and state human service agencies

• MeVa, the MBTA, and other adjacent transit providers

• The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission and the Merrimack Valley Regional Coordinating

Council

• MassDOT Rail and Transit Division and MassMobility

• Hospitals, community health centers, dialysis and cancer treatment providers, and Veterans

Affairs facilities

• Housing authorities, senior and affordable housing providers, and assisted living facilities

• Community action agencies, workforce development and career centers, and major employers

• Community-based, cultural, faith-based, and immigrant-serving organizations, including organizations serving speakers of Khmer, Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages common in the region

• Colleges and universities, including UMass Lowell and Middlesex Community College

• Private and volunteer transportation providers, including wheelchair van, ambulance, taxi, and transportation network companies and volunteer driver programs

• Riders, caregivers, and other members of the public

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For each contact, the shared list should record:

• Organization, contact name, title, email, and phone number

• Stakeholder group and community or communities served

• Whether the contact was provided by NMCOG or added by the Consultant

• Date(s) and method(s) of outreach

• Whether the contact responded, and the outcome (e.g., interview scheduled, survey shared, declined)

• Engagement activities the contact took part in

The Consultant will keep outreach status up to date in the shared list so that NMCOG can see who has been contacted and who has responded. The Consultant will flag stakeholder groups that have not yet been reached, along with planned follow-up, during the bi-weekly coordination calls (Task 1.2).

The Consultant will maintain a comment log throughout the study and provide comment updates to

NMCOG at key milestones using a Comment Resolution Matrix (CRM) that documents how each comment was addressed.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Joint review of NMCOG’s initial contact list to identify gaps

• Identification of contacts to fill gaps in the list

• Shared stakeholder contact list, kept current with outreach status and responses throughout the project

• Comment log and Comment Resolution Matrix at key milestones

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Populate the shared contact list with NMCOG’s existing contacts at project kickoff

• Joint review of the list with the Consultant to identify gaps

• Assistance finding contacts on a case-by-case basis, including introductions where NMCOG has an existing relationship

Task 2.3: Stakeholder Interviews

The Consultant will conduct a minimum of twelve (12) interviews, in person or by phone or video, with transportation providers and human service agencies, including the LRTA and the Council on

Aging (or equivalent senior transportation provider) in each of the nine communities. Interviews will solicit feedback about service issues, shortfalls, and needs, as well as what providers believe is working well and opportunities for coordination (for example, shared driver recruitment and training, dispatch technology, vehicles, or trips across municipal lines). Group interviews are acceptable where they are efficient, and Council on Aging interviews may be coordinated with

NMCOG’s existing meetings with Councils on Aging. The Consultant shall submit the interview guide to NMCOG for review before interviews begin. The Consultant shall prepare a memo summarizing who was interviewed and key findings identified in the interview process.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Interview guide (draft for NMCOG review and final)

• Minimum of twelve (12) interviews

• Interview summary

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NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Provide introductions and contact information

• Attend interviews as available

Task 2.4: Transportation Provider and Human Service Agency Workshops

The Consultant will plan and facilitate two (2) workshops for public, private, and nonprofit transportation providers and human service agencies serving the region. The workshops will share preliminary findings, test potential coordination strategies, and give providers an opportunity to meet each other, learn about each other’s services, and exchange ideas. Where practical, the workshops may be held in conjunction with a meeting of the Merrimack Valley Regional

Coordinating Council or an NMCOG-hosted Council on Aging meeting.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Workshop agendas, presentations, and facilitation

• Summary of attendee participation and responses

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Invitation list, venue, and promotion

• Attend workshops and assist with facilitation

Task 2.5: Community Needs Survey

The Consultant will design, administer, and analyze a community needs survey for riders, potential riders, caregivers, and the general public. The survey shall be available online and on paper, in

English and in the languages identified in the PEP, and should be distributed through Councils on

Aging, senior and affordable housing, LRTA vehicles and facilities, libraries, community organizations, and pop-up events. The Consultant shall provide paper surveys with collection or return options and shall enter all paper responses.

The survey should ask about trip needs, destinations, barriers, current service use and satisfaction, awareness of available services, and preferred sources of information, and should collect enough demographic information to compare results across population groups and communities. NMCOG shall review the survey prior to release. If NMCOG elects to host the online survey on its own platforms (e.g., Survey123 or Engage NMCOG), the Consultant will prepare the survey content and

NMCOG will build the online form. The Consultant will prepare a memo summarizing the results of the survey, including crosstabulation of results by selected demographic questions.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Draft and final survey instrument and distribution plan

• Print-ready paper survey and entry of paper responses

• Survey results summary, by population group and community, and raw data

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Review survey

• Translate survey in accordance with NMCOG’s Language Access Plan

• Promote survey through NMCOG channels and, if elected, host the online survey

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Task 2.6: Community Listening Sessions, Focus Groups, and Pop-Up Events

The Consultant will plan and lead in-person engagement to hear directly from riders and potential riders. At a minimum, this shall include:

• Two (2) community listening sessions, one in Lowell and one in a suburban or smaller community, held at accessible, transit-reachable locations such as senior centers or libraries;

• Up to four (4) focus groups or small-group discussions with populations that are often underrepresented in planning, such as people with disabilities under age 60, residents with limited English proficiency, veterans, caregivers, and residents of the region’s smaller towns.

Focus groups should be held in partnership with trusted organizations, at their locations and regular meeting times where possible; and

• Up to three (3) pop-up events at existing community events or popular destinations (e.g., farmers markets, cultural celebrations, senior center programs, or food distribution sites).

Interactive formats are encouraged. A pop-up event is defined here as the project team attending a community event not organized by the project team to share information and solicit feedback. At pop-up events, the Consultant should promote and distribute the survey and materials developed in

Tasks 2.5 and 2.7 instead of producing new content. The Consultant shall document each activity in a community event summary memorandum using consistent notes so that input can be compared across activities.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Planning, materials, and facilitation for all listening sessions, focus groups, and pop-up events

• Sign-in sheets and notes for each activity

• Community event summary memo

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Coordinate venues and community partners

• Advertise events through the NMCOG website, social media, Engage NMCOG, and partner networks

• Staff support at events

Task 2.7: Project Webpage Content and Outreach Materials

NMCOG will host a project page on its website and/or its Engage NMCOG online engagement platform (engage.nmcog.org). The Consultant will provide technical content for the project page, delivered in Word format (or another format agreed upon by NMCOG and the Consultant) with attachments as necessary, at least four (4) times over the course of the study, including event announcements, summaries of findings, and the draft plan. The Consultant will also produce up to three (3) plain-language fact sheets or flyers at key milestones, including event flyers suitable for posting at senior centers, libraries, and on transit vehicles. NMCOG will create all social media content based on Consultant materials.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Project page content at least four (4) times

• Up to three (3) fact sheets or flyers (digital and print-ready)

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Host project page; create and post social media content

• Up to fifty (50) printed copies of each fact sheet or flyer

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Task 2.8: Engagement Summary

The Consultant will prepare an Engagement Summary documenting all engagement activities, participation (including demographic reach where collected), accommodations provided, what was heard, and how input was used in the plan. The Engagement Summary will become a chapter or appendix of the plan.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Engagement Summary (draft and final)

• Review Engagement Summary

Task 2.9: Milestone Presentations to the NMMPO

The Consultant will prepare for and present at up to two (2) meetings to the NMMPO: (1) kick-off presentation to promote engagement with a timeline for the completion of the plan, and (2) presentation of the draft plan for release for public comment

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Preparation for and attendance at up to two (2) NMMPO meetings

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Provide additional project updates at other monthly NMMPO meetings

TASK 3 – EXISTING CONDITIONS AND ASSESSMENT OF AVAILABLE SERVICES

Task 3.1: Review of Existing Plans, Studies, and Requirements

The Consultant will review recent plans and initiatives for relevant findings and recommendations and summarize their implications for the Coordinated Plan. Documents to be reviewed include, but may not be limited to:

• The 2023 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan;

• Envision 2050: the Long-Range Transportation Plan for Greater Lowell (2023), the Greater Lowell

Vision Zero Plan (2024), and the Greater Lowell Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan;

• LRTA plans and studies, including the LRTA Comprehensive Regional Transit Plan, the LRTA Jobs

Accessibility Analysis, and the LRTA Bus Stop Inventory;

• Municipal age- and dementia-friendly action plans, Council on Aging plans, ADA self-evaluations and transition plans, and master plans;

• Statewide plans, including MassDOT’s long-range transportation plan, Beyond Mobility , and the

Massachusetts State Plan on Aging; and

• Coordinated plans of neighboring regions, including the Merrimack Valley Planning

Commission’s plan.

The Consultant will also summarize current federal and state requirements and funding programs relevant to the plan, including changes since the 2023 plan, such as FTA Circular 9070.1H, which took effect on November 1, 2024.

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• Summary of relevant plans, initiatives, and requirements (Existing Conditions Technical

Memorandum subsection)

• List of additional datasets needed from these plans; request through NMCOG

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Identify and collect existing plans and initiatives

Task 3.2: Evaluation of 2023 Plan Recommendations

The Consultant will evaluate the status of each recommendation (“actionable effort”) in the 2023

Coordinated Plan, in consultation with NMCOG, the LRTA, Councils on Aging, and other responsible parties. For each recommendation, the evaluation will document its current status (completed, in progress, not started, or no longer relevant), any entity that advanced it, and the barriers that prevented progress. The evaluation should identify lessons learned that will inform the structure of the updated plan’s recommendations, including whether the lack of a responsible party, funding, or capacity contributed to limited progress. Recommendations that remain relevant should be evaluated with stakeholders to determine their ongoing relevance and whether they can be strengthened in Task 5.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Status matrix of 2023 recommendations

• Summary of lessons learned

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Share staff knowledge of implementation since 2023

• Facilitate contacts with responsible parties

Task 3.3: Demographic and Equity Analysis

NMCOG will prepare a demographic and socioeconomic analysis, with maps, of the target populations using the most recent American Community Survey and other available data, including:

older adults (ages 60+ and 65+) and projected growth; people with disabilities, by type of disability;

households with low incomes; households without a vehicle; people with limited English proficiency and the languages they speak; and MassDOT Regional Environmental Justice Plus (REJ+) block groups. The Consultant will review the analysis, identify any additional data needs, and interpret the findings, including trends since the 2023 plan, in the plan narrative.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Review of NMCOG analysis and identification of additional data needs

• Interpretation of findings for the plan narrative

• Demographic and equity analysis, maps, and GIS data

Task 3.4: Inventory of Existing Transportation Services

The Consultant will update the inventory of public, private, and nonprofit transportation services available to older adults, people with disabilities, and people with low incomes in the region, including services based outside the region that carry residents to regional destinations. The

Consultant will develop a provider inventory questionnaire, building on NMCOG’s 2023 Council on

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Aging survey. NMCOG will distribute and follow up directly with providers to encourage completion.

For each service, the inventory shall document, at a minimum:

• Service type, service area, and eligibility;

• Days and hours of service and advance reservation requirements;

• Fares or suggested donations;

• Trip purposes and destinations served, including out-of-region trips;

• Fleet size and number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles;

• Number of paid and volunteer drivers;

• Annual trips and recent ridership trends;

• Funding sources;

• Scheduling, dispatch, and rider information technology;

• Existing coordination arrangements with other providers; and

• How the provider coordinates with local emergency management.

Providers to be inventoried include, at a minimum: LRTA fixed-route, Road Runner, and any on-demand services; Council on Aging and municipal transportation in all nine communities; human service transportation brokered by MART; AgeSpan; veterans transportation; MeVa and MBTA services that connect to the region; college and university shuttles; volunteer driver programs; and private wheelchair van, ambulance, taxi, and transportation network company services.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Provider inventory questionnaire (draft for NMCOG approval and final)

• Completed provider inventory (Excel) and narrative summary

• Provider profiles suitable for a plan appendix

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Provide 2023 survey results, LRTA and National Transit Database data, and provider contacts

• Distribute the questionnaire through NMCOG’s Council on Aging meetings, as appropriate

• Follow up with questionnaire recipients to increase response rates

Task 3.5: Key Destinations and Travel Patterns

Using engagement results, provider data, and available datasets, the Consultant will identify common origins and destinations for the target populations, such as medical facilities, senior centers, grocery stores, employment centers, human service offices, and out-of-region destinations including Boston-area hospitals, Veterans Affairs facilities, and destinations in southern New

Hampshire. The Consultant will map key destinations against existing service areas (including the

ADA paratransit service area and Council on Aging service areas) and REJ+ populations. The

Consultant will identify which destinations and travel patterns are not well served.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• List of key destinations and travel patterns drawn from engagement and provider data

• Destination and service-area mapping, hosted as an online web map

• Interpretation of mapping results

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• Review of key destinations and travel patterns to augment with data from the Greater Lowell

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

• Provide data layers necessary for analysis

Task 3.6: Existing Conditions Technical Memorandum

The Consultant will synthesize Tasks 3.1 through 3.5 into an Existing Conditions Technical

Memorandum, which will be reviewed by NMCOG, and used as the basis for the existing conditions chapters of the plan.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Existing Conditions Technical Memorandum (draft and final)

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Review and consolidated comments

TASK 4 – NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND GAP ANALYSIS

Task 4.1: Needs Assessment

The Consultant will prepare an assessment of the transportation needs of older adults, people with disabilities, and people with low incomes in the region, drawing on the existing conditions analysis and engagement results. The assessment shall describe how existing programs and services are meeting current needs and where they fall short. Needs should be organized by population group, trip purpose (e.g., medical, employment, grocery and errands, social and civic), geography (Lowell, suburban communities, and smaller towns), and time of day and day of week. The assessment should distinguish rider needs from provider needs (e.g., drivers, vehicles, technology, funding, and administrative capacity) and should consider trips that are not taken today because transportation is not available.

Task 4.2: Gap Analysis

The Consultant will identify gaps where services do not exist for the target populations or are too limited to be effective, including:

• Geographic gaps, such as areas outside the ADA paratransit service area and cross-town or cross-boundary trips;

• Temporal gaps, such as evenings, weekends, and same-day trips;

• Eligibility gaps, such as people with disabilities who are too young for Council on Aging services and live outside the ADA service area;

• Information and awareness gaps, including for people who do not use the internet or have limited English proficiency;

• Physical access gaps, such as missing sidewalks or inaccessible bus stops; and

• Institutional gaps, such as limits on trips across municipal or transit authority boundaries and difficult transfers between providers.

The analysis will also identify duplication of services and opportunities to achieve efficiencies in service delivery.

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• Needs and Gaps Technical Memorandum (draft and final)

• Presentation of findings at the provider workshops

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Supporting maps

• Review and consolidated comments

TASK 5 – STRATEGIES, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

This task is the core of the plan update. Recommendations in the updated plan must be specific enough that any reader can tell what will be done, by whom, by when, at what approximate cost, with what funding, and how success will be measured. Recommendations should also be realistic and achievable with the resources available to the region. Aspirational ideas may be included but must be clearly identified as contingent on new funding or capacity.

Task 5.1: Strategy Development

The Consultant will develop strategies, activities, and projects to address the needs and gaps identified in Task 4, as well as opportunities to achieve efficiencies in service delivery. Strategies should draw on peer best practices from Massachusetts and elsewhere and should consider the full range of options eligible under Section 5310 and the Community Transit Grant Program, including:

• Accessible vehicles and equipment, and operating assistance;

• Mobility management, travel training, and rider information and navigation;

• Volunteer driver programs and same-day or door-to-door service;

• Coordinated scheduling and dispatch technology;

• Shared driver recruitment, training, and retention;

• Accessibility improvements to the path of travel to transit; and

• Policy and coordination actions that require little or no new funding.

Strategies from the 2023 plan that remain relevant should be carried forward and strengthened. The

Consultant will present draft strategies at the provider workshops.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Draft strategies, each linked to the need(s) or gap(s) it addresses, with peer examples where available

• Presentation of draft strategies at the provider workshops

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Identify related initiatives already underway or planned by NMCOG, the LRTA, or member communities

• Review draft strategies

Task 5.2: Prioritization Framework

The Consultant will develop a transparent prioritization framework, confirmed with NMCOG, to rank strategies based on resources, time, and feasibility. Criteria may include the severity of the need addressed and the number of people served; benefit to REJ+ populations; public and stakeholder support; cost and availability of funding; readiness, including whether a willing lead entity has been

NMCOG RFP #26-03 Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Plan RFP Page 19 of 41 identified; and time to implement. Each strategy will be assigned a priority tier (high, medium, or low) and a timeframe (near-term: within two years; mid-term: two to four years; long-term: more than four years).

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Draft and final prioritization criteria and scoring method

• Prioritized list of strategies, with priority tier and timeframe for each

NMCOG Role and Deliverables:

• Review and confirm the prioritization criteria before strategies are scored

• Provide REJ+ data needed to score the equity criterion

Task 5.3: Implementation Action Plan

The Consultant will prepare an Implementation Action Plan that translates prioritized strategies into specific actions. Each recommendation in the plan shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:

ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Action statement A specific, verb-led description of what will be done and where, rather than a general goal.

Need or gap addressed Reference to the need(s) or gap(s) from Task 4 that the action addresses.

Lead entity

One named organization responsible for advancing the action (e.g., the

LRTA, a specific Council on Aging, or NMCOG). Where no entity has agreed to lead, the plan shall say so and identify the next step needed to secure a lead.

Supporting partners Other organizations whose participation is needed, and their roles.

Timeframe and milestones

Near-, mid-, or long-term, with interim milestones.

Planning-level cost Order-of-magnitude capital and/or annual operating cost range.

Potential funding sources

Specific programs (e.g., Section 5310 through the MassDOT Community

Transit Grant Program, other state or federal programs, municipal or private funds), with eligibility and local match notes.

Performance measure How progress or success will be measured, with a baseline where available.

NMCOG/NMMPO role

Any NMCOG staff or NMMPO action needed to support implementation

(e.g., technical assistance, data, letters of support, or inclusion in the

UPWP or Transportation Improvement Program).

Priority Priority tier and timeframe from Task 5.2.

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The following illustrative example shows the level of specificity expected:

INSTEAD OF… THE PLAN SHOULD SAY… (ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY)

“Address the driver shortage.”

Action: Launch a shared driver recruitment campaign and joint training calendar for Council on Aging and LRTA paratransit drivers.

Lead: [named entity]

Partners: LRTA; Councils on Aging in all nine communities; local career centers

Timeframe: Near-term; first campaign within 12 months

Cost/Funding: [planning-level estimate]; Community Transit Grant

Program (mobility management), in-kind staff time

Measure: Drivers hired and retained; trips denied due to driver shortages

(baseline from Task 3.4)

Validation with lead entities. Before the public draft plan is released, the Consultant shall review draft recommendations with each proposed lead entity to confirm that the entity understands the action, considers it feasible, and is willing to be named as the lead, or to document why not. The results of this validation shall be summarized in the plan. The Consultant will also separately identify recommendations for which NMCOG or the NMMPO is the lead, so that they can be reflected in future UPWPs.

Consultant Role and Deliverables:

• Implementation Action Plan containing all required elements (in-plan table and editable Excel matrix)

• Validation of draft recommendations with each proposed lead entity, and a summary of results

• List of…