Request for Proposals.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SOUTH FULTON COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is seeking proposals from firms or teams of firms experienced urban area and regional transportation planning, transit planning, alternative systems planning, transportation safety planning, public involvement, traffic analysis, financial analysis, project identification and prioritization, and non-motorized transportation planning, necessary to support ARC in the development of a Comprehensive Transportation Plan for the cities of south Fulton County. The Scope of Service for the work is attached as Exhibit A and provides information regarding the level of effort required as well as specific tasks to be accomplished. The deadline for applications is May 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST.

Overview

ARC anticipates that a contract will be awarded in Q3 of 2026. All work activities must be completed by May 31, 2028, with an adoption target date in Q2 of 2028. It is anticipated that available funds for the project will be approximately $1,237,500. Any award for this project is contingent upon ARC receiving adequate funding for this purpose from the Georgia Department of Transportation. ARC reserves the right to award all or part of the available funds for this project. Interested firms should submit a proposal that addresses the factors listed below and the scope of services in Exhibit A. The Consultant must provide a detailed breakdown of the proposed budget in the format of Exhibit B-1. Additionally, a breakdown of proposed labor hours in the format at Exhibit C should be provided.

Content and Organization of Proposal

Firms or teams of firms must respond to this RFP with electronic versions of their proposals a PDF file format. ARC reserves the right to award this contract or contracts based on initial proposals received without formal interviews. Proposals shall not exceed a total of 20 pages (8.5 x 11), single-sided, inclusive of resumes and firm experience. Proposals may be double-sided but still must not exceed the 20-page single sided maximum length of content. Covers, end sheets, budget exhibits, DBE documentation, and an introductory letter shall not count against this maximum. Font size shall be a minimum of 10 point in all cases.

Proposals must include the following information:

1. Name and company background of lead firm and any sub-consultants.

2. Point of contact (name, title, phone number, mailing address, and email address) at lead firm.

3. Description of relevant experience of lead firm and subs on projects of this type. Include up to five (5) projects from lead firm, and up to four (4) projects from subs. At a minimum, each description of experience should include the following information:

RFP553

name of project, description of project, name of organization/client work was performed for, location of work performed, period of performance, total dollar value of project, role of firm in the project, and relevance to this RFP.

4. Any unique or special knowledge, qualifications, or technical competences of consultant and sub-consultants that will help provide a better planning process.

5. List of 3 references for work performed within the past 5 years, with current contact information.

At least two (2) references must be for lead firm. At least one (1) reference must be for work performed by the Project Manager.

6. Identification of key project personnel and descriptions of their relevant experience/qualifications for projects of this type. Descriptions of key personnel must include the Project Manager and up to five (5) additional Task Leads and/or Specialists who will work on this project. Include why this experience is relevant to the RFP and how it will help provide a better delivered outcome.

7. An Organizational Chart. Org Chart must show PM, key staff, task leads, other staff, and company affiliation. Chart should be organized by task.

8. Geographic location of the consultant’s office performing the work.

9. A detailed description of the technical approach proposed for accomplishment of the work.

10. A proposed schedule and work plan for the accomplishment of the work described in Exhibit

A. The work plan should include estimated hours by category for each task identified in Exhibit A. Please use the format at Exhibit B-1 for the estimated hours per task.

11. A proposed project budget in the formats at Exhibit B, Exhibit B-1, and Exhibit C to this RFP.

12. Any other pertinent information.

Evaluation Criteria

The review of written proposals will be based on the following evaluation criteria, with the relative weights in parentheses:

• Experience and qualification of lead firm and subs (20%)

• Experience and qualifications of key personnel (20%)

• Technical approach (25%)

• Demonstrated familiarity with the long-range multimodal planning process, Atlanta metropolitan region, and the transportation needs of the South Fulton region (15%)

• Work plan, schedule, including estimated hours per task (10%)

• Note: This includes the consultants’ ability to demonstrate a balanced workload for its staff to carry out its responsibilities to ARC in balance with any other contracts the consultant may have.

• Proposed project budget (10%)

Timeline for Evaluation and Selection Process

Following evaluation of the proposals, ARC will determine if interviews are necessary to make a final selection. If so, short-listed firms will be notified by May 29, 2026, and invited to participate in an interview process with an evaluation committee, to be scheduled the week of June 1, 2026 (tentative; specific dates and times will be confirmed individually with each firm). It is expected that a preferred firm will be determined and notified no later than June 5, 2026.

Information on the format of the interviews will be provided at that time and may be either in person or virtual, based on the convenience of staff from the review team and applicants. ARC reserves the right to award this contract based on initial proposals received without formal interviews and to award all or part of this project to one or more firms.

Final execution of a contract between ARC and the Consultant will constitute the Notice to Proceed (NTP). Note that the project schedule defined in Section IV identifies work initiating on or around August 1, 2026. All parties are expected to collaborate on establishing an aggressive schedule for contract execution so that work may begin as soon as possible

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION THROUGH WEBSITE

Electronic Submission Requirements

All proposals must be submitted electronically through the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) procurement website. Proposal submitted by any other method (including email, mail, fax, or hand delivery) may not be accepted unless specified in the solicitation document.

Respondents must register on the ARC procurement website to access the solicitation and submit a proposal. It is the responsibility of the respondent to ensure successful registration and timely submission.

Proposals must be received no later than May 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. The procurement system will automatically record the date and submission. Late proposals will not be accepted under any circumstances.

The Respondent(s) is solely responsible for:

• Uploading all required documents;

• Verifying that files are complete, readable, and properly labeled; and

• Ensuring submission is finalized prior to the deadline.

• Only one proposal containing all required information may be uploaded per responder.

ARC is not responsible for technical difficulties, internet outages, user errors, or system delays experienced by the respondent. Respondents are strongly encouraged to submit proposals well in advance of the deadline.

Upon successful submission, the system will provide an email confirmation. This confirmation serves as proof of receipt.

QUESTION AND ANSWERS (Q&A)

Question Regarding the Solicitation

All questions concerning this RFP must be submitted electronically through the procurement website by April 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. Question submitted after this deadline or through any other means will not be considered.

To ensure fairness and transparency, respondents are prohibited from contacting any ARC staff, board members, or consultants regarding this solicitation outside of the formal Q & A process.

RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS

Official responses to all timely submitted questions will be posted on the procurement website as a written addendum by May 7, 2026. Only written responses issued through the website shall be considered official and binding.

It is the responsibility of each respondent to regularly check the procurement website for addenda, clarifications, and updates. Failure to review posted addenda shall not relieve a respondent from compliance with any requirements of the RFP.

RESTRICTION OF COMMUNICATION

From the date of the advertisement of the solicitation through contract award and selection is announced, respondents are not allowed to communicate about this solicitation or scope with any staff of ARC, except for submission of questions as instructed in the RFP or as provided by any existing work agreement(s). In the case of violation of this provision, ARC reserves to right to reject the submittal of the offending respondent.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ARC is subject to the Georgia Open Records law. All proposals submitted will become public records to be provided upon request. Any information containing trade secrets or proprietary information, as defined by state law, must be marked as confidential to prevent disclosure. Confidential markings must be limited to the protected information. Entire proposals marked confidential will not be honored. Additionally, conflicts of interest are governed by the ARC Standards of Ethical Conduct available here: Standards of Ethical Conduct. Respondents must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may arise from the provision of services described herein.

Such disclosure should include the name of individual(s) with whom there is a conflict, any relevant facts to the potential conflict, and a description of the internal controls proposed to mitigate any such conflict.

ARC’s Staff Legal Counsel will determine whether such disclosure presents a potential organizational conflict of interest that should preclude award to the respondent.

ATTACHMENT A

SOUTH FULTON COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN

SCOPE OF WORK

I . General

The work to be accomplished is in support of the following Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Cost Center:

Cost Center 506ECP: County Transportation Planning

I I . Area Covered

The area of study (Study Area) for the plan development is defined, but not limited to, the South Fulton County jurisdictional boundary, including all County municipalities (including Cities, local governments, and communities). Coordination with adjacent jurisdictions within an area three to five miles outside South Fulton County is also required to promote coordinated long-range transportation planning efforts across jurisdictional boundaries.

I I I . Goal

The Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) Program was established to ensure the transportation infrastructure has a positive impact on strengthening the Atlanta Region’s economy and communities at both the local and regional levels. It accomplishes this by providing financial assistance for counties and their constituent municipalities to develop joint long-range transportation plans. These plans, while focused on local issues and needs, also serve as the foundation for regional planning efforts led by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Coordination with the regional transportation planning process and regional development plan policies, and consideration of the Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) minimum standards will help ensure jurisdictions develop plans that meet regional goals and are based on sound technical analysis.

This plan will serve as a strategic framework for addressing the City's short- and long-term transportation needs across all modes—automobile, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and freight— while supporting economic development, equity, safety, and sustainability.

I V . Background

The CTP Program will assist local governments by clearly defining county-wide goals, needs, and priorities. While ARC typically completes needs assessments and transportation plans focusing on regional needs and solutions, a successful local transportation plan and program is also critical. Local transportation plans are a key mechanism in which governments define programs and projects they are prepared to support and assist in funding. It is a critical program objective that these identified priorities will form the basis for future funding requests during Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) update cycles. No MTP can be successfully implemented without local support for plan goals, programs, and projects.

Transportation plans resulting from the CTP Program shall be informed by existing county and local government comprehensive plans. Elements of existing comprehensive plans may include, but are not limited to, community goals, needs and opportunities, land use, housing and economic development where required by the Georgia Planning Act, thereby strengthening the connection between required and optional plan elements addressing the county and local governments’ immediate needs, and transportation planning. CTP plan recommendations will clearly reference alignment with these efforts. Additionally, CTP plans must address all Federally mandated Planning Factors as outlined by IIJA.

All work tasks herein refer to the development of the CTP. If the CTP is developed as part of a broader local comprehensive plan, program funding shall only be spent on the transportation planning component.

V . Work Tasks

This scope of work outlines the minimum requirements which South Fulton County (Subgrantee) must fulfill to receive funding from ARC. The Subgrantee may include additional or more detailed tasks in their contract with their consultants based on individual needs (Trails, Transit, Freight, Stormwater, Safety, Sidewalks, etc.)

Comprehensive monthly progress reports detailing progress on each task will be submitted to ARC with each invoice. The Subgrantee will present draft deliverables to ARC for comment, involve ARC in relevant stakeholder and technical committee meetings and notify ARC of key public outreach activities, beginning with the issuance of the Notice to Proceed.

https://apps.dca.ga.gov/development/PlanningQualityGrowth/DOCUMENTS/Laws.Rules.Guidelines.Etc/DCARules.LPRs.pdf https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/fastact/

TASK 1 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The purpose of Task 1 is to ensure that the CTP begins with a clear understanding of the project’s processes, schedule, and desired outcomes. Task 1 establishes an effective working relationship among County/City staff, the Project Management Team, the Community Council, and the Technical Advisory Committee.

The Subgrantee will host a project kickoff meeting with the Project Management Team (PMT) to review major transportation issues facing South Fulton County, clarify agency roles, define priorities, and identify relationships to other local and regional planning efforts. The PMT meetings should take place regularly (monthly at a minimum) throughout the length of the project and should include an ARC representative in addition to the appropriate County/City staff and Consultant team.

The subgrantee and consultant teams will work with artists or creative designers with relevant skill, experience, and familiarity with the study area in the development of (the CTP). A preliminary outline of the Project Management Plan (PMP) will be presented for discussion and feedback. The kickoff meeting will also include a review of the prior CTP’s vision, goals, and objectives.

Following the kickoff meeting, the Subgrantee will finalize the Project Management Plan (PMP).

The PMP will refine the contract scope of work and drive the work schedule for the duration of the project. The PMP will be submitted to the PMT no later than two weeks following the project kick-off meeting for review and comment.

At a minimum, the PMP will:

• Identify an organizational chart and provide key staff contact information.

• Define protocols and procedures for the Project Team to adhere to, including:

o Communications protocols o Quality Assurance and Quality Control protocols which will ensure a high standard of professionalism with respect to all deliverables to be made available to the public, stakeholders, and elected officials.

o Administrative and Invoicing procedures, which will follow ARC’s provided templates and procedures for collecting invoices monthly

• Refine work tasks, subtasks, review/comment points, and the timing and content of deliverables.

• Describe how the PMT will interface with entities working on any other concurrent land use/ transportation planning efforts in the Study Area.

• Outline a comprehensive communications strategy / public participation plan to ensure integration of a central message among the PMT, stakeholders and the public.

o This includes branding the CTP and documenting a communications strategy linking the CTP to ongoing and recently completed planning studies and initiatives and capital improvement programs.

• Specify roles and responsibilities of study participants, including the composition of a Community Council and Technical Advisory Committee.

• Outline a project schedule and deliverable dates.

• Outline a Budget Allocation by Task.

TASK 1 DELIVERABLES:

• Kickoff meeting and summary notes

• Draft and Final Project Management Plan

• Regular PMT Meetings Calendar Invite

• PMT Meeting Notes

• Monthly invoices following ARC invoicing procedures

TASK 2 – ENGAGEMENT

The purpose of Task 2 is to utilize ROBUST, EQUITABLE, and MEANINGFUL community engagement throughout the CTP development process. The engagement effort will provide input for countywide transportation vision and goals; input for the technical planning process; and collaboration in the creation of project and policy recommendations. The community shall be engaged early and often in the planning process with the intention of creating as many touchpoints1 as possible. All groups in the community will be actively engaged with an emphasis on groups that have not been historically involved in the planning process. Creativity in reaching communities which are traditionally not well represented in the planning process, including minorities, low-income individuals, people with limited English proficiency, and students, will be essential to the overall success of this effort.

The goal of the engagement process shall be to generate a verifiable number of touchpoints equal to

1.5 to 3 percent of the total County/City population. For example, if there are 400,000 residents in your County/City, the goal is to generate verifiable touchpoints with 6,000 – 12,000 residents. These touchpoints shall be a proportionate representation of the overall demographics in the County/City, including race, ethnicity, age, and language spoken at home (demographic analysis details below).

2a. Public Engagement Plan

The exact process, schedule, and methods of community engagement will be defined in an associated Public Engagement Plan (PEP). The PEP is an early deliverable and shall be developed and finalized within 4 weeks of the kickoff meeting. ARC’s Public Participation Plan (PPP) shall be used as a guide and the engagement techniques and tools identified within the PPP are encouraged.

The Community Council (see Section 2b) and the Project Management Team shall review, comment and approve the PEP and any subsequent changes to the document. A demographic analysis of South Fulton County and all its Cities shall be conducted as part of the PEP for use in identifying the different community groups that need to be represented on the Community Council.

Engagement activities include interactions with the public, as well as entities such as federal, state and local governments, transit agencies, and development community representatives. Regular coordination between City staff, stakeholders, and regional partners (e.g., ARC, GDOT, MARTA) should occur throughout the project. The PEP shall include a plan for engaging the public officials responsible for adopting the CTP throughout the planning process. These

1 A touchpoint is defined as any way a member of the public interacts with the planning process - whether in-person meeting, pop-up event, through a website, survey response(s), email, or any form of communication about the CTP with a member of the community.

https://atlantaregional.org/what-we-do/transportation-planning/community-engagement/public-participation-plan-2024-update/ officials should be briefed a minimum of two times during the plan development process (additional meetings may be conducted as necessary).

The Subgrantee shall anticipate and allow for review of any materials to be released to the public to have adequate review time by the PMT within the schedule.

A template will be provided by ARC for the Subgrantee to use to track all public engagement touchpoints. The tracking sheet will be submitted back to ARC after all engagement for the CTP is complete.

2b. Community Council

A Community Council (CC) will be formed and consulted regularly to represent the public’s interests throughout the CTP process. The composition of the Community Council shall reflect the demographic makeup of the community as identified in the demographic analysis portion of the PEP. Community Council membership shall prioritize representatives of communities which are traditionally not well represented in the planning process, including minorities, low-income individuals, people with limited English proficiency, and students. This inclusive outreach can involve workshops, digital tools, surveys, and other engagement methods. ARC strongly recommends that the Community Council actively engages community-based organizations (CBOs) and that the CBOs are involved in the development of the Public Engagement Plan and the planning process. Please see ARC’s Community Engagement and Culture (CEC) Team for additional resources, including a database of existing Community Based Organizations that have been vetted by ARC and are aware of planning projects, and willing to participate in their area.

The Community Council will convene a minimum of four times during the plan development process (additional meetings may be conducted as necessary). All significant findings and recommendations of the CTP will be presented to the council for review and feedback, starting with the Public Engagement Plan. The CC will help to shape the CTP by providing input on the Goals and Objectives, draft Needs Assessment and draft Project Recommendations, including policy recommendations.

The CC is intended to be a conduit for communication to the community at large. CC members are expected to disseminate information to the communities they represent and shall be consulted on the methods, timing, and messaging of the Public Engagement process.

In an effort to reduce barriers and motivate all parts of the community to participate, compensation for CC members per allowable costs and federal guidelines is recommended.

Please see ARC's PPP for details and regulations.

2c. Technical Advisory Committee

In addition to the CC, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will be formed and consulted regularly. The TAC shall consist of transportation and planning professionals and elected https://atlantaregional.org/what-we-do/community-development/regional-arts-culture/ officials such as Mayors, City Council members, GDOT Planning staff, Community Improvement Districts, transit operators, local engineering and planning departments, and/or economic development entities may be included.

The TAC will meet a minimum of four times during the plan development process (additional meetings may be conducted as necessary). All significant findings and recommendations of the CTP will be presented to the committee for review and feedback. The TAC will help to shape the CTP by providing input on the Goals and Objectives, draft Needs Assessment and draft Project Recommendations, including policy recommendations.

2d. Methods of Engagement

The ARC Public Participation Plan shall be consulted as a resource for approved methods of Public Engagement. While the engagement methods for this CTP will be defined in the PEP, at a minimum they shall include the following:

• Community Council (as defined in section 2b)

• Technical Advisory Committee (as defined in section 2c)

• Standalone Project Website o The project website will be capable of both disseminating information and collecting input. The project website is intended to be the most visible and comprehensive communication piece for the planning process. At minimum, the website shall include the following items:

Project Background / Intent Schedule (Project Phases and Public Engagement Events) Interactive Map where people can provide input on issues/needs, project recommendations, and other suggestions Interactive map showing existing projects (Federal, State, local and

TSPLOST)

Asynchronous meetings / recording of meetings Data / Documents (Draft and Final)

• The Public Engagement Plan with its demographic analysis shall be published on the website, including a high-level summary.

Methods to leave general comments and contact project team Email collection for mailing list (opt in to receive further info about project, popups, surveys) 24 months minimum of live website o Suggestion: multi-media video or recording that is social media friendly

• Face-to-Face Outreach (In-person) (Minimum Two Rounds) o While virtual engagement has proven cost effective and successful, face-to-face interactions are still a critical component of the PEP. In-person small group outreach is intended to occur in the community where people are already gathering to create awareness of the planning process and the opportunities for involvement.

o This outreach is intended to occur as small popups at multiple locations (5 to 10 each round) throughout the county/city that utilize places where people are already gathering, such as:

Public libraries Festivals Parks and popular trails Transit stops Youth sports Shopping centers / commercial districts School events (high schools) Government service centers Senior centers / senior housing Others

• Surveys o Surveys will be utilized during the initial phase to identify issues from members of the public and a second time after recommendations have been formed to get feedback on the proposed recommendations.

o Two (2) surveys will be available for a minimum of 30 days o Paper surveys shall be made available as appropriate, such as at pop-up events to engage with the public who do not have access to online surveys. A portable device should also be made available so that people can complete the surveys while engaging with the project team.

o The surveys must ask for demographic information that can be provided to ARC in the summary report.

• Email List / Blast o Collect emails from people who have specifically opted-in or utilize lists that the

County / cities already have.

o Email blasts can be sent to notify of upcoming events, posted surveys, or any other project-related announcements.

• Public Meetings o A minimum of 2 public meetings shall be held. The meetings may be in-person or virtual (no hybrid options).

o Any materials presented at the public meetings shall be made available on the project website.

o Suggestion: walking audit, tactical demonstration project, peer site visits, workshops

Engagement materials shall be translated into languages other than English where appropriate based on the findings in the demographic analysis.

This engagement process should be coordinated with other ongoing projects that overlap with the South Fulton CTP study area, including but not limited to the South Metro Trails Plan, Flint River Trails Plan, and the Regional Trails Plan. The Consultant shall seek opportunities for joint public engagement, share other project resources as appropriate, and provide other project materials for use at in-person events or online platforms.

2e. Supplemental Methods of Engagement

Supplemental forms of engagement that are not required but are encouraged and allowed within the scope of the CTP include the following:

• Demonstration Project that includes a temporary and tactical demonstration of a transportation project to show the public what a project could look like if constructed.

• Focus Groups that include various sectors of the public such as elderly or youth populations, various sub-areas within the County, etc.

TASK 2 DELIVERABLES:

• Draft and Final Public Engagement Plan

• Small group outreach and public meeting materials and summary documentation

(conducted as part of Tasks 4 and 5) o Including photos of engagement

• Revised vision, goals and objectives

• Project website materials (prepared throughout CTP development process)

• Community Council membership list, meeting materials, and summary documentation

(conducted throughout CTP development process)

• Technical Advisory Committee meeting materials and summary documentation

(conducted throughout CTP development process)

• PMT meeting summary notes (conducted throughout CTP development process)

• Completed Public Engagement touchpoints tracking spreadsheet (provided by ARC)

TASK 3 – INVENTORY OF EXISTING CONDITIONS

With the previous CTP as a foundation, Task 3 will include an inventory of the study area’s transportation network and its performance, including existing conditions and the identification of specific focus areas. The following need to be reviewed and included in the deliverables:

• Report of Accomplishments since the last CTP with a focus on transportation related policies and projects that have either been started, funded, or completed (using ARC provided template).

o This can be a high-level overview and does not need to be a full matrix of the entire project list from the previous CTP.

• Inventory of Existing Plans and Regionally Significant Studies that are relevant to the CTP, such as studies from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL), Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).

• Inventory of core transportation elements and land use conditions including, but not limited to:

o Land Use and Zoning Conditions Existing land use, future land use, current zoning Existing Comprehensive Plan character areas The region’s Unified Growth Policy Map Developments of Regional Impact (DRI) that have been recently completed or are underway o Population and Demographics Data

Population density, minority density, distribution of age by cohort, zero-vehicle households, limited English proficiency, disability status, income, and educational attainment.

o Employment Data Employment density, employment by sectors, employment growth o Community Resources Schools, libraries, government centers, historic sites, parks and trailheads, airports, fire stations, police stations, sheriff stations, senior centers, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals.

Park acres per capita o Roadways

Functional classification, current traffic volumes, bridge locations and sufficiency rating, laneage, posted speed limits, traffic signals, pavement condition index (including material type and consideration of locational context), sidewalk locations and conditions, and roadway elevations

Existing stormwater infrastructure (if available) including drainage systems, retention and detention ponds, green infrastructure, and outfalls o Transit Transit routes, transit stops, and ridership data Human Services Transportation (HST) – description of service type, service area and usage Transportation Demand Management Programs o Active Transportation Bike and pedestrian facilities (including bike lanes, sharrows, side paths, paved and /or compacted multi-use trails, and sidewalks if available) Create new non-subdivision road sidewalk inventory for south Fulton

Study area Rideshare program providers and areas of service (bikes, e-bikes, scooters, micromobility) Recreational river activation and public safety (including but not limited to Chattahoochee River access points) o Freight and Goods Movement (Truck and Rail)

Federal, state, regional and local truck routes and/or truck prohibitions Rail corridors At-grade rail crossing locations Truck and Train volumes o Transportation Systems Management & Operations (TSMO) Location of fiber optic cable and/or other transportation related telecommunication infrastructure Traffic signal locations and responsible party Location of mid-block crossings (PHB and RRFB) Existing EV charging infrastructure (location, type, availability and usage data) EV adoption rates within the County Status of County vehicle fleet transition plan and EV Supply

Equipment Safety and Training Existing municipal codes and regulations pertaining to EVs, which may include zoning and building codes, EV parking and signage, and permitting to support EV Readiness planning

Connected and Autonomous vehicle deployment corridors and impacts of AI on transportation o Climate adaptation and transportation infrastructure resiliency Rivers, streams, and bodies of water FEMA Floodplains ARC Regional Transportation vulnerability index (when available) o System Performance Monitoring and Reporting Program

Document how each jurisdiction within the County collects, maintains and reports system performance data for their own purposes.

Document what infrastructure and services are included in that program.

The Subgrantee may include additional optional elements in its CTP work scope, as the schedule and budget permit. Such elements may include additional analysis of transit services or high priority roadway corridors, development of smart city, technology and data recommendations, including AI integration, and consideration of the impacts of emerging transformative mobility options.

All inventoried items must be mapped digitally and converted to a standard ArcGIS layer, as applicable, for future use. Adequate data will be collected to allow a thorough assessment that identifies and addresses potential issues and solutions. Data collected may include (and is not limited to) location, facility type (functional classification), conditions, crash data, average daily travel volumes, and TIP/MTP programs and projects.

As appropriate, the Subgrantee will access and collect data from each defined municipality within the study area. ARC and other members of the PMT will make all readily accessible documents, data summaries and ArcGIS files associated with previous planning initiatives available to the Subgrantee as identified and needed.

TASK 3 DELIVERABLES:

• Report of Accomplishments since previously completed CTP

• Draft and Final Inventory of Existing Conditions Report (including maps, text, and tables) o Final Report must incorporate ARC submitted comments

• Sidewalk Inventory and conditions along roads classified as Collector or higher

• Project website materials (prepared throughout CTP development process)

TASK 4 – ASSESSMENT

Task 4 will take the inventory of core transportation elements and land use conditions from Task 3 and identify existing and future gaps and needs in the transportation system of South Fulton County.

Transportation facilities should be assessed at two points in time – current and the MTP planning horizon year.

Equity considerations must be used in the identification of needs, specifically in Justice40 disadvantaged areas, where communities have been identified that spend more, and take longer, to get where they need to go.

Additionally, as the needs assessment is completed, the impacts of climate change must be considered. Specifically, identifying and prioritizing projects that will set the region on a path towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions, as well as promoting projects that will enhance the resiliency of our communities, infrastructure, and natural systems to climate change and extreme weather events.

The following section lists the assessment topic and potential assessments and tools that could be used in Task 4 where applicable.

• Land Use and Zoning Conditions o Assessment of the impact of land use, development, and related policies and regulations in place on the transportation network o Possible Data Source(s): ARC’s Community Development Group, Co-

Star Multifamily Data (provided by ARC)

• Travel Patterns & Roadways o Identification of where county employees live, and where county residents work o ARC Travel Demand Model future trips analysis based on growth trends and land use o Identification of current and future deficiencies; scenario analysis using travel demand forecasts o Origin-Destination Analysis o Existing and Future Level of Service (LOS) o Existing and Future Travel Time Index (TTI) o Bottleneck Location Analysis o Assessment of improvement alternatives across all modes o Streetlights, e.g., corridors that are not well lit or could benefit from streetlights to enhance safety of pedestrians and vehicles, where applicable o Possible Data Source(s): Passive data that uses existing personal GPS device data, such as AirSage; Streetlight Data, Replica (GDOT and ARC have a purchasing contract that can be used), U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer- Household Dynamics, ARC Travel-Demand Model https://www.costar.com/products/market-analytics https://www.costar.com/products/market-analytics https://www.costar.com/products/market-analytics https://airsage.com/ https://www.streetlightdata.com/ https://lehd.ces.census.gov/ https://lehd.ces.census.gov/ https://lehd.ces.census.gov/

• Transit o Route characteristics, access to fixed route transit and to frequent transit, and rider experience Ridership by route or by stop if possible Boarding and alighting by stops if applicable o Transit Coverage (number of miles) / level of service (Vehicle Revenue Miles or Hours) except for MARTA counties o Assessment of gaps in microtransit services (where applicable) o Access measures for transit hubs and network o Assessment of transit rider infrastructure most vulnerable to extreme heat o Possible Data Source(s): Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority, Local

Transit Authority

• Active Transportation o Bicycle and pedestrian propensity (demand, attraction, and character) o Crash data that involves pedestrians and bicyclists (including crash density) o Gap analysis on infrastructure (especially sidewalks near destinations such as parks and schools as well as on arterials and major collectors or near transit stops) ADA Transition Plan and whether the condition of public right-of-way has been documented o Bicycle or walking level of comfort analysis o Access measures for bicycle network o Recreational river activation and public safety (including but not limited to

Chattahoochee River access points) o Possible Data Source(s): Strava, People for Bikes, ARC Active

Transportation Inventory, Georgia Rivers, Chattahoochee Hills Parks Commission, Roadway Element Validation and Mapping (REVAMP) provided by ARC

• Freight and Goods Movement (Truck and Rail) o Level of Service on Truck Routes and relevant non-truck routes

Can be calculated shorthand as the volume-to-capacity ratio, but it is more accurately based on the Highway Capacity Manual, which considers multiple factors, including a road’s size and urban/rural context o Travel Time Index (TTI) and / or truck travel time reliability (TTTR) on truck routes o Bottlenecks on Truck Routes

Can be incorporated from other plans or studies, or can be derived from original analysis of freight congestion, reliability, network characteristics (e.g., convergence of multiple roads), physical barriers (e.g., low clearance overpasses), truck restrictions, or roadway characteristics (e.g., reductions in the number of lanes https://metro.strava.com/ https://garc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ac9b81cce02741d98e967afff3c247f9 o Truck parking Parking needs for short- or long-duration truck staging or driver rest periods, field observations, stakeholder knowledge, or other data sources such as truck probe data.

o Crashes involving freight trains at at-grade railroad crossings o Truck-Involved crashes

Focus on fatal and serious injury crashes. There are multiple methods for highlighting fatal and serious injury crashes, including examining fatal and serious injury crash rates, or calculating equivalent property damage only (EPDO), which places higher weight on more serious crashes in calculations.

o Possible Data Source(s): County traffic counts, Highway Capacity Manual, National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS), Altitude by GeoTab ITS, GDOT Numetric, Federal Railroad Administration Crossing Inventory

• Transportation Systems Management & Operations (TSMO) o Identification of work zone incidents o Identification of non-recurring congestion o Identification of corridors needing efficiency improvements o Identification of areas with charging infrastructure gaps or areas where charging infrastructure would be most utilized (considering traffic volume, land use, and economic activity) o Assessment of environmental impact of EV Adoption Rates o Possible Data Source(s): Connected Vehicle Deployment Map, Transportation

Electrification Plan (ARC), Alternative Fuels Data Center, ARC EV Planning Tool, Department of Revenue Registered EVs

• Climate adaptation and transportation infrastructure resiliency o Flood vulnerability assessment of transportation infrastructure, including future precipitation assessment o Identification of critical transportation infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, that are critical during major storm events (for example, roadways to hospitals that are vulnerable to future flooding) o Identification of low tree canopy or stretches of linear transportation that have no shade o Planning level phasing for replacement of aging underground infrastructure that would conflict with transportation improvement project implementation or cause transportation funds to be spent inefficiently o Possible Data Source(s):District Stormwater Forecast (ARC Open Data), The Climate Explorer, Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation, FEMA’s Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT), Metro Atlanta Climate Action Plan (Available March 2025), Regional Resiliency Plan

• Safety o Analysis of crash trends, including pedestrian crash hotspots https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop20028/index.htm https://its.geotab.com/ https://its.geotab.com/ https://railroads.dot.gov/safety-data/crossing-and-inventory-data/crossing-inventory-dashboards-data-downloads https://railroads.dot.gov/safety-data/crossing-and-inventory-data/crossing-inventory-dashboards-data-downloads https://www.transportation.gov/research-and-technology/interactive-connected-vehicle-deployment-map https://afdc.energy.gov/stations%23/find/nearest https://opendata.atlantaregional.com/content/6196e4e2547440418008b2d76c92c900/about https://crt-climate-explorer.nemac.org/ https://crt-climate-explorer.nemac.org/ https://resilience.climate.gov/ http://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool http://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool https://atlantaregional.org/what-we-do/climate-resiliency/ https://atlantaregional.org/what-we-do/climate-resiliency/ https://atlantaregional.org/what-we-do/climate-resiliency/ o Identification of roadways with a high number of risk factors, especially roadways with high risk for pedestrians.

o Identifying factors affecting safety, both physical features and operator experience (lighting, number of lanes, speed limit and travel speed, driver distractions) o A safety benefit-cost analysis for all road widenings using the cost factors in the Regional Safety Strategy as a minimum.

o Possible Data Source(s): GDOT Numetric, ARC Safety Strategy, ARC Risk Factors

Building on the visioning and goals effort, the Subgrantee will follow a project evaluation framework which will be designed and tightly integrated with the overall CTP planning process to support decision-making, project selection and periodic re-evaluation and reviews. The framework will be based on data that is both qualitative and quantitative. Emphasis will be placed on ensuring that the framework is flexible, captures detailed datasets, and allows for adjustments. The evaluation framework will be developed with the intended use of determining which strategies and projects (identified in Task 5) are of the highest priority.

The evaluation framework will also reflect a performance-based planning approach required for MPO plans, which establishes that regions must set forth appropriate performance targets and show progress toward achieving the targets. The Subgrantee will then develop a set of criteria for evaluation and ranking projects. Because of the difference in the order of magnitude of potential measures, a scoring system will be developed that converts the measures to a common scale so that projects can be equally evaluated against each other. The scoring system allows for a more accurate evaluation and ranking on a common level and provides the level of transparency and depth of information required to achieve the strategic goals and objectives.

The complexity of South Fulton County’s mobility needs, and multi-jurisdictional makeup, means it is likely that a single type of prioritization approach will prove insufficient to provide decision makers with the information they need to make difficult and politically sensitive trade-offs between projects. Therefore, the Subgrantee will develop an evaluation framework that will allow project portfolios to be analyzed through different lenses. This will help provide credibility to decision-makers and demonstrate the trade-off analysis executed as part of the project evaluation process.

This evaluation framework will be used when prioritizing project during the subsequent Task 5.

Task 4 Deliverables:

• Evaluation framework documentation

• Draft and Final Current and Planning Horizon Needs Assessment Report (including maps, text and tables) o Final Report must incorporate ARC submitted comments https://cdn.atlantaregional.org/wp-content/uploads/arc-regional-safety-strategy-9-may-23.pdf#page%3D131 http://atlantaregional.org/risk-factors

• Project website materials (prepared throughout CTP development process)

TASK 5 – RECOMMENDATIONS

Task 5 will include the project recommendations that come out of the Needs Assessment. These recommendations may take a variety of forms, and the precise outcomes will be dictated by the level of emphasis placed on each CTP element. The following should be guiding principles for all recommendations, regardless of their timeline.

• Recommendations should reflect the feedback received from the community engagement efforts and formally adopted by local government policy officials. A summary of the feedback and comments received from the community should be included in the final deliverables.

• Recommendations should leverage and complement regional facilities, services, and programs to address local needs and priorities.

• Recommendations should knit together previous plans and projects identified at the community level through Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) studies, Community Improvement District (CID) work programs, county/city Capital Improvement Programs (CIP), corridor studies, freight cluster plans, and other initiatives previously undertaken within the study area.

• Recommendations should be viewed through the lens of mitigating climate change and preparing for the effects of climate change.

• Recommendations shall try including green infrastructure projects where possible.

• Recommendations should consider adding new roads and new technology, where appropriate, e.g., Artificial Intelligence (AI).

• Recommendations should prioritize projects using data-driven performance criteria.

Regardless of the unique needs and priorities of the jurisdiction, the following general steps should be completed:

• Project list timelines need to follow logical funding sources, such as a SPLOST timeline.

For example, if the SPLOST timeline is to renew every 6 years, the short-term project list can use that as a funding resource for projects from 0-6 years. If there is not a timeline like that is logical to follow, you may do intervals of 5 years and 10 years.

o A summary of the last two SPLOST/T-SPLOST programs with a discussion on total funding, project by type, goals, deliverability, etc.

• A completely fiscally unconstrained project list should be the starting point. This list should identify a project solution for each need identified in Task 4.

• Next, this list should be prioritized based on the methodology developed. The short-term funding amounts should be calculated with the basic assumption that the near-term continuation of those resources is a reasonable possibility to continue.

• The mid-term and long-term project lists should be based on realistic ways to generate more funds for transportation projects, such as increasing SPLOST dollars, instituting a TSPLOST if one does not exist, or adding / increasing impact fees.

o Aspirational projects (projects that would be completed past the planning horizon) can be included on the fiscally unconstrained project list.

• An Action Plan should be developed that includes a list of implementable action items that can be completed in a 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year time frame. The goal is to identify specific actions that will be undertaken following adoption. This plan should also include how the County will demonstrate the progress of these actions.

• The final project list must identify the lead jurisdiction for each project.

o Each jurisdiction should also have a comprehensive project list broken out separately with a corresponding map.

Task 5…