Columbia Tusculum Fiber Project

The City of Cincinnati, Ohio Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) is seeking qualified design consultants through a Request for Proposals (RFP265X901162) to provide professional design services for the Columbia Tusculum Fiber Project in Hamilton County. The project requires replacement of the City's existing failing, locally controlled master traffic signal system with a modern fiber optic communications network that will enable approximately 18 traffic signal intersections within the Columbia Tusculum area to communicate with DOTE's Computerized Traffic Control System (CTCS). The design consultant must produce a comprehensive design package including detailed plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) suitable for future construction bidding, with scope including fiber optic cabling installation primarily along Duke Energy wood pole lines (both aerial and underground pathways), new controller timers, PTZ cameras for traffic monitoring in coordination with the Cincinnati Police Department, and integration with the existing Zone 12 fiber network installed in 2012 at Mt. Lookout Square and at Eastern & Linwood to provide system redundancy. Offerors must be pre-qualified with the Ohio Department of Transportation in the following disciplines: Traffic Signal System Design, Basic Traffic Signal Design, Safety Study, Limited Highway Lighting Design, Non-Complex Road Design, and Cost Accounting System, with all qualifications remaining active through proposal submission and contract execution. Evaluation criteria allocate 30 points to Technical Approach & Methodology, 30 points to Experience & Expertise, 20 points to Qualifications of Key Personnel, 10 points to Cost and Budget, and 10 points to Economic Inclusion, with cost representing 10 percent of total scoring. The RFP was issued April 3, 2026, with written questions due by April 13, 2026, and proposals due electronically through the City's Bonfire portal by 4:00 PM ET on April 24, 2026, with contract negotiations anticipated to begin approximately June 1, 2026 and an initial contract term of two years with optional renewal subject to mutual agreement.

The RFP includes mandatory Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) subcontracting goals of 2 percent and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) subcontracting goals of 5 percent, with failure to meet or exceed these levels potentially resulting in proposal rejection as non-responsive. The selected contractor must register with Vendor Self Service (VSS) at time of award and comply with the City's Equal Employment Opportunity Program and Living Wage provisions requiring minimum wages of $19.27 per hour for full-time employees. Insurance requirements mandate general liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in aggregate, professional liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 in aggregate, and umbrella liability coverage of $1,000,000 minimum. The project requires integration with existing infrastructure including the Zone 12 fiber network with 72 single-mode fiber installed in 2012, the City's Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) with a proposed Layer 3 Switch connection point at CFD Station 18 located at 478 Wilmer Avenue, and potential system expansion connections to the WW Pump Station at 2545 Riverside. The RFP submission requirements include completion of the Affidavit of Accuracy and Signature Page with notarized authorization documentation appropriate to the offeror's legal entity type (corporate resolutions, operating agreements, or partnership agreements), corporate and contact information forms, and pricing provided in line-item format detailing design costs. No specific award value or budget range is listed in the RFP documentation provided.