Express Lanes Marketing Program

The Orange County Transportation Authority is requesting proposals for marketing services for the 405 and 91 Express Lanes under RFP 250271, with proposals due June 30, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. The contract is valued at $450,000 over a three-year term effective through August 31, 2029.

The scope encompasses integrated strategic marketing plan development, campaign development and management, digital marketing including email and social media, online and traditional media planning and buying, ethnic marketing and translation services in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Farsi, creative development and design, market and customer research with segmentation studies, photography services, and printing and fulfillment services. The consultant must develop and execute an annual report (not to exceed $30,000), maintain quarterly newsletters and customer communications, and manage Express Lanes branding. Target markets include residents and employers proximate to the Express Lanes, current subscribers, college students, area businesses, and stakeholders across Orange, Riverside, and Los Angeles counties. The consultant must maintain proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, high-resolution PDF, and Microsoft Office software, and demonstrate capability in one to six-color lithographic printing with standard 15-day turnaround and ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.

Compensation is structured on a time-and-expense basis with fully-burdened hourly rates for key personnel (Account Manager, Creative Director, Copywriter, Concept Development, Design Layout) and other labor categories, with a fixed cumulative payment obligation of $450,000 for the entire period. Proposal offers must remain firm for 120 days from proposal date.

The consultant must designate key personnel subject to OCTA's written approval and maintain comprehensive insurance including Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate), Automobile Liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), Workers' Compensation, and Employers' Liability ($1,000,000). The incumbent contractor is Truth Marketing under Contract C-2-2392, expiring August 31, 2026. Written questions were due June 11, 2026; responses were provided June 17, 2026. A pre-evaluation meeting and offers submission are scheduled for June 30, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., respectively. Evaluation occurs July 14, 2026; interviews are scheduled for July 22, 2026. Contract execution is anticipated by August 20, 2026. Addendum #1 Revision was issued June 17, 2026.