Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA)

METRO Regional Transit Authority in Summit County, Ohio (including Akron City) issued a Request for Proposals on February 26, 2026, for consulting services to conduct a comprehensive Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) study evaluating potential Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors across Summit County. The procurement seeks to analyze four candidate corridors—Market/Exchange, State/Main, Kenmore/Barberton, and South Arlington—to identify where BRT investments will have the greatest impact on travel times, reliability, and access to opportunity. The scope encompasses nine major tasks: project management and administration, purpose and need development, public and stakeholder involvement, determination of a preferred initial BRT project, analysis and refinement of the locally preferred alternative, environmental screening and NEPA readiness assessment, risk register and constructability workshop, full FTA Standard Cost Categories cost packaging, and Small Starts Project Development entry materials. Key deliverables include ridership demand forecasting using regional travel models and FTA STOPS modeling, traffic operations and queue jump analysis, capital and operating cost estimates, land use and community impact analysis, environmental screening documents, and preparation of materials for FTA Capital Investment Grant applications. Proposals must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on April 9, 2026, through METRO's OpenGov portal, with a question submission deadline of March 30, 2026, and responses provided by March 31, 2026. The anticipated contract duration is approximately 12 to 14 months from the Notice to Proceed. Evaluation will occur in two phases: Phase 1 (100 points) assesses firm qualifications and relevant experience (25 points), project team staff qualifications and availability (25 points), technical project approach and work plan including public involvement methodology (25 points), and project management capability (25 points); Phase 2 (10 points) evaluates cost by category (5 points) and hours by category as a percentage of total hours (5 points).

This is a federally-funded project administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and all responses must comply with applicable FTA regulations, civil rights laws, Buy America requirements, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation provisions, and labor standards. The procurement does not specify set-aside designations for small, minority-owned, women-owned, or other disadvantaged enterprises, though DBE participation is required in accordance with 49 CFR Part 26. The RFP does not identify any incumbent vendors or current contractors. The cost proposal must be submitted using METRO's provided Excel cost model template, which includes editable labor rate schedules with hourly rates ranging from $95.00 for Admin Support to $230.00 for Principal positions, including Project Manager ($195.00), Senior Planner ($170.00), Transportation Modeler ($180.00), Engineer ($175.00), Environmental Specialist ($165.00), Public Engagement Lead ($160.00), and GIS Analyst ($135.00). The contract will be awarded as a lump sum agreement, with compensation inclusive of all salaries, benefits, overhead, administration, profits, and direct expenses. No bid bond is required, and payment will be made via Automated Clearing House (ACH) following approval by the METRO Board of Trustees and receipt of funds from the FTA or the State of Ohio. The RFP does not provide a specific budget range or award value, though firms should reference comparable BRT alternatives analysis projects for cost estimation guidance. All work products, reports, studies, and documents prepared under the agreement will become the exclusive property of METRO RTA.