Northbound State Route 57 Truck Climbing Lane Project Public Communications and Community Outreach Support

The Orange County Transportation Authority is requesting proposals for public communications and community outreach support services for the Northbound State Route 57 Truck Climbing Lane Project, with proposals due March 5, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. and a pre-proposal conference on February 18, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in-person at OCTA's Administrative Office in Orange, California, or via Microsoft Teams. Prevailing wage requirements apply.

The consultant will develop and implement a comprehensive Public Communications and Community Outreach Plan supporting the environmental phase of the truck climbing lane project between Lambert Road and the Orange County/Los Angeles County Line. Deliverables include the outreach plan (due within 30 days of contract execution), stakeholder coordination, public meeting planning and facilitation, collateral materials production, engagement with underserved and Limited English Proficiency communities, a stakeholder database, performance metrics tracking, and a final outreach summary report. The consultant team must include a Project Manager, Community Liaison, Graphic Designer, and Account Coordinator, with multilingual capabilities required. Target communities and stakeholders encompass the City of Brea and adjacent jurisdictions (Fullerton, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Diamond Bar); motorists, freight operators, property owners, businesses, schools, community organizations, local governments, and emergency responders.

The contract carries a total budget of $350,000 for the initial three-year term (February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2029), with an optional two-year renewal for an additional $100,000. Compensation is structured on a time-and-expense basis with fully burdened hourly rates (Project Manager, Community Liaison, Account Coordinator, Graphic Designer) and direct costs including printing, mailing, translation/interpretation, venue, audiovisual support, and mileage. Evaluation is weighted as Qualifications of the Firm (20%), Staffing and Project Organization (25%), Work Plan (30%), and Cost and Price (25%), scored on a 0–5 scale. The Authority reserves the right to award to one or multiple offerors and conduct best and final offer rounds. Questions are due February 20, 2026. Interviews are scheduled for March 24, 2026; all prospective offerors must maintain availability. Proposals are limited to 50 pages (excluding cover letters, appendices, and resumes), formatted in 12-point font, double-spaced. Funding is sourced from Local Measure M. All proposals become public records under the California Public Records Act. Subcontracting with small businesses is encouraged to the maximum extent possible.