Traffic Signal Controller

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is requesting offers for traffic signal controller assemblies to support the Austin District under RFO 601440000054109, with proposals due August 21, 2026, at 3:00 PM Central Time. Questions are due August 11, 2026, with responses posted by August 14.

The scope is fully actuated, solid-state traffic signal controller assemblies with 16-phase internal time-based coordination, railroad and fire preemption capabilities, diamond-intersection operation, and closed-loop secondary operation. Controllers must comply with NEMA Standard Publication TS 2-2003, Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, ITE standards, and mandatory NTCIP Conformance Level 2 implementation. Cabinet construction requires unpainted aluminum with minimum 3.2-millimeter thickness, thermostatically controlled cooling fans, and surge protection rated for 20,000-ampere peak surge currents. Controllers must support eight-phase NEMA, sequential, diamond intersection, and separate intersection configurations with 16 timing plans, pedestrian timing, and closed-loop system integration. All equipment must carry no less than 95 percent of the manufacturer's standard warranty at invoice and include a minimum 5-year full warranty for parts and labor from acceptance. Warranty repairs and field service must be available within 18 calendar days of receipt.

Prospective vendors must submit one complete signal controller cabinet assembly for pre-qualification testing at no cost to TxDOT, including 48-hour burn-in at 60°C or 96-hour burn-in at 23°C, followed by up to 120 hours of shop testing under load. Materials approved for use are added to the Material Producer List; identical products to approved samples are required for all subsequent shipments.

The solicitation mandates disclosure of all artificial intelligence technologies—whether proprietary or publicly available—that may be utilized in delivering solutions, including data utilization, bias and hallucination mitigation measures, algorithm reliability assessment, and Human-in-the-Loop decision-making involvement. Vendors must notify TxDOT a minimum of 45 days prior to implementing any changes to or new AI capabilities, with TxDOT retaining the right to cancel the contract without penalty if proposed AI does not comply with TxDOT's Acceptable Artificial Intelligence policy.

Evaluation is best-value, scored on respondent's approach to meeting specifications (50 points), lead time (10 points), and pricing (40 points). If discussions occur, scoring shifts to 60 points for revised approach and lead time and 40 points for revised pricing. Pricing must be firm, fixed-price, all-inclusive on an F.O.B. destination basis. The tentative award date is September 25, 2026. Delivery is 8:00 AM–5:00 PM Monday through Thursday, excluding state and federal holidays, to TxDOT Headquarters, 7901 North Interstate Highway 35, Austin, Texas 78753. Respondents must be registered on the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Centralized Master Bidders List with NIGP Class-Item 801-84 selected. The procurement contact is Susan Mendoza, CTCD, at susan.mendoza@txdot.gov or 915-790-4339.