Addison County Regional Planning Commission 14 Seminary Street Middlebury, VT Phone: Fax:

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Town of Monkton Monkton Ridge Village Complete Streets Planning and Feasibility Study Contact: Daryl Benoit, 802.388.3141 Date of Issue: Tuesday, 5 Mar 2013 Deadline: Friday, 29 Mar 2013 at 5:00 p.m. I. INTRODUCTION The Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) of the Addison County Regional Planning Commission (ACRPC) is seeking a qualified consultant to undertake a feasibility study using a Complete Streets planning approach to improve traffic calming, bicycle & pedestrian mobility, and to plan for access and egress to an anticipated park-and-ride facility to be developed upon a parcel of land on the west side of the Village at the site of a new town administrative building. Monkton Ridge Village is bisected by a Minor Arterial road named Monkton Ridge, which functions as a primary commuter route into Chittenden County. The traffic within this corridor travels at speeds well above the posted speed limit and is at sufficient volumes to impede the safe mobility of pedestrians, cyclists, and children as they traverse the village. The general lack of infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks, road shoulders, potential transit access points, and signage make pedestrian movements within the village cumbersome and raises the residents concern for pedestrian safety. Furthermore, the southern end of the Monkton Ridge and the Bristol Rd. approach into the Village has been designated by the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) as a High Crash Location (HCL) between 2006-2010 (please see Figure 1 on page 2). The consultant will undertake a feasibility study that will identify options for improvement of; intersection designs, crosswalks, traffic control device placement, traffic calming, access management for the new site of the relocated park-and-ride facility (anticipated to be built on the west side of the village), and overall bicycle and pedestrian access and safety between this and other existing village facilities. Complete Streets guidelines and Context-Sensitive Solutions (CSS) will provide the underlying guidance for which the town can both plan and advocate for improvements along the village corridor. Furthermore, options should be considered for the realignment of State's Prison Hollow Road, the closure of the access road (TH-32) to the town library in tandem with the relocation of the adjacent informal park-and-ride to a proposed new location. It is anticipated that this study will contain the appropriate language to be used for grant-writing endeavors for future capital improvements. It is anticipated that this project will not exceed a cost of $15,000 and it will be completed by 30 Aug 2013. Addison Bridport Bristol Cornwall Ferrisburgh Goshen Leicester Lincoln Middlebury Monkton New Haven Orwell Panton Ripton Salisbury Shoreham Starksboro Vergennes Waltham Weybridge Whiting

II. PROJECT AREA & EXISTING CONDITIONS Several years ago, the Town of Monkton bought a parcel of land on the west side of Monkton Ridge Village as the site of a new town administrative building. The Town is planning for this site to be developed as the hub of a newly defined village center (and the site for the new park-and-ride facility). To serve this function effectively, it must encourage safe pedestrian and bicycle travel between key points within the village, such as; The aforementioned municipal land and the Friends Church on the north, the currently located town hall, the general store to the east, and the library to the southeast. L FIGURE 1. 2006-2010 High Crash Location (HCL) The primary route through the village, Monkton Ridge is a Class 2 town highway functioning as a minor arterial and a major route for Addison County commuters into Chittenden County. The traffic along the corridor was counted during 2008 by Addison County RPC, tallying an Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of 4,100 vehicles per day, and 170 trucks per day. This exceeds parallel commuter traffic traveling on VT Route 116 to the east, which during the same year was reported to be 2,700 AADT and 230 Truck AADT. The roadway within the village experiences excessive traffic speed, where the posted speed limit is 30 mph, the 85 th percentile speed has been measured between 39-41 mph. The 85 th percentile speed along Silver St. to the north of the village area was measured between 50-52 mph. Additionally, the southern end of Monkton Ridge Village (just south of the town hall) and the Bristol Rd. approach into the village has been designated by the State as a High Crash Location (see Figure 1). III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The project feasibility study will evaluate infrastructure improvements (as well as their costs), including; the proposed park-and-ride facility, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, roadway geometrics, traffic control devices, and related traffic calming treatments, which will enhance the 2

development and improve the safety and mobility within the village center. The study will provide conceptual design plans for a preferred alternative. The expected benefits of the planning study are: 1. To lay the logical foundation for a village center based on a human scale designed to be bicycle and pedestrian friendly, whilst providing effective and affordable traffic calming cues allowing for both vehicular and non-vehicular traffic. 2. To provide the designs and schematics for a preferred roadway, intersection and park-andride facility alignment alternative, which should useful for the Town s future grant-writing purposes. 3. To decrease the crash rate and the natural speed (i.e. reduce the measured 85 th percentile speed) of through traffic on the Monkton Ridge corridor within the Village. 4. To develop a preferred phased plan and cost assessment for development of crosswalks, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, adjustment of fog lines, installation of signage, and other traffic calming infrastructure using Context-Sensitive Solutions (CSS). III. SCOPE OF WORK The scope of this project will consist of a planning process that is guided by the Complete Streets principals (as discussed in 19 V.S.A. 309d. Policy For Municipally Managed Transportation) and Context-Sensitive Solutions (CSS) design approach to develop reasonable cost-effective alternatives and strategies that will address; the High Crash Location in the south of the Monkton Ridge Village, the high traffic speeds on the Monkton Ridge corridor, and the lack of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure throughout the village area. Additionally, the Town wishes to plan for; 1. The relocation of the informal park-and-ride facility from its current location (near the library) to the proposed new site on a parcel to the northwest. 2. The possibility of realigning State's Prison Hollow Road to its original configuration. 3. The possibility of closing the access road (TH-32) to the library. The consultant will work with an advisory committee consisting of town officials, residents, and RPC TAC members and staff to evaluate these traffic and alignment considerations for feasibility and cost in order to develop a comprehensive plan for the Village area. The consultant will complete full feasibility analysis on this alternative, provide cost estimates, and suggested project phasing for implementation. The outcome of the process will be: A public involvement process to ensure local input and support of proposed projects. Development of a comprehensive sidewalk, bicycle lane, signage and traffic calming plan that will accommodate the day-to-day needs of residents traversing between the aforementioned key points within the village. Developing appropriate access management guidelines governing drive access within the village to be considered with the new location of an anticipated park-and-ride facility. Identification of sites for crosswalks that will allow pedestrians to safely cross the Monkton Ridge corridor and States Prison Hollow Rd. Discussion of potential off-road paths and connections to Monkton Village and other locations. The draft and final reports will include the elements of the recommended outline included as Attachment A. The feasibility study shall include the steps listed below. 3

A. Review earlier studies and existing conditions The consultant will review any materials related to the study area. This includes, but not be limited to: 1. 2008 Commuter Corridor Planning & Feasibility Study in The Town of Monkton 2. 1999 Town of Monkton Village Green: 2000 Enhancement Program Application 3. 1997 Traffic Calming and Non-Vehicular Routes for Five Addison County Towns (Addison County Regional Planning Commission) 4. 1995 Taft s Corners Alternatives B. Compile Base Plan/Document Existing Conditions The consultant will compile a base plan using available mapping including VT Digital Orthophotos, digital parcel maps for the town and other natural resource-based GIS data available from the ACRPC and other sources. The compiled information must be displayed in an ArcView-compatible format. Display of typical sections and other engineering type drawings may be done with software other than ArcView. All maps and plans generated as part of this project should also be provided in PDF format. Existing conditions to be noted should include roadway, pavement and shoulder characteristics, utilities, signage, width of unpaved berms on either side of the road and any adjacent ditches. Further considerations should discuss traffic conditions, including; volumes, speeds, trucks, crash data, and concerns for bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Additional items to be mapped include: natural resource constraints, utilities, historic and archaeological constraints, and any other items the consultant feels are appropriate. All of these features should be noted and sketched on a map of each alternative route using some form of standard notation that will illustrate the constraints and opportunities along each route. C. Define Origins and Destinations The consultant will document existing and predicted bicycle and pedestrian travel patterns to gain an understanding of the best location for appropriate bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure within the study area. D. Develop a Preferred Alternative, Implementation Plan & Conceptual Alignment Maps In cooperation with the project steering committee, the consultant will be responsible for developing a comprehensive plan for preferred alternative for a feasible application of a suite of infrastructure improvement and roadway realignment strategies, based upon the latest research principles (outlined in the reference listings below) as well as existing conditions data collected within Monkton Ridge Village. The consultant will also develop a base implementation plan with a timeline and detailed maps. Conceptual alignments may include a combination of sections within and out of the highway right-of-way. If a proposed alignment includes off-road and onroad facilities, discuss how these transitions may be made. The plans should specifically reference the designated 2006-2010 High Crash Location (HCL) at the southern end of the village. Additionally, roadway crossing needs should also be addressed, as well as the shifting of the park-and-ride facility from its current southeastern location to a new location on the west side of the village. Realignment strategies should be discussed for State s Prison Hollow Rd., the Bristol Rd. and Monkton Rd. approaches into the Village, as well as the possible closure for the access road to the town library (TH-32). 4

The consultant will also review the proposed implementation (e.g. alignments, placement of signage, edge lines, bike lanes, curbs, et al.), ensuring that they are compatible with the Monkton Town Plan, and meet the Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines, The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), Vermont State Standards (VSS), as well any other applicable state and federal requirements. It is also expected that the consultant will utilize their expertise employing the latest literature as guidance for the progression of this feasibility study, such as; U.S. Traffic Calming Manual ITE Traffic Calming State of the Practice (SOP) ITE Traffic Control Devices Handbook (especially for suggested signage placement) NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide AASHTO Roadside Design Guide AASHTO Green Book (A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways & Streets) VAOT Traffic Calming Study & Approval Process for State Highways (as guidance) Vermont Pedestrian & Bicycle Facility Planning & Design Manual If applicable, the consultant may make suggestions to reference additional relevant guidance and peer-reviewed research for the purpose of this study. E. Develop Conceptual Infrastructure Plan In cooperation with the steering committee, the consultant will be responsible for developing a conceptual infrastructure plan utilizing the information compiled for the base plan and site visit(s). Conceptual alignments may include a combination of sections within and out of the highway right-of-way. If a proposed alignment includes off-road and on-road facilities, discuss how these transitions will be made. Roadway crossing needs should also be addressed. The consultant will review the proposed alternatives to ensure that they meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Guidelines and other applicable state and federal requirements. If applicable, the consultant shall make suggestions about how to divide the project into logical phases. F. Identify Right-of-Way Issues Compile basic right-of-way and property ownership information along the proposed alignment(s) of the proposed project. This information should identify public/private ownership and any existing easements or restrictions (e.g. Act 250 permits) on affected properties. Property owners should be contacted with information about the study and invited to all public meetings held to discuss alternatives. Map right-of-way information on the same base mapping as the existing conditions discussed in Task B on page 3. G. Identify Utility Conflicts Identify and discuss all underground and overhead utilities in the project area. Include a preliminary assessment of whether any relocation will be required, and if any relocation will occur outside of the existing rights-of-way. For underground utilities, an assessment should be made of whether they will be impacted by construction of the proposed improvements. H. Identify Natural and Cultural Resource Constraints and Permitting Requirements Review natural and cultural resource issues including wetlands, surface waters, flora/fauna, endangered species, storm water, hazardous wastes, forestland, historic, archaeological and 5

architectural resources, 4(f) and 6(f) public lands, and agricultural lands. Identify potential impacts on these resources and permitting requirements, including the potential for review under Act 250. When possible, documentation from appropriate state agencies should be included to summarize the extent to which resources may or may not be impacted. Historic and archaeological resources will be reviewed by qualified experts in those fields to determine potential impacts to those resources. For the historic resources, the correct level of study for above ground resources would be a reconnaissance-level survey. For archaeology, the correct level of effort is an Archaeological Resources Assessment which involves no excavations, but is to determine where and how much of a proposed project area has archaeologically sensitive land. I. Alternatives Presentation Taking into consideration previously discussed information, the consultant will present project alternatives at a public hearing, likely to be held at a Monkton Selectboard meeting. The consultant will ensure meeting notices are sent to all residents and businesses impacted by the proposed alignments. At the public hearing, each alternative should be presented with pros and cons with comparative costs. The consultant will also receive public comment to guide the development of a hopeful preferred alternative for the final draft of the study. This preferred alternative should portray a suite of optimal infrastructure improvements for the Village of Monkton Ridge. Estimated costs for alternatives should be provided for these meetings (see below). The consultant will also present recommendations on how the project may be segmented for construction over a multi-year period. Following this meeting, the consultant and the steering committee should select the most promising alternative for further development. J. Develop Preliminary Cost Estimates The consultant will develop preliminary cost estimates for further planning, design, construction and maintenance cost of the project. The estimates should be based on the assumption that the project will be constructed using a combination of federal and local funding and will be managed by the town. The cost estimates should include amounts for construction, engineering, municipal project management and construction inspection. If the project is to be completed in phases, cost estimates for each phase shall be provided. The final report should include information on funding sources available for implementation of bicycle and pedestrian projects. K. Project Time Line The consultant will provide a project development timeline that takes the project through the design, permitting and construction phases assuming the use of a combination of federal and local funding. If necessary, the consultant will develop a project phasing plan for construction of the project over a multi-year period. L. Report Production Using information gathered from the activities outlined above and from the meetings with the steering committee, the consultant will submit draft and final feasibility reports outlining the findings of the study (see Standards and Deliverables for number required). The consultant will organize, advertise and conduct a public informational meeting to present and review the draft report before completion of the final report. The consultant will send meeting notices to all residents along the proposed alignments. The consultant will follow the report format shown in Attachment A and is expected to include all of the elements listed in the outline. 6

IV. STANDARDS AND DELIVERABLES A. A digital copy of the final report with all illustrations and maps shall be delivered on compact disc in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. The text portion of the final report shall also be provided as a MS Word file. All copies of draft and final reports shall be double-sided. B. The consultant will provide digital copies of the draft report and ten (10) bound copies of the final report. Reports must be submitted a minimum of one full week prior to meetings at which they will be discussed. C. All data, databases, reports, preliminary engineering plans, programs and materials in digital and hard copy format created under this project shall be transferred to ACRPC upon completion of the project and will be treated by ACRPC as public information. Digital map data products shall be compiled and delivered to ACRPC in Vermont State Plane Coordinates (NAD 1983 Meters). Data that is developed must follow all applicable published standards of the Vermont Geographic Information System (VGIS). Preferably, deliverables will be provided in ESRI shape file format. All place or site-related databases must include a valid street address. D. The recording and distribution of minutes and public input from all project meetings will be the responsibility of the consultant. V. RESPONSE FORMAT Responses to this RFP should consist of the following: A. A technical proposal consisting of: 1. A cover letter expressing the firm s interest in the project, including identification of the principal individuals that will be assigned to the project. 2. A description of the general approach to be taken toward completion of the project, an explanation of any variances to the proposed scope of work as outlined in the RFP, and any insights into the project gained as a result of developing the proposal. 3. A scope of work that includes detailed steps to be taken, including any products or deliverables resulting from each task. 4. A summary of estimated labor hours by task that clearly identifies the project team members and the number of hours performed by each team member by task. 5. A proposed schedule that indicates project milestones and overall time for completion. 6. Resumes of individuals that will be committed to this project. The names and qualifications of any sub-consultants shall be included in this list. 7. Demonstration of success on similar projects, including a brief project description and a contact name and address for reference. 8. A representative work sample similar to the type of work being requested. B. Please note that Items 1 through 5 should be limited to a total of 15 pages. Resumes, professional qualifications and work samples are not included in this total. 7

C. A cost proposal consisting of a composite schedule by task of direct labor hours, direct labor cost per class of labor, overhead rate and fee for the project. If the use of subconsultants is proposed, a separate schedule must be provided for each. The selected consultant must be pre-approved by the Vermont Agency of Transportation before work can begin. Consultants not currently on the approved consultant list need to submit a letter of interest along with the Standard Form 330 - Architect-Engineer Qualifications Form to the Vermont Agency of Transportation. VI. CONTRACT PERIOD AND AMOUNT A selection committee will select the consultant on or about 15 Apr 2013. All work on the project must be completed by 30 Aug 2013. The maximum limiting amount of this contract will be $15,000. VII. CONSULTANT SELECTION Consultant selection will be made by a committee consisting of representatives the Town of Monkton and ACRPC. The selection committee will review and evaluate all proposals based on the following criteria: Qualifications of the firm and the personnel to be assigned to this project. (10 Pts.) Experience of the consultant personnel working together as a team to complete similar projects. (10 Pts.) Demonstration of overall project understanding and insights into local conditions and potential issues. (15 Pts.) Demonstrated knowledge of Project Area (10 Pts.) Clarity of the proposal and creativity/thoroughness in addressing the scope of work. (15 Pts.) Submission of a complete proposal with all elements required by the RFP (10 Pts.) Quality of representative work sample (10 Pts.) Cost of Bid (20) The selection committee may elect to interview consultants prior to final selection. VIII. SUBMISSIONS Consultants interested in this project should submit five hard copies of their proposal (including one unbound copy suitable for copying) of the technical and cost proposals, and a.pdf of the technical proposal excluding work sample(s) to: Daryl Benoit Addison County Regional Planning Commission 14 Seminary Street Middlebury, VT 05753 Technical and cost proposals must be submitted in separate, sealed envelopes or packages with the following information clearly printed on the outside: Name and address of prime consultant Due date and time 8

Envelope contents (technical or cost proposal) Project name Proposals should be double-sided and use recycled paper, if possible. As stated above, the consultant will also provide a digital copy (in.pdf format) of the technical proposal only. This includes information outlined on page 5 under V Response Format, A., 1 thru 7. Digital copies of the cost proposal and work sample(s) need not be included in.pdf format. Questions about the project should be directed to Daryl Benoit at the above address or at: Telephone: 802.388.3141 FAX: 802.388.0038 E-mail: dbenoit@acrpc.org All proposals must be received by the ACRPC no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday 29 Mar 2013. Proposals and/or modifications received after this time will not be accepted or reviewed. No facsimile-machine produced proposals will be accepted. All proposals upon submission become the property of ACRPC. The expense of preparing and submitting a proposal is the sole responsibility of the consultant. ACRPC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received, to negotiate with any qualified source, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this RFP as in the best interest of the town. This solicitation in no way obligates ACRPC to award a contract. 9

Attachment A Recommended Outline I. PURPOSE AND NEED OF THE PROJECT identify goals and objectives; provide description of existing conditions (how do they hinder the goals?) II. III. IV. PROJECT AREA AND EXISTING CONDITIONS identify the project area, existing conditions and proposed location of facilities. What other locations were considered? What origins and destinations are served by the proposed facility? RIGHT OF WAY identify each landowner and assess their level of interest in the project. UTILITY IMPACTS What existing underground and/or overhead utilities are in the project area? How will they be impacted by the proposed project? V. NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES identify constraints and possible design solutions and necessary permits. Include resource maps indicating identified resources and the relationship to the preferred alternative. Develop a resource impact matrix for inclusion in the final report. A. Natural Resources B. Cultural Resources 1. Wetlands 2. Lakes/Ponds/Streams/Rivers 3. Floodplains 4. Endangered Species 5. Flora/Fauna 6. Stormwater 7. Hazardous Wastes 8. Forest Land 1. Historic 2. Archaeological 3. Architectural 4. Public Lands 5. Agricultural Lands (NOTE: It is expected that historic and archaeological resources will be reviewed by qualified experts in those fields) VI. VII. VIII. IX. PRELIMINARY PROJECT COST ESTIMATE including preliminary engineering, right of way acquisition, construction, project management and construction inspection costs. MAINTENANCE - Discuss anticipated maintenance needs of the proposed project, including how snow removal is likely to be addressed. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Document the extent to which the public supports the project and identify any potential problems. COMPATIBILITY WITH PLANNING EFFORTS Indicate how the proposed improvement is compatible with relevant local Town plans, regional Transportation or Bike/Ped plans, and the 2008 Vermont Pedestrian and Bicycle Policy Plan. X. PROJECT TIME LINE given the nature of the project what is your best estimate of the time it will take to scope, design and construct the project (or initial phase of the project). XI. VIABILITY why should VTrans or other funding sources consider this project proposal? Is the project responsive to a community need and is the public good served by spending local, state and federal dollars on this alignment? Are there other considerations that should be made before this project is advanced? 10