Volume 40 - Issue 15 - April 15, 2021

State of Kansas

Department of Transportation

Notice to Consulting Firms

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is seeking qualified consulting engineering firm(s) for the project listed below. Interested consulting firms must be prequalified by KDOT or otherwise demonstrate qualification in the following category: Category 111 Rail Systems Planning. Consultants may create a team to meet the prequalification requirements. A PDF must be emailed to David Lutgen, P.E., Contracts Engineer at kdot.designcontracts@ks.gov. Responses are to be limited to eight pages, the subject line of the reply email and the file name must read “SDP 2021 RFP – Firm Name.” Proposals must be received by 12:00 p.m. April 30, 2021 for the consulting firm to be considered.

If a firm is not currently prequalified by KDOT a response may still be submitted.  Firms not prequalified must also provide documentation that demonstrates the firm is qualified for each specified category listed in this notice for the project.  Firms may use the KDOT prequalification form to provide this documentation. KDOT 1050 Prequalification category definitions (Blue Book) can be found at http://www.ksdot.org/descons.asp. All firms doing business with KDOT must be registered and in good standing under the laws of the State of Kansas at the time of contracting and must comply with applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations.

Background and Purpose of Project

The expansion of passenger rail service in South Central Kansas has been the subject of ongoing dialogue for decades.

KDOT and a diverse group of stakeholders commissioned a Service Development Plan (SDP) in 2011 to investigate the viability of state-supported passenger rail service in the subject area. More specifically, the 2011 SDP evaluated a proposed extension to the existing Heartland Flyer passenger rail service, which provides daily service between Fort Worth, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This proposal would extend the existing Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Newton, Kansas, where it would then connect with the Southwest Chief, a national route on Amtrak’s passenger rail network.

The 2011 SDP ultimately fell short due to funding constraints; however, there is renewed interest in exploring this service, primarily due to the potential of new funding sources and growing interest at the federal level for passenger rail services. The goal of this project is to (1) update and expand upon the 2011 SDP, (2) provide a fresh look into the feasibility of the service, and (3) provide the project partners a roadmap for implementation, should funding be made available. Key to this effort will be identifying all costs associated with implementation and a detailed plan for both deploying and operating the service.

Scope of Services to be Performed

The SDP update should include the necessary components, strategies, and guidance for future implementation of the Heartland Flyer Extension Service. This includes four main components: operations analysis, capital investment needs assessment, financial analysis, and implementation plan.

• An operations analysis should be conducted to outline detailed operating characteristics such as frequency, route-timing, station locations, intermodal connections, etc.
• The plan should identify all costs associated with infrastructure, rolling stock, station stop construction or renovation, and other enhancements related to the service as a component of the capital investment needs assessment.
• A financial analysis should be prepared to outline ridership and revenue forecasts along with potential funding mechanisms and cost sharing opportunities. Economic impacts and cost-benefit should also be considered.
• An integral element of the plan will be the identification of roles, responsibilities, and costs for implementation. This should consist of structures and methods for ongoing interaction between the states, railroad industry, service operator, local governments, and other state agencies.

It is expected that local units of government, BNSF, Amtrak, and Oklahoma Department of Transportation, among others will take part in the planning process. Ultimately, step-by-step guidance should be developed to direct the future deployment of the service if funding is made available.

Anticipated Schedule for Subsequent Events

Proposals are due by 12:00 p.m. (CST) April 30, 2021. Based on the qualifications submitted in the proposal and other information available to KDOT, on or about May 12, 2021 KDOT will select a firm. Negotiations with the selected firm will commence on or about May 19, 2021. Agreement in place and in effect June 16, 2021. Proposals are to be delivered via email to kdot.designcontracts@ks.gov.

Instructions for Proposal

No costs shall be contained in the proposals. The proposals must not exceed eight (8) pages total to address the pertinent topics. Please use the following naming convention for submittal… SDP 2021 RFP – Firm Name. Proposals submitted will consist of the complete proposal and a completed and signed Special Attachment No. 7 (“Certificate of Final Indirect Costs”), a completed and signed Special Attachment No. 8 (“Tax Clearance Certificate”), and a completed and signed Special Attachment No. 10 (“Policy Regarding Sexual Harassment”). Subconsultants will need to complete these attachments as well. All these forms are attached to the original email announcement.

Proposals shall describe any processes or procedures, including best practices, that will be used to perform tasks and to produce deliverables described above under “Scope of Services to be Performed.” Also, include items such as:

• Project manager
• History of projects with similar tasks
• Availability of staff to meet schedule without overtime
• Familiarity with KDOT policies and procedures
• Any subconsultant and their role (if any) that will be performing services on the project

Evaluation Factors

Proposals will be evaluated based on the factors listed below, evenly weighted, to rank the most qualified firm in order of preference as first, second, third, etc. Evaluation factors: 1) the quality and completeness of the response; 2) qualifications and experience of consultant rail planning personnel proposed for services; 3) proposed approach for review and analysis; 4) availability to perform the work; and 5) past performance history for similar projects/services. The highest ranked firm will be asked to enter into negotiations with KDOT for an agreement. In the event KDOT cannot reach agreement with the ranked firm, it will terminate negotiations with such firm and commence negotiations with the next highest ranked firm, and so on, until either agreement is reached for a satisfactory scope of services for a fair and reasonable price, or KDOT decides to pursue other alternatives.

Exhibits to this RFP

• Special Attachment No. 7 (“Certificate of Final Indirect Costs”)
• Special Attachment No. 8 (“Tax Clearance Certificate”)
• Special Attachment No. 10 (“Policy Regarding Sexual Harassment”)

Contract Terms and Conditions

A standard KDOT agreement for engineering and technical services will be used for this project. Special Attachments for the Kansas “Tax Clearance Certificate,” the “Certification of Final Indirect Costs,” and the Special Attachment No. 10 (“Policy Regarding Sexual Harassment”) will also eventually become attachments to the contract.

Questions about this RFP shall be sent by email to KDOT at kdot.designcontracts@ks.gov.

Calvin E. Reed, P.E. Director
Division of Engineering and Design

Doc. No. 049056