Volume 42 - Issue 46 - November 16, 2023

State of Kansas

Department of Transportation

Notice to Consulting Firms

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is seeking a qualified consulting firm or team of firms to perform professional services for the project(s) described in Table 1 below. Interested consultants must submit a proposal as laid out herein by 12:00 p.m. (Central Time) December 6, 2023, to be considered for selection.

Consultant Prequalification

Interested consulting firms must be prequalified by KDOT or otherwise demonstrate qualification in categories:

• 335 Railroad Infrastructure Design
• 301 Land Surveying
• 302 Engineering Surveying

If a firm is not currently prequalified by KDOT, a proposal 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 must 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. Consultants may create a team to meet the prequalification requirements. 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.

Table 1: Background and Scope of Project
Project Number	Background and Scope of Project
X-3139-24	The KDOT Railroad Coordinating Section is seeking help in forming and prioritizing railroad crossing improvements as part of our Section 130 Program. This is an annual Statewide effort gathering information and creating a priority list of railroad crossings for the Section 130 Program.

Anticipated Consultant Scope

KDOT anticipates the following to be included in the consultant’s scope:

• RR Involvement.
• Preliminary Design Services.

The scope of services will include:

• Obtain a list of eligible crossings from KDOT’s Crossing Inventory Information Management System (CIIMS).
• Review the accuracy of the information in that program such as train and traffic daily volumes.
• Evaluate existing crossings to see if appliances need to be upgraded with current equipment may require a drive through the potential project site.
• Create a list of prioritized projects and present them to the KDOT Coordinating Section for approval.
• Set up on-site inspections with railroad representatives and local public authority representatives to determine the type of improvements to be installed and temporary traffic control.
• Request survey if required.

Anticipated Schedule and Key Dates

1. Proposals are due by or before 12:00 p.m. (Central Time) December 6, 2023.
2. Ranking of proposals is expected to occur on or around January 3, 2024. Negotiations with the most highly ranked firm are expected to begin on or around January 31, 2024. An executed agreement is anticipated around February 28, 2024.
3. The program fiscal year for this project is FY2025 (July 2024–June 2025).

Projects need to be prioritized by early summer so agreements can begin with the railroads.

Instructions for Proposal

1. No cost or pricing information shall be submitted with the proposal. Proposals including cost or pricing information will be considered non-responsive and withdrawn from further consideration.
2. The consultant’s proposal must not exceed 4 pages total (including any cover letter, index, etc.). All pages shall be standard letter size (8.5” x 11”). Any page larger than standard letter size will be counted as two or more pages depending on size.
3. A single PDF (10MB maximum size) of the proposal including all attachments must be uploaded to the appropriate bid form on Bid Express by the proposal due date and time.
4. The proposal PDF file name must read:
   1. “X-3139-24_Railroad Section 130 Coordinator _FIRM NAME”
5. The proposal must be accompanied by Special Attachments No. 8 (“Tax Clearance Certificate”) and No. 10 (“Policy Regarding Sexual Harassment”). If you need a Tax Clearance Certificate, you can request one at https://www.ksrevenue.gov/taxclearance.html. Allow 2-3 business days for processing. Both attachments are required for every firm involved in a multi-consultant team.
6. The outline in Table 2 below describes the expected proposal organization and content sections.
7. Table 3 lists the evaluation criteria and associated weights which will be used to make a selection.
8. KDOT does not anticipate doing so but reserves the right to interview consultants for this project. If exercised, this would likely extend the schedule described above.

Table 2: Proposal Content
Section	Description of Intent	Page Limit
Cover Letter		1 Page
Project Approach	Demonstrate a unique approach to accomplish the design efficiently and to a high standard. Include cost-effective and optimized solutions to address the anticipated improvements in the design. Include unique qualifications or experience related to the project approach.
Approach to Schedule	Describe the approach to accomplish the scope of services within the schedule requirements. Include anticipated key milestone dates and availability of staff.
Approach to Quality Control	Describe methods or procedures your firm will use to provide all drawings, reports and other services with professional quality and technical accuracy.
Qualifications and Experience	For key personnel to be assigned to the project provide names, office location, qualifications, education, training, and expertise. Identify their area(s) of responsibility and percent of their time dedicated to the project. List work for which you do not have in-house capability and name the firm you propose to subcontract with.
Past Performance	Describe team’s past performance with respect to ability to meet project schedules; quality of work; and ability to control costs on similar transportation projects, especially those performed for KDOT. Include three references and contact information.
Familiarity with KDOT and Project Area	Describe team’s familiarity with KDOT’s design process and standards. Describe familiarity with the project area and any identified special site conditions.

Table 3: Evaluation Factors
Evaluation Factor	Weight
Qualifications and experience of project manager and other key project team members proposed for services	40%
Project approach	5%
Approach and commitment to meet advertised schedule	10%
Past performance history for similar projects/services for KDOT	10%
Understanding of the project area	10%
Understanding of KDOT Technical Policies	20%
Demonstrated understanding of nature and scope of project	5%

Contract Terms and Conditions

A standard KDOT agreement for engineering and technical services will be used for professional services projects. The following special attachments will need to be provided by the selected consultant and all subconsultants with the signed work order following negotiations and will become attachments to the contract.

• Special Attachment No. 8 (“Tax Clearance Certificate”)
• Special Attachment No. 10 (“Policy Regarding Sexual Harassment”)

Special Contract Conditions

KDOT Coordinating section will oversee the project selection process.

Questions

All questions regarding this Request for Proposals shall be submitted via Q&A section of bid form in Bid Express.

Questions can be submitted until November 16, 2023; answers will be provided to all prequalified consultants on November 29, 2023.

Calvin Reed
Secretary
Department of Transportation

Doc. No. 051645