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CONTRACT NO. K-1213-86: A CONTRACT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AND FREESE AND NICHOLS IN THE AMOUNT OF $278,539 FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE CITY OF NORMAN.
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BACKGROUND: The City of Norman, Oklahoma has taken the first steps toward preparing a Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP), Moving Forward. Moving Forward is an appropriate description of the City's desires to plan for an efficient and comprehensive transportation system. It embodies the idea of starting where the City is now with transportation, and setting the direction for change into the future. A unique approach was conducted in the fall of 2011 to develop the scope of the CTP by inviting the public to provide input as to what transportation issues should be included in the CTP study (Phase I). Facilitated workshops for the general public were held for each Ward in the city where the participants provided comment on the CTP goals and on specific transportation issues of concern. Outreach was also provided through a variety of social media and the City's web site. A statistically valid community survey was administered to provide validation on the transportation issues identified through the other public participation activities.
The compilation of the public input was incorporated into a draft scope of services for the Norman CTP. This scope of services reflects the values and priorities of the community as compiled during the community involvement process. It is anticipated that further refinement of the guiding principles, goals, and strategies will occur throughout the transportation planning process (Phase II). Following an extensive Request for Proposal process followed by scope and fee negotiations with the selected consultant team, the City of Norman is now ready to embark on Phase II for the development of our first full CTP.
DISCUSSION: The Public Works Department received four proposals for Comprehensive Transportation Plan Consulting Services. A Selection Committee was formed consisting of Shawn O'Leary-Public Works Director, Susan Connors-Planning Director, Angelo Lombardo-Transportation Engineer, David Riesland-Traffic Engineer, and two private citizens. Mr. Doug Myers serves as the Director for CART and Mr. Tom Sherman serves as the Chair of the Norman Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee. Each proposal was scored independently by each member on a point scale as defined in the Request for Proposal (RFP No. 1213-03). The proposals were reviewed, and all of the submitting proposers, the Freese and Nichols (Dallas, TX) team, the Kimley-Horn (Dallas, TX) team, the Lochner (Oklahoma City, OK) team, and the LSA (Fort Collins, CO) team were interviewed on August 6, 2012. At the end of the process, the committee selected the Freese and Nichols team as the most qualified team because of their experience and approach to the project.
Freese and Nichols is a 523-member multi-disciplinary firm that has been in business for 118 years. The firm has successfully completed comprehensive transportation plans for College Station, Texas, Arlington, Texas, and Irving, Texas.
Staff negotiated a $278,539 contract fee with the Freese and Nichols team to provide the previously mentioned services (see contract in Attachment No. 1). In FYE 2013, the $278,539 contract fee was set aside in Capital project account 050-9056-431.62-01 (Transportation Master Plan / Project No. TC-0248). If approved, the process to develop the City's first CTP will begin immediately. It is estimated that the process will take up to fifteen months with completion anticipated in January, 2014.
Under contract to the City, Freese and Nichols will provide a framework for the development and implementation of an efficient and comprehensive transportation system within Norman and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. The CTP will build off the following elements from the Guiding Principles, Goals and Objectives of the Phase I Scoping Effort:
Achieving safe and efficient flow of transportation facilities,
Assessing and addressing deficiencies of the existing transportation system through short- and long-range objectives,
Develop modal system plans,
Identify transportation policies and programs to implement modal system plans, and
Develop a prioritized capital improvements program for short- and long-range actions.
In addition, the effort to produce a CTP will contain the following elements:
A land planning charrette aimed at framing the long-term growth of the City will serve as the basis for travel forecast modeling of long-term growth.
The plan will be guided through work with the Community Visioning Committee (established as part of Phase I) and specific Modal Sub-committees and supported through a public input program consisting of public meetings and dissemination of plan information via a project website as well as social media.
A public hearing process at the conclusion of the study will support final plan recommendations.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of Contract No. K-1213-86 with the Freese and Nichols team in the amount of $278,539, for the development of a Comprehensive Transportation Plan for the City of Norman.