Northwest Municipal Conference Request for Qualifications Northwest Highway Corridor Bicycle Facilities Plan

Northwest Municipal Conference Request for Qualifications Northwest Highway Corridor Bicycle Facilities Plan

Northwest Municipal Conference Request for Qualifications (RFQ) Title: Northwest Highway Corridor Bicycle Facilities Plan Introduction Submittals due no later than: April 8 Time: 4:00 p.m. The Northwest Municipal Conference will receive submittals no later than 4:00 p.m. on April 8, 2011 for the Northwest Highway Corridor Bicycle Facilities Plan. The funding for this project is provided through a $29,500 Cook County Model Communities grant and the budget for this planning effort will not exceed that amount. The funding for this project is provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Consultant selected will be required to follow federal requirements for job and financial reporting. Firms or their authorized representatives are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements and specifications before submitting a response to the RFQ. Failure to do so will be at the consultant s own risk. Submission of a response to the RFQ assumes that the Consultant has become familiar with all conditions and intends to comply with them unless otherwise noted. Sealed submittals (three hard copies and one digital copy on compact disc), must be received no later than 4:00 p.m., April 8, 2011. Postmarks are not sufficient. Submittals by fax or email are not acceptable. Contact Person for all queries and for receipt of submittals: Mike Walczak Program Manager for Transportation Northwest Municipal Conference 1616 E. Golf Road Des Plaines, IL 60016 847.296.9200 mwalczak@nwmc cog.org i

Table of Contents Northwest Municipal Conference RFQ for Northwest Highway Corridor Bicycle Facilities Plan Section 1. Definitions Page 1 Section 2. Background Page 1 Section 3. Requirements Page 2 Scope of Work Organization and Submittals Section 4. Evaluation Criteria Page 6 Section 5. Selection Procedures Page 6 Section 6. General Terms and Instructions Page 7 Appendix A. Anticipated Project Schedule Page 13 Appendix B. Reference Documents Page 14 Appendix C. Map of Project Area Page 15 ii

Section 1. Definitions Consultant(s) means that individual, partnership or legal entity that submits to one or more Qualification Requests by NWMC. The term Consultant and the term firm are used interchangeably. Submittal(s) means a response to the Qualification Request. Qualification Request means this requests for qualifications ( RFQ ) issued by NWMC. Contract means these general terms and condition, the terms and conditions of the Qualification Request, and the terms of the applicable successful Submittal. Contractor means the successful Consultant of this Qualification Request as determined by NWMC pursuant to the terms hereof. Section 2. Background Cook County awarded a grant to the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) for the production and adoption of a bicycle facilities plan in the Northwest Highway Corridor from Barrington to Park Ridge. Building off the work accomplished in the recently adopted 2010 NWMC Bicycle Plan, the facilities plan will identify an alignment using existing and new bicycle facilities to link the Metra stations, central business districts and other regional destinations in the corridor. The goals of this project are to have the project ready to seek available state and federal grants and to enter Phase I Engineering. The consultant will work with staff from the NWMC, Barrington, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Des Plaines and Park Ridge throughout the plan development process. Additionally, the consultant will work with other interested parties involved in the corridor, including but not limited to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the Cook County Highway Department, Metra, and the Union Pacific Railroad. There are consistent barriers that will be faced throughout the corridor which need to be identified in the plan. Land owners in the corridor, each with their own concerns about vehicular and bicycle traffic, must be identified. The major land owners include Union Pacific and IDOT, but deviations from their right of way may include other parties. Each of the intersections within the corridor must be analyzed for its existing or potential bicycle crossing accommodations. This will require the Corridor subcommittee and consultant to work with IDOT and Cook County Highway Department, who operate or are responsible for maintenance on most of the major intersections. The plan must also address other potential barriers including the identification of existing wetlands and other natural areas. In addition to these corridor wide concerns, there are also a number of individual barriers that exist in the corridor. The S Curve in Des Plaines is a below grade, curved section of Northwest Highway which passes under two active railroad lines. There are currently no pedestrian or bicycle accommodations on this stretch of Northwest Highway and no adjacent railroad crossings exist. Alternative strategies to continue a facility through the S curve or to find a suitable detour must be evaluated. 1

Each of the downtown areas has its own challenges, including at grade railroad crossings, a denser street network, and pedestrian conflict concerns. The final plan will evaluate the benefits of any alternative parallel routes farther from Northwest Highway which may have fewer barriers or be less expensive to construct, but result in a longer distance to travel between destinations. The plan will include a preferred route and recommend which facility types (bike lanes, bike path, marked bike route) are appropriate throughout the corridor. The final plan will also include cost estimates for each of the subsequent project phases (Engineering Phases I and II and Construction) and an implementation plan and schedule. Section 3. Requirements Scope of Work Task 1: Identify preliminary preferred and alternate alignments Building on the information collected during the NWMC 2010 Bike Plan update, the consultant will work with staff from NWMC and municipalities in the corridor as well as other interested parties to identify preliminary preferred and alternate alignments. As part of the analysis done during the Bike Plan update, existing bicycle facility conditions for the corridor were determined. Currently only 10% of the proposed bicycle facility in the corridor is existing, as a combination of on street bike lanes, off street bike paths, and signed on street bike routes. However, the existing facilities are not contiguous, making convenient bicycle travel in the corridor difficult. Another 7 % of the corridor currently has projects with identified funding. Starting with the existing and programmed facilities, the consultant will identify preliminary alignments for on street and off street facilities. The 2010 NWMC Bicycle Plan Map, which is a GIS map created as part of the 2010 NWMC Bicycle Plan, will be made available to the consultant. Task 2: Catalog typical corridor segments and intersections The consultant will catalog the existing corridor segments along the preliminary preferred and alternate alignments and evaluate the feasibility of on street or off street facilities. The corridor transects a large number of major arterials, with varying degrees of pedestrian/bicycle accommodations at each existing intersection. Given the diagonal orientation of the corridor, the large number of angled intersections also adds to the challenge of safe crossings. The consultant will catalog the existing intersections, including the current pedestrian/bicycle accommodations. Other possible crossing locations of major arterials away from major intersections should also be investigated. Task 3: Identify and document construction concerns and major barriers, including wetlands Along with intersections other barriers along the corridor may impact the implementation of bicycle facilities. The consultant will determine what construction concerns or major barriers, including wetlands, exist along the preliminary preferred and alternate alignments and refine possible alignments to avoid them if necessary. 2

Task 4: Develop cross sections Using the preferred and alternate alignments and the typical corridor segments the consultant will develop preliminary cross sections for each proposed segment in the corridor. Task 5: Develop cost estimate and implementation plan Once the potential facilities have been identified, the consultant will develop cost estimates for the engineering and construction of these segments. The consultant will also develop an implementation plan for each of the segments, noting if some can be accomplished earlier than others. The implementation schedule should factor in variables including length of engineering phases, right of way acquisition time (if necessary) and the availability of funding. Task 6: Create a policy document including maps, supporting documents and data as needed The consultant will prepare a draft Northwest Highway Corridor Bicycle Facilities to present to the NWMC Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and Northwest Highway Corridor subcommittee for review. After the review, the consultant may assist in guiding the plan through the formal adoption process, including review and recommendation by the NWMC Transportation Committee and review and acceptance of the Plan by the NWMC Executive and Full Board. Through this process, the consultant will revise the draft and create the final Plan document. The final deliverable (the Plan) will be a combination of text, illustrative commentary to further explain the concepts within the document and an outline of the municipal input process for the Plan. The draft and final Plan documents are to include: The comprehensive Bicycle Facility Plan Summary of existing conditions of Northwest Highway corridor Summary of the municipal participation process for the Plan Preferred and alternate alignments Typical corridor segments and intersections Construction concerns and major barriers, including wetlands Preliminary cross sections Implementation Plan with cost estimates Potential funding sources for Plan implementation Performance benchmarks and indicators to evaluate progress and/or success Relevant maps (including shapefiles), tables, charts, graphics, sketches, and appendices as needed The consultant, with input from NWMC staff, Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, and Northwest Highway Corridor subcommittee will be responsible for designing and formatting the document, as well as providing a product that can be reproduced in both paper, electronic, and web based formats. Ten paper copies of the final deliverable (Plan) should be provided to the NWMC. The NWMC shall retain ownership of all deliverables. 3

Organization and Submittals A. Letter of Transmittal This letter should include: A statement indicating your understanding of the work to be performed; A statement of the Consultant s qualifications and experience performing similar work; The Consultant's contact person concerning the submittal and a telephone number and email address where that person can be reached; and, Failure to clearly state and fully disclose any of the information required in the letter of transmittal shall be grounds for the NWMC to reject the consultant's submittal and will be grounds for immediate cancellation of any contract entered into between the NWMC and the consultant without payment of work completed. B. Profile of Consultant The consultant profile should be a brief statement indicating the Consultant s experience in conducting work of the nature sought by this RFQ. Advertising brochures on the Consultant may be submitted as a part of this profile as long as the brochures specifically address the experience of the Consultant related to the work to be performed. Additionally, this profile shall include: The location of the Consultant's office that will provide the proposed services; Resumes of project manager and staff proposed to conduct the work and the specific duties of each consultant or employee relative to the proposed work; A reference list of three municipalities or agencies served by the Consultant with telephone numbers and names of contact persons; and, Any other information describing the firm may be included if it relates to the capabilities and expertise of the firm in doing comparable work. C. Explanation of Work to be Performed The submittal must include a detailed description of the procedures and methods you propose to use to complete the work requested by the NWMC. This is important because the methods and procedures proposed will receive primary consideration in evaluating your submittal. Examples of similar work may be helpful and may be included. D. Work Schedule A project work schedule should be provided which includes time frames for each major work element, target dates, and dates for completion of draft and final documents. Due to grant restrictions, contract work must be completed and invoices received before February 15, 2012. The NWMC does not have the ability to seek reimbursement through the Model Communities Grant following February 15, 2012. 4

Section 4. Evaluation Criteria All submittals will be evaluated based on the technical and professional expertise and the experience of the Consultant and the proposed method and the procedures for completion of the work. A. Technical Expertise and Experience The technical expertise and experience of the Consultant will be determined by the following factors: The overall experience of the Consultant in conducting similar work that is to be provided to the NWMC. The expertise and professional level of the individuals proposed to conduct the work for the NWMC. The clarity and completeness of the submittal and the apparent general understanding of the work to be performed. B. Procedures and Methods The methods and procedures proposed to be utilized to conduct the work requested as they relate to thoroughness and objectiveness will be of primary importance in evaluating submittals. This includes evaluation of the soundness of the approach relative to the techniques for collecting and analyzing data, sequence and relationships of major steps, and methods for managing the work to ensure timely and orderly completion. All, or selected, Consultants submitting responses to the RFQs may be invited to interviews explaining their submittal. Section 5. Selection Procedures NWMC staff and representatives of the NWMC Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and Northwest Highway Corridor subcommittee will review the responses to the RFQ on the basis of the respondent s documented competence and technical qualifications. A consultant will be selected based on the evaluation criteria. NWMC reserves the right to contact respondents for clarification of information submitted. The NWMC also reserves the right to contact references to obtain information regarding past performance, reliability and integrity. NWMC will evaluate all submittals according to the criteria described. Some number of respondents may be invited to make an oral presentation to the NWMC Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and Northwest Highway Corridor subcommittee at the discretion of the NWMC, before the final ranked shortlist is proposed. Following collection of NWMC ranked shortlist, NWMC staff will begin negotiations with the first ranked consulting firm. In the event that a contract cannot be negotiated with the first ranked firm, the NWMC will proceed to negotiate with the firm ranked second, and finally third, until a contract has been successfully negotiated. 5

Section 6. General Conditions and Instructions 1. SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES TO RFQ All Responses to the RFQs must be submitted in the format specified in the Qualification Request. All documents must be delivered to the Northwest Municipal Conference, 1616 East Golf Road, Des Plaines, Illinois, 60016 before 4:00 p.m., April 8, 2011. The following information must appear on the face of the envelope: Consultant s name, address, subject matter of the submittal, date of Qualification Request opening and hour designated for Qualification Request opening as shown in the notice. 2. INVESTIGATION AND INTERPRETATION OF QUALIFICATION REQUEST DOCUMENTS It shall be the responsibility of the Consultant to make any and all investigations necessary to become thoroughly informed of what is required and specified in the Qualification Request. No plea of ignorance by the Consultant of conditions that exist, or that may hereafter exist, as a result of failure or omission on the part of the Consultant to make the necessary examinations and investigations, will be accepted as a basis for varying the requirements of NWMC or the compensation to the Consultant. It is the responsibility of all Consultants to examine the entire Qualification Request package and seek clarification of any requirement that may not be clear and check all responses for accuracy before submitting a response to the RFQ. Any interpretation, correction or change of the Qualification Request will be made by addendum. Interpretations, corrections and changes to the Qualification Request documents made in any other manner will not be binding. The Consultant shall not rely upon verbal interpretations, corrections, and changes, and should submit its inquiry in writing, via e mail, to the Program Manager for Transportation at mwalczak@nwmc cog.org and request written clarification in the form of an addendum. All addenda will be emailed to prospective Consultants. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONSULTANT TO CHECK WITH THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR TRANSPORTATION VIA E MAIL FOR THE MOST CURRENT AMENDMENTS. The Program Manager for Transportation will not be responsible for verbal clarifications, and if any are provided, they shall not be binding upon NWMC. Negligence in preparing a Submittal confers no right of withdrawal after such time that a Submittal is accepted. All work to be performed shall be consistent with, and conform to, the then prevailing industry performance standards. 3. CORRECTIONS TO QUALIFICATIONS REQUESTS Consultants shall promptly notify NWMC of any ambiguity, inconsistency, or error which they may have discovered upon examination of the Qualification Request, provided they are discovered prior to the opening of the Submittal. Interpretations, corrections, and changes to the Qualification Request will be made by addendum only. Interpretations, corrections, or changes made in any other manner will not be binding. 6

4. RECEIPT OF SUBMITTALS Submittals must be received at the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) office before 4:00 p.m., April 8, 2011, and will be kept secure and unopened until the designated date and time. No Submittal received after the Qualification Request opening date and time will be considered. 5. LATE SUBMITTALS No Submittal which is received after the Qualification Request opening date and time specified will be opened or considered. Submittals arriving after the specified date and time, whether sent by mail, courier, or in person, will not be accepted. These Submittals will either be refused or returned unopened. It is the Consultant s responsibility for timely delivery despite the methods used. Mailed Submittals that are delivered after the specified date and hour will not be accepted despite post marked time on the envelope. 6. SUBMITTALS BY FAX Facsimile machine transmitted Submittals will not be accepted, nor will NWMC transmit Qualification Request documents to prospective Consultants by way of a facsimile machine. 7. COMMUNICATION AND NOTICES REGARDING THE QUALIFICATION REQUEST Any communications regarding the Qualification Request should be made by e mail or other written communication, directed to the Program Manager for Transportation at mwalczak@nwmc cog.org. All notices from the Program Manager for Transportation shall be given in writing via email. It is the Consultant s sole responsibility to check with the Program Manager for Transportation for communication and notices. 8. WITHDRAWAL OF SUBMITTALS Submittals may be withdrawn at any time prior to the scheduled Qualification Request opening or cutoff date. Requests to withdraw a Submittal shall be in writing, properly signed and received by the Program Manager for Transportation prior to the Qualification Request opening. Submittals may not be withdrawn after the Qualification Request cutoff date or opening without the approval of the Program Manager for Transportation. After the opening, the Consultant cannot withdraw or cancel its Submittal for a period of sixty (60) calendar days. 9. CONSIDERATION OF SUBMITTAL NWMC reserves the right not to award a Contract to any person, firm or corporation that is in arrears or is in default to NWMC, or any of its contract participants, upon any debt or contract, or that is a defaulter, as surety or otherwise, upon any obligation to NWMC or had failed to perform faithfully any previous contract with NWMC or any of its entities. The Consultant, if requested, shall present, within 48 hours, evidence satisfactory to NWMC of performance ability and possession of necessary facilities, financial resources and adequate insurance to comply with the terms of the Qualification Request specifications and Contract documents. 10. AWARD OR REJECTION NWMC reserves the right to reject and/or award any and all Submittals or parts thereof and to waive formalities and technicalities according to the best interest of NWMC. 7

NWMC will accept one of the Submittals or reject all Submittals within sixty (60) days from the date of opening of Submittals, unless the Consultant, upon request of NWMC, extends the time of acceptance. Any Submittal submitted will be binding for twelve (12) months after the date of the award unless otherwise noted. Consultants shall make all investigations necessary to thoroughly inform themselves regarding the service to be furnished in accordance with the Qualification Request. No plea of ignorance by the Contractor of conditions that exist or that may hereafter exist as a result of failure or omission on the part of the Contractor to make the necessary examinations and investigations will be accepted as a basis for varying the requirements of NWMC of the compensation to the Contractor. ANY EXCEPTIONS NOT TAKEN BY THE CONSULTANT SHALL BE ASSUMED BY NWMC TO BE INCLUDED. Under the conditions of the Uniform Commercial Code, the signing of the Submittal by the Consultant constitutes an offer. If approved by NWMC Executive and Full Board, the Submittal becomes part of a Contract. 11. TAXES NWMC is exempt by law from paying Federal, State and Village Retailer s Occupation Tax, State Service Occupation and Use Tax and Federal Excise Tax. The NWMC will supply the Contractor with its tax exempt numbers. 12. CONTRACT ALTERATIONS No amendment of a Contract shall be valid unless made in writing and signed by NWMC and Contractor(s). 13. REQUIREMENTS OF FIRST RANKED CONSULTANT The first ranked Consultant shall, within (10) days after notification, submit an initial cost submittal for this project that estimates the total number of staff hours, hourly personnel cost and total cost for this project and enter into negotiations for the final contract budget. 14. REQUIREMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL CONSULTANT The successful Consultant shall, within ten (10) days after notification of the award: (a) enter into a Contract in writing with NWMC covering all matters and issues as are set forth in the Qualification Request specifications and subsequent negotiations; and (b) carry insurance acceptable to NWMC covering public liability, property damage and worker s compensation, or performance bond and payment bonds when required. 15. COMPLIANCE WITH ALL LAWS All work under the Contract must be executed in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, ordinances, rules and regulations. 16. NON ASSIGNABILITY The Contractor shall not assign the Contract, or any part thereof, to any other person, firm or corporation without the previous written consent of the NWMC Board. Such assignment shall not relieve the Contractor from its obligations, or change the terms of the Contract. 8

17. INDEMNITY Contractor shall indemnify, defend, save and hold harmless the Northwest Municipal Conference, its membership, boards, officers, elected officials, committee members, and employees (hereinafter referred to as Indemnitee ) from and against any and all claims, actions, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses (including court costs, attorneys fees, and costs of claim processing, investigation and litigation) (hereinafter referred to as Claims ) for bodily injury or personal injury (including death), or loss or damage to tangible or intangible property caused, or alleged to be caused, in whole or in part, by the negligent or willful acts or omissions of Contractor or any of its owners, officers, directors, agents, employees or subcontractors. This indemnity includes any claim or amount arising out of or recovered under the Workers Compensation Law or arising out of the failure of such contractor to conform to any federal, state or local law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation or court decree. It is the specific intention of the parties that the Indemnitee shall, in all instances, except for Claims arising solely from the negligent or willful acts or omissions of the Indemnitee, be indemnified by Contractor from and against any and all claims. It is agreed that Contractor will be responsible for primary loss investigation, defense and judgment costs where this indemnification is applicable. In consideration of the award of this contract, the Contractor agrees to waive all rights of subrogation against the Northwest Municipal Conference, membership, boards, officers, elected officials, committee members, and employees for losses arising from the work performed by the Contractor for the Northwest Municipal Conference. 18. INSURANCE In submission of a Response to the RFQ, the Consultant is certifying that it has all insurance coverage required by law or would normally be expected for Consultant s type of business. In addition, the Consultant is certifying that the following minimum is in place: Type of Insurance Liability Limits Each occurrence Liability Limits Aggregates General: Bodily Injury $1,000,000 $2,000,000 Property Damage $1,000,000 $2,000,000 Contractual Liability: Broad Form $1,000,000 $2,000,000 Automobile: Bodily Injury $1,000,000 $2,000,000 Property Damage $1,000,000 $2,000,000 The insurance must include non owned, hired or rented vehicles, as well as owned vehicles. Insurance: Insurance Company must have a Best Rating of AV or better. Workers Compensation Statutory for Illinois Employer s Liability $1,000,000 It is required that the Contractor supplies NWMC a certificate evidence of insurance. The Contractor agrees to grant NWMC an additional insured status on all applicable insurance policies and said policies will not be canceled unless NWMC is provided a thirty (30) day prior written notice. Nothing contained in the insurance requirement shall be construed as limiting the extent of the Contractor s responsibilities for payment of damages resulting from Contractor s, its employees or subcontractors acts, omissions or operations under the Contract. 9

A new Certificate of Insurance and Broad Form Vendor s Endorsement must be provided to NWMC each year prior to the expiration of the Product Liability policy. This annual obligation remains in force for as long as Contractor continues to offer products or services under the Contract. 19. NON DISCRIMINATION The Contractor shall comply with the Illinois Human Rights Act, 775 ILCS 5/1 101, et seq. (2000), as amended, and any rules and regulations promulgated in accordance therewith, including but not limited to, the Equal Employment Opportunity Clauses, 5 Il. Admin.Code 750A. The Contractor shall also comply with the Public Works Employment Discrimination Act, 775 ILCS 10/01 et seq. (2000), as amended. It shall also be an unlawful employment practice for the Contractor (1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual or their compensation, or the terms, conditions, or privileges of their employment, because of such individual s race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap or national origin; or (2) to limit, segregate or classify their employees or applicants for any individual or employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect their status as an employee, because of such individual s race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap or national origin. Contractor shall comply with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000, et seq. (2000), as amended. 20. DEFAULT In case of default by the Contractor, NWMC will procure articles or service from other sources and hold the Contractor responsible for any excess cost incurred as provided for in Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code. NWMC may terminate the whole or any part of the Contract in any one of the following circumstances: (a) If the Contractor fails to perform services within the time specified in this submittal; or (b) Fails to make progress so as to endanger performance of the Contract, or (c) Fails to provide or maintain in full force and effect, the liability and indemnification coverage if required. 21. ADDENDA Addenda are written instruments issued by NWMC prior to the date for receipt of Submittals which modify, or interpret the Qualification Request by addition, deletions, clarifications, or corrections. Prior to the receipt of Submittals, addenda will be posted on emailed to prospective Consultants. IT IS UP TO THE CONSULTANT TO CHECK WITH THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR THE MOST CURRENT AMENDMENTS. 22. FORCE MAJEURE Neither party shall be liable for any delays in performance caused by Acts of God, civil or military authority, fires or other circumstances beyond their reasonable control. 23. JURISDICTION Finally, the parties agree that the Contract is subject to and shall be interpreted under the internal laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of laws provision. By executing the Contract, both parties agree to be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the County of Cook in the State of Illinois. The parties also agree that should any litigation be commenced between the parties concerning any 10

provision of the Contract or the rights and duties hereunder, the party prevailing in such litigation shall be entitled, in addition to such other relief as may be granted in such proceeding, to reasonable sum from the non prevailing party for attorneys fees. 24. CANCELLATION The Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) reserves the right to terminate this contract at any time and for any reason during its period of performance upon giving thirty (30) days written notice to the vendor of such cancellation. The Contractor may terminate this contract at any time and for any reason during its period of performance upon giving sixty (60) days written notice to the NWMC Program Manager for Transportation. Parties agree to meet and confer promptly in the event of any discrepancy or concern. 25. TERM OF CONTRACT The Contract is anticipated to run from May 11, 2011 until February 28, 2012 provided terms of the contract are honored and the right to terminate described in section five above has not been exercised. 26. CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS Consultants shall provide a general history, description and financial status of their company. Consultants shall have owned and operated the business for at least five (5) years and must give evidence of the same. The NWMC reserves the right to visit and inspect the premise and operation of any consultant. 27. AWARD OF SUBMITTAL Reference checks may be performed and if found unsatisfactory by the NWMC Program Manager for Transportation and the NWMC Executive Board and Full Board they shall be due cause for rejection of the Submittal. Recommendation of award will be made by the NWMC Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee and Northwest Highway Corridor subcommittee and the final determination of award will be decided by the NWMC Board. 11

Appendix A. Anticipated Project Schedule (subject to change) Request for Qualifications Issued March 18, 2011 Submittals due to Northwest Municipal Conference April 8, 2011, 4:00 p.m. Review of Submittals by Northwest Highway Corridor Week of April 12, 2011 subcommittee/nwmc Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee Hold interviews with finalists April 19, 2011 Finalize ranked list April 20 April 27, 2011 Notify first ranked Consultant and begin contract negotiations April 20 April 27, 2011 NWMC Board approves contract with Consultant May 11, 2011 Execute contract with selected Consultant May 2011 Hold kick off meeting with Consultant May 2011 Identify preliminary preferred and alternate alignments June 2011 Identify preliminary typical corridor segments and intersections July 2011 Identify preliminary Construction concerns and major barriers, including August 2011 wetlands Prepare preliminary cross sections August 2011 Prepare preliminary implementation Plan with cost estimates October 2011 Prepare draft Northwest Highway Bicycle Facility Plan November 2011 Adoption by Northwest Highway Corridor subcommittee/nwmc Bicycle December 2011 and Pedestrian Committee Adoption by NWMC Transportation Committee December 2011 Adoption by NWMC Board February 2012 Coordination of project updates and municipal input will occur at monthly meetings of the NWMC Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee. 12

Appendix B. Reference Documents Documents useful in developing submittals can be found at: http://www.nwmc cog.org/transportation/bike Planning.aspx. 2010 NWMC Bicycle Plan 2010 NWMC Bicycle Plan Map 13

Appendix C. Map of Project Area 14