HomeMy WebLinkAboutRFQ_Town of Ithaca_Forest Home Traffic Calming Plan Update_10.27.2025REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)
FOR
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
FOREST HOME TRAFFIC CALMING PLAN UPDATE
FOR THE
TOWN OF ITHACA
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
LOCATED AT
TOWN OF ITHACA
215 N TIOGA ST, ITHACA, NY 14850
TOMPKINS COUNTY
ISSUED: 10/27/2025
DEADLINE: 1/9/2026
PREPARED BY:
TOWN OF ITHACA
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
215 N Tioga Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
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Town of Ithaca
Forest Home Traffic Calming Plan Update
Contents
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................................. 2
COLLABORATORS ............................................................................................................................................................... 3
PROCESS OVERVIEW ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
SCOPE OF SERVICES .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
ANTICIPATED SCOPE OF WORK ................................................................................................................................... 4
CONSULTANT SELECTION ............................................................................................................................................... 5
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................................................... 5
EVALUATION CRITERIA ................................................................................................................................................... 6
SUBMISSION DEADLINE .................................................................................................................................................. 8
APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9
INTRODUCTION
Located in the northeastern part of the Town of Ithaca, in Tompkins County, New York, the Forest Home
neighborhood is served by a network of local and county roads, bridges, and trails. Most roads within
Forest Home are owned and maintained by the Town of Ithaca, while Warren Road and Pleasant Grove
Road are under the jurisdiction of Tompkins County. Most of the community is a designated Historic
District on the State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Because of its location at one of only three crossings of Fall Creek, and because of its proximity to the
neighboring Cornell campus, Forest Home roads serve as major conduits for automobile traffic.
Thousands of cars pass through Forest Home every day on infrastructure originally built in the 19th
Century for horses and buggies. Forest Home features single-lane bridges, sharp bends, weight- and
length-restricted narrow roadways, and limited pedestrian infrastructure not designed for high traffic
volumes. These characteristics, along with the area's historic significance and proximity to Cornell
University, make it a popular route for pedestrians, runners, and cyclists, but also present challenges for
traffic safety and multimodal access.
As development and mobility needs evolve, the Town is seeking to expand and improve pedestrian and
bicycle access and safety in Forest Home. This includes identifying future infrastructure improvements
and policy changes that reflect existing conditions and the multi-agency coordination required for
successful implementation.
The Town of Ithaca, with the participation of the Forest Home Improvement Association (FHIA) and other
interested stakeholders, intends to engage active transportation consultants with the capacity to provide
planning and engineering services – as well as community relations support services and agency
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strategic guidance – for the Forest Home neighborhood in accordance with the Town’s Complete Streets
policy (April 15, 2015) and Vision Zero policy (June 9, 2025).
Several recommendations from a 2007 Traffic Calming Plan have been implemented. The purpose of this
Forest Home Traffic Calming Plan Update (hereafter referred to as the “Plan”) is to develop practicable
strategies and recommendations to further alleviate traffic impacts within the study area, while
improving connectivity, mobility, safety, and access for pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles. The goals of
the Plan are to adapt the transportation network to provide safe access for all users; prioritize pedestrian
and bicycle links between key transportation assets and destinations; promote active transportation and
a multi-modal system integrated with neighboring anchor institution Cornell University. The Plan will
build on previous efforts by identifying connectivity gaps in the town’s transportation network,
recommending improvements to existing streets and intersections, considering access management
strategies, and providing concept-level designs to better connect streets, trails, and sidewalks. The Plan
will provide the town with a strategy for balancing safety, accessibility, residential quality of life, and
mobility concerns with the need to support ongoing economic and community development initiatives.
Background on past transportation planning initiatives in the Forest Home neighborhood, including links
to the 2007 Traffic Calming Plan and 2025 Top-Level Priorities for Infrastructure Improvements, is located
at https://www.fhia.org/forest-home-infrastructure.
COLLABORATORS
The Town of Ithaca (Supervisor, Planning, Public Works) has formed a steering committee that meets
approximately monthly with representatives from the Forest Home Improvement Association (~5
individuals) as well as Cornell University (Community Relations and Campus Planning). Stakeholders also
include, but are not limited to Ithaca Fire Department, New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), Southern
Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission (Bolton Point), the New York State Historic Preservation
Office (SHPO), Tompkins County Highway Department, New York State Department of Transportation
(NYSDOT), and the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council (ITCTC), which is the Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO) for Tompkins County.
PROCESS OVERVIEW
The outcome of the Plan will be concept-level designs, providing the town with a blueprint for future
infrastructure improvement projects and helping the town prioritize and secure funding for projects. This
Plan will provide a tool for the Town of Ithaca and other partners to engage State and Federal officials
and request funding to implement the Plan’s recommendations.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Town of Ithaca is seeking qualifications from firms that have demonstrated expertise providing
transportation planning, landscape architecture, site planning, and/or public engagement, in one or
more of the following areas, including but not limited to:
o Data Collection and Analysis
o Existing Conditions Studies and Reports
o Grading/Drainage Planning
o Utility Plans and Needs Assessments
o Concept Design
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o Complete Streets planning Studies and Reports
o Traffic Impact Studies
o Travel Demand Forecasting
o Public Engagement
o Scenario Planning
o Preliminary Design
o Environmental Assessments
Qualifications should be submitted to the Town of Ithaca Planning Department (submission
details identified at end of RFQ).
ANTICIPATED SCOPE OF WORK
1. Establish a steering committee to oversee and coordinate the project development process. The
steering committee will include representatives from the Town of Ithaca as well as project
collaborators as indicated above. In addition, the steering committee may include
representatives of local business, community, education, and not-for-profit agencies.
2. Identify issues and opportunities in the project area by reviewing existing local and regional
plans and studies and collecting land use, economic development, and demographic data to
support the project development process. Includes: inventorying existing and planned
conditions; reviewing existing planning documents, including the 2007 Traffic Calming Plan; 2024
Traffic Pattern Study; 2025 Safe Streets Tompkins Plan; assessing the physical, operational,
design, policy, and regulatory environment related to the transportation system and land use, as
most of Forest Home is a Historic District listed on the State and National Registers of Historic
Places.
3. Prepare Public and Stakeholder Engagement Plan with emphasis on meaningful public
involvement.
4. Inventory existing transportation infrastructure in the project area by mapping the current street
network, including vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle facilities; describing infrastructure
conditions, connectivity gaps, safety concerns of residents, road users, and other major
stakeholders, and access management challenges; and identifying other pertinent inventory
elements to support the project development process. Begin study of the physical, operational,
and regulatory environment to identify the level of service for all travel modes, emphasizing
vulnerable road users. developing a concept plan and recommendations that improve
multimodal level of service; and preparing realistic cost estimates, funding sources, priority, and
parties responsible for implementation of recommendations. This may include an experiment or
pilot program for one-way traffic and metrics for measuring successes and challenges. Evaluate
existing road and adjacent geometry, review and evaluate traffic flow, counts, and directions of
travel, review utility locations, alternatives analysis (microsimulations / scenario planning) and
potential impacts if reconstructed.
5. Conduct the first round of public outreach activities. The purpose of Round 1 will be to introduce
the project to the community and obtain community input on the issues, opportunities, and
inventory findings.
6. Based on the findings of Tasks 2 through 5, develop a set of draft recommendations for review
by the steering committee.
7. Conduct the second round of public outreach activities; the purpose of Round 2 will be to obtain
community input on the draft recommendations.
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8. Revise and update the draft recommendations based on steering committee and community
input to produce a set of preferred recommendations. The preferred recommendations shall
include estimated costs and implementation priorities and timeframes.
9. Develop a Draft Report that documents the inventory, recommendations development process,
public outreach process, and preferred recommendations.
10. Revise the Draft Report to produce a Final Report with associated Executive Summary and
technical documentation.
CONSULTANT SELECTION
The Consultant(s) selected through this Request for Qualifications process will finalize a scope of
work and total fee for professional services once a Consultant(s) is selected. The Consultant(s)
shall carry out the scope of services identified in the Notice to Proceed. Answers to technical
questions may be deferred to the Contract Negotiation phase of the selection schedule.
It is anticipated that the consultant selection will be based on the following schedule:
Consultant Selection Schedule
Advertise Request for Qualifications (RFQ) October 27, 2025
Deadline for Questions December 1, 2025
Addenda published (if needed) December 11, 2025
RFQ Due January 9, 2026
Notice of Preliminary Selection mid to late January 2026
Scope and Contract Negotiation early February 2026
Notice to Proceed February 10, 2026
Project Initiation Meeting early March 2026
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Responses to this RFQ should include the following:
1. Lead Consultant Information. For the lead consulting firm, provide the following information:
a. Firm name
b. Mailing address
c. Telephone
d. Website (if applicable)
e. Contact name, email, phone number
f. Form of Organization (partnership, corporation, sole proprietorship, etc.)
g. Where Organized
h. Names of principals, officers, and directors
2. Sub-consultants. For each member of the consultant team, provide the following:
i. Firm name
j. Mailing address
k. Telephone
l. Website (if applicable)
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3. Personnel and respective Fee Structure. For personnel involved in the project, please provide
names, titles, period of service with the firm, a resume or description of experience, and an all-
inclusive flat hourly rate for the actions in the project scope. Please limit responses to no more
than two pages per person.
4. Statement of Qualifications. Provide a narrative description (up to ten pages) of the
qualifications of the consulting firm, or consulting team, for the proposed project.
5. Statement of Availability. Provide a brief statement on the availability of key personnel to
undertake the project.
6. List of Relevant Projects. Provide a list, with brief project descriptions, of no fewer than three
and up to five projects of similar nature to the type of work proposed that have been
successfully completed within the last five years by the consulting firm, consulting team, or key
personnel. Indicate which projects were in Tompkins County or in other upstate New York
counties. Discuss the proposed planning, organization, and management tools to be used to
control schedule and costs.
7. References. Provide names, telephone numbers, and emails of people to be contacted
for references regarding past performance of the consulting firm, consulting team, or
key personnel on each of the 3-5 similar projects cited in paragraph 6 above.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Exclusion of any service for the project may serve as cause for rejection. Statements of
qualifications must be succinct, and all pages must be numbered. Upon conclusion of the RFQ
process, the Director of Planning will recommend a firm to enter into negotiations for the
assignments described. Final recommendations of the highest-ranking firm(s) will be made by
the Director of Planning and subsequently the Town of Ithaca Town Board. Final approval to
contract with a consultant will be made by Resolution of the Town of Ithaca Town Board.
Consultant selection will be based on a rating of Consultant qualifications. The criteria will be as
follows: Firm Qualifications (10% of total score), Technical Qualifications (40% of total score), and
Team Qualifications (50% of total score).
The Qualification response (with transmittal letter) shall address the following at a minimum:
Firm Qualifications (10% of total score)
Firm Identification & Qualifications: A description of the firm, including the number of
employees and their disciplines, location, and number of years the firm has been in the business
of conducting the described services.
Level of Experience in Tompkins County: Information about Respondent’s presence in Tompkins
County including office location(s) and the number of employees and their disciplines that are
available locally.
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Technical Qualifications (40% of total score)
Understanding and Approach for Professional Services: The Consultant must demonstrate that
they have the capability and resources
Technical Experience, Recent Clients, & Relevant Projects: Demonstrate specific qualifications
and areas of expertise with brief examples of projects or work related to the anticipated tasks
listed herein, with particular emphasis on projects located in Tompkins County. Include a
summary list of relevant projects including client name and contact information, specific dates
when the work was performed, and type of work services performed. Provide the name of the
client and approximate dates the work was performed at a minimum.
Technical Understanding: Provide a summary to demonstrate an understanding of the scope of
services for the completion of the tasks identified in this RFQ including, but not limited to, the
following:
• Demonstrates understanding of the engineering, landscape architecture, and planning
services requested by the Town
• Demonstrates understanding of administering projects on budget and on schedule
• Demonstrates understanding of implementing projects of varied scope with
subconsultants
• Demonstrates internal redundancy and ability to administer projects on time
Team Qualifications (50% of total score)
Team Organization (3 page max): Present a detailed organizational chart of the Respondent’s
internal team showing the names and roles of all key personnel. This section should showcase,
as applicable, team member’s experience and demonstrate the person’s capability relevant to
their proposed area of expertise as well as familiarity with the Town of Ithaca.
Team Summary (1 page max): Any other factors that would be helpful to the Selection
Committee in evaluating the Consultant based on the types of services and requirements
described in this RFQ.
Team Resumes (1 page maximum per team member): Include for all key team members that are
proposed to provide professional services, including a list of their specific relevant projects.
Include summaries of the work specifically performed by each team member. For any projects
included in this section, provide the name of the client and approximate dates the work was
performed at a minimum.
By submitting Qualifications, the Consultant certifies that it is not currently debarred from
submitting bids for contracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State of New
York and that it is not an agent of a person or entity that is currently debarred from submitting
bids or contracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State of New York.
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Conflict of Interest
The Consultant shall prepare and submit a statement that no conflict-of-interest issues exist with
the Statements of qualifications. In addition, non-conflict of interest statements must also be
provided for any sub-consultant.
Agreement
The Consultant selected to provide the above-referenced services will be expected to enter into
a Consulting Agreement contract with the Town of Ithaca.
Insurance
The Consultant shall maintain minimum insurance coverage as outlined in the Agreement.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Statements of qualifications are due at the close of business (4:00 PM eastern time) on January
9, 2026. Responses must be sent electronically, in PDF format, with the subject line: ‘Forest
Home Traffic Calming Plan Update – response’ to:
cjrandall@townithacany.gov
The Town of Ithaca reserves the right to reject any and all of the responses received as a result of
this RFQ. The Town of Ithaca does not intend to award a contract solely on the basis of
responses to this RFQ or otherwise pay for the information solicited or obtained in response to
this RFQ.
To ensure that all Respondents have a clear understanding of the scope and requirements of this
RFQ, the Town will respond to all questions submitted in writing to the Town contact by the
deadline for questions stated above. The Town will make every reasonable effort to keep
Respondents informed about the RFQ process. Questions and responses, notifications about
timeline date changes, amendments to the RFQ and other information will be sent via email to
all Respondents who have provided an email address to the Town contact and will be posted on
the Town’s web page for this RFQ. There are no pre-proposal conferences or site visits
scheduled.
Questions or requests for clarification regarding the RFQ should be submitted via email, citing
the RFQ page and section in accordance with the Timeline section, to
planning@townithacany.gov. Questions will not be accepted orally, and any question received
after the deadline may not be answered. The comprehensive list of questions/requests for
clarifications and the official responses will be posted with this RFQ on both the NYS Contract
Reporter and BidNet.
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The Town of Ithaca will not be liable for any cost incurred by the Consultant for any work
performed through, and including the execution of, a contract for professional services prior to
the execution of a contract.
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APPENDIX
Appendix A: Maps of Forest Home Neighborhood, Ithaca, New York