NOTICE TO CONSULTANTS

FOR CITY OF BELLINGHAM:

RFQ# 40B-2024 PINE STREET CROSSING PROJECT

The City of Bellingham solicits interest from consulting firms with expertise in Civil, Structural Engineering and Railway Crossing Design. This agreement will be for approximately two years in duration, beginning September 2024 and ending December 2026, with the option for the City of Bellingham to extend it for additional time and money if necessary. Consultants will be considered for the following project.

The City of Bellingham reserves the right to amend terms of this “Request for Qualifications” (RFQ) to circulate various addenda, or to withdraw the RFQ at any time, regardless of how much time and effort consultants have spent on their responses.

Project Description

The work to be performed by the CONSULTANT consists of preparing preliminary engineering design for the Pine Street Crossing project. The proposed improvements include installation of surface improvements to support a quiet zone compliant crossing installation by Burlington North Sante Fe (BNSF). Pedestrian and bicycle improvements will be included within the new crossing and along Wharf Street and Pine Street to connect to other regional facilities. Minor utility upgrades and updated illumination will also be included in the project scope. The major features of the project are as follows:

• Roadway improvements to support pedestrian, bicycle and automobile facilities through a quiet zone compatible crossing over two existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railway lines (mainline and maintenance leg).
• Structural design for retaining walls and spans to support new pedestrian and bicycle facilities along Wharf Street.
• Surface feature design for all modes along Pine Street and connections to the Salish Landing Park, Bellingham Shipping Terminal access and Cornwall Avenue
• Municipal utility connections and upgrades needed to support the project.
• Determination of Right-of-Way (ROW) needs and ROW plan preparation

Consultants shall have expertise in the following:

• Federal Railway Administration (FRA) design standards for quiet zone crossings.
• BNSF crossing requirements and construction regulations
• Traffic control measures and methodologies (in accordance with the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control (MUTCD)) to complete the project as one along with accommodation to multi-modal uses
• WSDOT Local Programs and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements for Federally Funded projects including WSDOT Local Agency Guidelines (LAG) Manual
• DBE approach and commitment
• Environmental documentation and preparation of permit applications, including NEPA and shoreline use regulations
• MUTCD, NACTO, and AASHTO standards
• City of Bellingham Development Guidelines and Improvement Standards, and the Bellingham Municipal Code
• City of Bellingham and Department of Ecology standards for storm water management, per the most recently adopted version of the SWMMWW.
• ADA Requirements

The City of Bellingham reserves the right to retain the services of the successful firm(s) for any subsequent phases (ROW, CN) associated with these projects.

All prospective consultants are advised that federally funded projects will be held to Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements.

Evaluation Criteria 100 Points Total

Submittals will be evaluated and ranked based on the following criteria:

1. Qualification of Proposed Project Manager 20 points
2. Qualifications of Key Personnel/Expertise of Firm 20 points
3. Ability to meet schedule 15 points
4. Approach to project 20 points
5. Familiarity with WSDOT/FHWA standards 15 points
6. Past Performance/References 5 points
7. Approach to meet the DBE goal (DBE Participation Plan) 5 points

Submittal

All submittals shall include a signed cover letter including the following information: Firm name, phone, fax numbers, email; Name of Principal-in-Charge and Project Manager; and Number of employees in each firm proposed to project. Additional project information is included in the supplemental information which can be found at https://cob.procureware.com/home. Submittal Information Forms for each Prime and Subconsultant listed in submittal should be included on WSDOT Form 140-565 and Form 140-566, respectively.

Submittals shall be limited to a maximum of sixteen 8-1/2" by 11" pages (sixteen single-sided or eight pages double-sided), not including the title page (limited to one page), table of contents (limited to one page), resumes (limited to one page for each individual) and forms 140-565 and 140-566 (limited to one per company). Submittals over the maximum page size limit will not be considered.

Please submit one paper copy of your Statement of Qualifications to: City of Bellingham, 210 Lottie Street, Bellingham, WA 98225, and Purchasing Department no later than 11:00 a.m. on June 26, 2024. Submittals will not be accepted after that time and date. Any questions regarding this project should be directed to City Purchasing Department, at (360) 778-7750 or email: bids@cob.org

Estimated Procurement Schedule

These dates are estimates and subject to change by the City.

• Advertise RFQ June 4 & June 11, 2024
• Deadline for questions June 20, 2024
• Receive SOQs June 26, 2024
• Review and Rank SOQs July 11, 2024
• Consultant Selection Interviews (if needed) July 18, 2024
• Consultant Selection/Award July 26, 2024
• Scoping and Contract August 2024
• Begin Work September 2024
• Complete Work/End Contract December 31, 2026

Contract Type

Contract type (method of payment) will be Negotiated Hourly Rate utilizing WSDOT’s Local Agency A&E Professional Services Negotiated Hourly Rate Consultant Agreement. Submission of cost proposal or elements of cost shall not be submitted until a consultant selection has been made. The Consultant(s) awarded the contract will be required to obtain and maintain a City of Bellingham Business License.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information

The City of Bellingham in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. This material can be made available in an alternate format by emailing Holly Pederson, City of Bellingham ADA Coordinator at hdpederson@cob.org or by calling collect (360) 778-7950.

Title VI Statement

The City of Bellingham, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

Dates of publication in the Bellingham Herald, the Daily Journal of Commerce, and Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE): June 4, 2024, and June 11, 2024.