Railroad Crossing Information System Re-bid

Request for Proposal
City of Suffolk
RFP#26132-AG
April 22, 2026
Purchasing Division
442 W. Washington Street, Room 1086
Suffolk, VA 23434-5237
Phone: (757) 514-7520 / Fax: (757) 514-7524
Railroad Crossing Information System Re-bid
Electronic proposals will be received at the office of the Purchasing Agent listed above, until the time
and date shown below (local prevailing time), for furnishing the items or services described in the
solicitation. Offers should be sent by e-mail attachment to: proposals@suffolkva.us with the RFP
number and title in the subject line.
The City of Suffolk has issued this sealed Request for Proposal (RFP) for the sole purpose of obtaining
responsive proposals from qualified firms to provide a Railroad Crossing Information System.
The Senior Buyer, Amy Gardner is the Contract Officer for the City of Suffolk with respect to this RFP.
All questions and/or comments should be directed to her at: agardner@suffolkva.us. The respondents
to this RFP shall not contact, either directly or indirectly, any other employee or agent of the City
regarding this RFP.
Proposals are due: 3:00 p.m., May 15, 2026
Amy Gardner________________
Contract Officer: ________
Amy Gardner, NIGP-CPP, CPPB, Senior Buyer, agardner@suffolkva.us
**AN ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT SHALL BE PROVIDED**
Firm Name:
Address:
City / State / Zip:
Telephone: FAX No.:
E-mail:
Print Name: Title:
Signature: Date:
RFP 26132-AG Page 1

In compliance with this Request for Proposals, and subject to all the conditions thereof, the Offeror, if
the offer is accepted within one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days from the date of the receipt
of proposals, to furnish any or all of the items and/or services upon which prices are quoted, at the
price set, to be delivered at the time and place specified herein. The offeror's signature on the prior
page certifies the offeror has read, understands, and agrees to all terms, conditions, and requirements
of this Request for Proposals, and is authorized to contract on behalf of firm named in this RFP.
SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS
Request for Proposal documents are available on the Purchasing website:
https://www.suffolkva.us/Bids.aspx?CatID=17. or on the Commonwealth's bid board (eVA), or at
Demandstar.com. An e-mail request for the complete RFP form may be sent to the Contract Officer
listed on the front page.
Questions concerning this project must be in writing (email is preferred) and addressed to the Contract
Officer listed on the front page of this solicitation, and, should be received no later than five (5)
business days preceding the date that the proposals are to be received. E-mail is the preferred method
and will get a more timely response.
ELECTRONIC BID SUBMITTAL
An electronic document shall be submitted by e-mail attachment to proposals@suffolkva.us with the
RFP number and title in the subject line. Electronic copies (CD or thumb drive) may be delivered to
the Purchasing Office, 442 West Washington Street, Room 1086, Suffolk, Virginia prior to the closure
date shown, if desired. Documents should be saved as a .pdf document and should conserve disk
space to allow transfers of data. ZIP files cannot be accepted; they do not work in the City's
system. To receive confirmation of receipt of proposal, send request to the contracting officer at
agardner@suffolkva.us. Do NOT send proposal directly to contracting officer. Paper proposals will
not be accepted. Do not send printed copies of proposal.
IF YOU NEED ANY REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY IN
ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCUREMENT, PLEASE CONTACT THIS DIVISION AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Proposals may be submitted through EVA.
RFP 26132-AG Page 2

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Railroad Crossing Information System Re-bid
Table of Contents
SECTION/TITLE
1.0 PURPOSE .................................................................................................................................. 4
2.0 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 4
3.0 COMPETITION INTENDED .................................................................................................... 4
4.0 TERM OF CONTRACT ............................................................................................................ 4
5.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES .............................................................................................................. 4
6.0 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS ............................................................. 6
7.0 SPECIFIC PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................. 8
8.0 EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA ............................................................................. 9
9.0 ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS ........................................................................................... 10
10.0 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS ....................................................................... 14
SIGNATURE SHEET .......................................................................................................................... 23
PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION IDENTIFICATION ...................................... 24
EXCEPTIONS TO RFP ....................................................................................................................... 25
ANTICOLLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 26
PROOF OF AUTHORITY TO TRANSACT BUSINESS IN VIRGINIA .......................................... 27
ATTACHMENT A - Accidents at Railroad Crossings in Suffolk
ATTACHMENT B - Suffolk Rail Impact Study (2007)
RFP 26132-AG Page 3

1.0 PURPOSE
The intent of this Request for Proposal is to obtain the services of a qualified firm to provide a
railroad crossing information system to reduce traffic accidents, improve traffic flow, and lower
public safety personnel response time by meeting the following objectives:
* Providing timely alerts when nearby at-grade rail crossings are blocked by trains
* Improving route planning with real-time crossing updates
* Ensuring 95% reliability in system operations and information provided
* Providing system updates as they become available
* Continuing development of technological advancements in the systems and
services provided.
2.0 BACKGROUND
The City of Suffolk has thirty-one (31) active railroad crossings. Most have automated gates,
but several do not. Railroad crossings have the potential to cause injury or death. For a list
of railroad accidents, see Attachment A. For more background of Suffolk's railroads, see
Attachment B (Suffolk Rail Impact Study 2007).
3.0 COMPETITION INTENDED
It is the City's intent that this Request for Proposal (RFP) permits competition. It is the offeror's
responsibility to advise the Senior Buyer in writing if any language requirement, specification,
etc., or any combination thereof, inadvertently restricts or limits the requirements stated in this
RFP to a single source. Such notification must be received by the Purchasing Agent not later
than five (5) business days prior to the date set for acceptance of proposals.
4.0 TERM OF CONTRACT
The contract will begin upon execution and go through April 30, 2027. The contract may be
renewed after the initial term for eight (8) additional one-year periods ending April 30, 2035.
Unless notified thirty (30) days in writing, this contract will automatically renew based on the
terms and conditions herein. Initial rates must be guaranteed for a minimum of twelve (12)
months. Any increase in rates will require written City approval. The City does not
guarantee approval of any rate increase. The City must be notified in writing of any rate
increases during the contract period.
5.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES
A. General Requirements: The Contractor must provide all labor, effort, supervision
and materials necessary to design, furnish, install, operate, and maintain a railroad
crossing information system.
B. Specific Requirements:
1. The Contractor must handle and process its tasks in accordance with all
federal, state, and local laws, statues, and regulations.
2. The Contractor must possess and keep in force all licenses and permits
required to perform services under the contract.
3. The City will provide the contractor with locations of hardware placement.
RFP 26132-AG Page 4

The City reserves the right to add or delete locations as needed. The
Contractor will assist the City in determining the optimal placement of the
units at the locations identified.
4. For each site selected, the Contractor must prepare and submit to the
City an installation/design plan associated with the site. The plan must
outline the placement of all equipment. Installation of the equipment must
not occur until an acceptable installation/design plan is submitted and
approved by the City.
5. The installation/design plan must be constructed to provide for minimal
disruption and must conform to all city, state, and federal guidelines. The
Contractor will be responsible for submitting any plans as prescribed by the
City Code and obtaining all necessary permits and approvals required for
installation of the equipment.
All damage to city property caused by the Contractor during installation,
operation, maintenance, or removal of system. Contractor will be responsible
for providing electrical service if needed.
6. All equipment must be installed in City of Suffolk right-of-way. A right-of-way
permit from the City of Suffolk will be required prior to installation for the
purposes of reviewing the equipment locations, work zone requirements during
installation, and to permit the equipment in City right-of-way. No additional
permits will be required. Electrical permits/inspections will be required if AC
electrical service is installed.
7. The aforementioned right-of-way permit will require a drawing depicting the
location of equipment installation, identifying the use of existing poles with
owner information and permission to use said poles or identifying the location
and design of proposed poles. Location will be reviewed to make sure it is within
City right-of-way. Shop drawings may be used for typical pole-mount
applications or installations using a new pole. New poles must be found to be
crashworthy in accordance with AASHTO guidelines. A stamped structural
analysis will be required where equipment is to be installed on traffic signal mast
arms.
8. The contractor will develop and provide a mobile application for iOS and Android
that provides real-time crossing information. System will implement user
geolocation to detect proximity to crossings. The system will integrate multiple
data sources, including but not limited to active sensor data, railroad schedules,
traffic signal data, etc.). System will provide real-time notifications and alerts
and include a map interface showing affected crossings (and routes, if feasible).
9. Contractor to furnish a functional mobile app (iOS and Android), source code
and documentation, App Store deployment (if required) and a basic user's
guide.
10. Acceptance Criteria:
* 95% accurate detection of train-related closures
* 95% reliable real-time notifications
* Client approval after testing.
RFP 26132-AG Page 5

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSALS
A. Submission of Proposals
An electronic document must be submitted by e-mail attachment to
proposals@suffolkva.us with the RFP number, title, and closing date in the subject line.
Electronic copies may be delivered to the Purchasing Office, 442 West Washington
Street, Room 1086, Suffolk, Virginia prior to the closure date shown, if desired.
Documents should be saved as a .pdf document and should conserve disk space to
allow transfers of data. ZIP files cannot be accepted; they do not work in the City's
system. To receive confirmation of receipt of proposal, send request to the contracting
officer at agardner@suffolkva.us. Do NOT send proposal directly to contracting officer.
The intent of using electronic submissions is to reduce paper usage and provide
economical approaches while permitting the offeror to demonstrate their skills,
education, experience, pricing, and ingenuity that would qualify them to be selected for
interview.
Offerors so selected will be allowed to make a formal presentation of their qualifications
and job approach, and may be selected for final negotiations of contract. Therefore,
care should be given to address the issues relating to the criteria to follow. Read the
entire solicitation before submitting a proposal. Failure to read any part of this RFP shall
not relieve any offeror from his or her contractual obligations.
B. Questions and Inquiries
Questions and inquiries pertaining to the Request for Proposals will be accepted from
any and all firms via e-mail to agardner@suffolkva.us or fax. Offeror must provide RFP
number, title and acceptance date. Material questions will be answered by Addendum
and will be posted on the City's website: https://www.suffolkva.us/Bids.aspx?CatID=17
and to all firms who receive the RFP provided that all questions are received five (5)
days prior to opening date.
Amy Gardner, Senior Buyer, is the designated authorized spokesperson for the City of
Suffolk with respect to this RFP. All questions and/or comments should be directed to
her attention. The respondents to this RFP shall not contact, either directly or indirectly,
any other employee or agent of the City regarding this RFP. This prohibition shall also
extend to the Suffolk City Council and other elected City officials. Any such
unauthorized contact may disqualify the offeror from the procurement.
C. Addendum and Supplement to Request
If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this request or if additional data are
necessary to enable an exact interpretation of provisions of this request, an addendum
will be issued. It is the responsibility of the offeror to ensure that he has received all
addendums prior to submitting a proposal. All addenda can be downloaded from:
https://www.suffolkva.us/Bids.aspx?CatID=17.
RFP 26132-AG Page 6

D. Firm Pricing for City Acceptance
Offers made during negotiation must be honored for City acceptance for 180 days from
the date of offer.
E. Proprietary Information
Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an offeror in connection with this
solicitation shall not be subject to disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information
Act; however, the offeror must invoke the protections of this section prior to or upon
submission of the data or other materials, and must clearly identify the data or other
materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. Offerors
shall not mark sections of their proposal as proprietary if they are to be part of the award
of the contract and are of a "Material" nature. Any propriety information must be listed
on the attached "Proprietary/Confidential Information Identification" form and submitted
with the proposal. An all-inclusive statement that the entire proposal is proprietary will
result in rejection of the proposal.
F. Authority to Bind Firm in Contract
Proposals must give full firm name and address of offeror. Failure to sign proposal may
disqualify it. Person signing proposal should show title or authority to bind his firm in a
contract.
G. Preparation and Submission of Proposals
1. All proposals must be signed by the individual or authorized principals of the
firm.
2. All attachments to the Request for Proposal requiring executing by the firm are
to be returned with the proposals.
3. Proposals are to be submitted electronically; title must indicate the RFP number,
time, and date of public acceptance, and the title of the proposal.
4. It is the Offeror's responsibility that the proposals are received by the
Purchasing Division BEFORE the hour specified on the opening date. Requests
for extensions of this time and date will not be granted. Proposals or unsolicited
amendments to proposals received by the City after the acceptance date will
not be considered.
H. Miscellaneous Requirements
1. The City will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by a firm in preparing
and submitting a proposal. All proposals must provide a straightforward, concise
delineation of the firm's capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this request.
Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.
2. Offerors who submit a proposal in response to this RFP may be required to
make an oral presentation of their proposal. The Purchasing Division will
schedule the time and location for this presentation.
RFP 26132-AG Page 7

3. The contents of the proposal submitted by the successful offeror and this RFP
will become part of any contract awarded as a result of the Scope of Services
contained herein. The successful firm will be expected to sign a contract with
the City.
4. The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received by reason of
this request, or to negotiate separately in any manner necessary to serve the
best interests of the City.
7.0 SPECIFIC PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as necessary to allow the City of Suffolk to
properly evaluate the offeror's capabilities to provide the required services. Offerors are
required to submit the following items in the format provided as a complete proposal.
The City reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted and to request
additional information if deemed necessary.
A. Cover Letter
The Offeror must complete and submit the Signature Sheet (included in the proposal)
and submit it with a brief cover letter. The cover letter should summarize key elements
of the proposal. An individual authorized to bind Offeror must sign the letter and
Signature Sheet, as well. Indicate the address and telephone number of the
Contractor's office.
B. Background and Project Summary Section
This section should describe your understanding of the City, the work to be performed,
and the objectives to be accomplished. Refer to the "Scope of Services" Section of this
RFP.
C. Methodology Section
Provide a detailed description of the approach and methodology to be used to
accomplish the "Scope of Services" of this RFP. The Methodology Section should
include the following:
1. An implementation plan that describes in detail (a) the methods, including
controls by which your firm manages projects of the type sought by this RFP;
(b) methodology for soliciting and documenting the view of internal and external
stakeholders: and (c) any other project management or implementation
strategies or techniques that the respondent intends to employ in carrying out
the work.
2. Detailed description of efforts your firm will undertake to achieve client
satisfaction and to satisfy the requirements of the "Scope of Services" Section.
3. Detailed description of specific tasks you will require from City staff. Explain
what the respective roles of City staff and your staff would be to complete the
RFP 26132-AG Page 8

tasks specified herein.
D. Staffing Section
Provide a list of principal individuals who will likely be working on this project and
indicate the level/title of each member, and the function that each will perform. Include
a resume for each designated individual, to include licenses, certifications, and other
qualifications.
E. Qualifications
The information requested in this section should describe the qualifications of the
offeror, key staff, and subcontractors performing projects within the past five (5) years
that are similar in size and scope to that requested in the RFP. Information shall include
the following:
1. Names of key staff that participated on named projects and their specific
responsibilities with respect to the "Scope of Services."
2. A summary of the firm's demonstrated capability, including length of time that
the firm has provided the services being requested herein.
3. Provide at least three (3) references that received similar services from your
organization. The City reserves the right to contact any the organizations or
individuals listed. Information shall include:
* Client name
* Project description/summary
* Project start and end dates
* Client project manager name, email, and telephone number
F. Format
Proposal should be submitted in the following format:
* Cover Sheet and Cover Letter (A)
* Proposal sequenced in accordance with Paragraphs B-E above
* City forms as follows: (All forms must be signed.)
Signature Sheet (Page 23)
o
Propriety/Confidential Information Identification (Page 24)
o
Exceptions to RFP (Page 25)
o
Anticollusion/Nondiscrimination/Drug Free Workplace Clauses (Pg. 26)
o
Proof of Authority to Transact Business in Virginia (Page 27)
o
8.0 EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA
The City's Evaluation Committee will review each proposal and verify the claims and
credentials of each offeror. Selection will be made for each proposal on the basis of the
weighted criteria listed below. Weights to each rating will be applied as indicated below:
RFP 26132-AG Page 9

Quality of device to meet or exceed scope of services requirements of RFP (30%)
Understanding and approach of offeror to meeting the tasks and requirements (20%)
Qualifications, credentials, and related experience of the Offeror (20%)
Fee (30%)
Once each member of the Evaluation Committee has independently read and rated each
proposal and completed an evaluation matrix for each offeror, a composite preliminary rating
will be developed which indicates the group's collective ranking of the highest rated proposals
in a descending order. The preliminary rating will be used to select the firms for further
consideration-the short-list.
After interviews have been conducted with each selected Offeror, the City will select the
proposals which, in its sole opinion, are in the best interest of the City and enter into
negotiations with those firms Should negotiations fail with any Offeror, negotiations will be
terminated with that Offeror and negotiations will be opened with the next ranked firm, as
required under the Virginia Public Procurement Act. Should the City determine, in its sole
discretion, that an Offeror is clearly more highly qualified than others under consideration, a
contract may be negotiated and awarded to that Offeror. The file will show the Committee's
perception of the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal received as basis for the
selections.
The successful firm will be expected to enter into a contract with the City of Suffolk based upon
their submittal, any additional negotiated terms, and best and final pricing. The successful firm
shall be expected to execute and return the contract documents to the City within ten (10)
business days of receipt.
9.0 ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS
1. Use of Form: All proposals should be submitted in electronic (.pdf) format in
accordance with this form. The offeror may attach/scan other information as required
to the electronic document that will be made a part of the proposal. Electronic submittals
on CD, DVD, flash drives, or other electronic media will be accepted if delivered prior
to the closing time. The preferred method is by an attachment to an email addressed
to: proposals@suffolkva.us. ZIP files cannot be accepted.
2. Submittals: Except as noted above, all proposals shall be sent as an attachment to
email to: proposals@suffolkva.us. The subject line must show the proposal number and
title.
3. Late Proposals: Proposals, if received by the City's Purchasing Division ("Purchasing")
after the date and time specified, will not be considered. It will be the responsibility of
the offeror to see that their proposal is received by Purchasing as specified. There will
be no exceptions. Electronic proposals show the date and time sent. This must be prior
to the closing date published on the front cover.
4. City Hall Closure: Should the City's electronic networks connectivity prevent receipt of
proposals at the time of the scheduled proposal closing, the proposals will be accepted
and opened on the next business day of the City, at the original scheduled hour, or as
soon as connectivity is restored during normal business hours.
RFP 26132-AG Page 10