REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: VISION ZERO PLAN

FULL RFP: CLICK HERE

The Borough of Red Bank (The Borough) is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to conduct an SS4A (Safe Street and Roads for All) Comprehensive Safety Action Plan relating to traffic and mobility, commonly referred to as a "Vision Zero" initiative, as described in this Request for Proposals (RFP). The purpose is to establish a framework for enhancing transportation safety in Red Bank and to develop a safety action plan that meets the requirements for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

The selected Consultant will be required to comply with all applicable federal regulations and contracting provisions needed for the federal funding authority. Additionally, all state regulations and provisions of the Borough's contract with the FHWA will be passed on to the Consultant. The Borough invites all qualified firms with experience in this area to submit proposals for this

project.

Red Bank's density creates a need to ensure the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers while also accommodating all types of transportation within our minimal roadway space. A comprehensive approach is needed to ensure safer roadways and reduce crashes through design, policy, and enforcement. Red Bank Borough is a community that lies on the eastern coast of central New Jersey along the Navesink River within Monmouth County. The Borough has 29.86 miles of roadways, of which 23.09 miles (77.3%) are maintained by the municipality, 5.25 miles (17.6%) by Monmouth County, and 1.52 miles (5.1%) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

An analysis of major transportation infrastructure follows to illustrate the need for this Plan. New Jersey Route 35 cuts through the center of the Borough, heading north from Shrewsbury into Middleton. Route 35 connects many municipalities along the eastern coast of New Jersey; as such, this roadway sees significant use by both Red Bank residents and those driving through the Borough to other destinations throughout the State, including shore points on the Atlantic Ocean.

For most of its length within the Borough, Route 35 passes through residential areas. In northern Red Bank, the road skirts the western edge of downtown and further down the road crosses a bridge over the Navesink into Middleton. These factors contribute to increased traffic congestion and, therefore, increased danger to drivers and pedestrians along this section of roadway. Newman Springs Road is a street that branches off Route 35 and heads west along the southernmost end of the Borough. Just after the road leaves Red Bank’s jurisdiction, several merger ramps connect the roadway to the Garden State Parkway. This connection between Route 35 and the Garden State Parkway causes the roadway to experience significant vehicle traffic while passing by business and residential homes. Broad Street is another roadway that extends from Route 35, traversing through the entire Borough from north to south. While this roadway does connect to Route 35, much of its traffic and safety risks come from downtown Red Bank. Broad Street is the main roadway that runs through the center of downtown, exposing the roadway to intense vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The dense residential and retail development in this area makes it the busiest section of the Borough for both drivers and pedestrians. Through the creation of an Action Plan, the Borough can see what dangers need to be addressed throughout our roadway system.

These high-traffic roadways present a larger problem when accounting for Red Bank’s size. The entire Borough spans only 1.75 square miles of land, and as such, walking is a popular form of transportation for residents of Red Bank. The Red Bank Train Station only increases the appeal of walking for residents of the Borough. The Station is in the north-west of the municipality and is within walking distance of downtown, the waterfront, and many residential blocks. The density in Red Bank may make walking easy; however, without adequate and regularly maintained safety measures installed on our road network, it also presents many dangers. Our crosswalks and sidewalks suffer significant wear due to heavy foot traffic, particularly in high-traffic areas like the intersections surrounding Red Bank Station. These intersections have faded crosswalks and deteriorated sidewalks, presenting unnecessary risks to pedestrians walking to and from the train station. The Borough frequently receives complaints from residents about pedestrian safety measures, especially in the areas around the Train Station. The Borough has completed studies to examine the needs in this area and has begun implementing projects to increase safety; however, a more comprehensive plan that considers the entire transportation layout is needed.

SCOPE OF WORK

Red Bank is committed to creating an Action Plan that meets the needs of all residents across the

Borough. The Action Plan will encompass the entire Borough. Red Bank will utilize the US DOT's Safe System Approach to develop its Plan, including the six principles and five objectives it outlines. Additionally, the Borough will explore strategies that promote a multidisciplinary and systemic approach in developing its Action Plan. Upon completion of the Action Plan, the Borough will engage with residents to garner feedback from the community. Red Bank would greatly benefit from having the tools to properly map its high-injury network, utilizing data-based strategies to eliminate traffic-related deaths and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all its residents.

Successful proposals should include a diverse team, with extensive demonstrated experience with Local Road Safety Plans, the Safe System Approach, national experience in safety planning and implementation, and relevant New Jersey experience.

Technical proposals must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the goals, requirements, format, and guidelines presented in this RFP document.

The following is a list of recommended tasks, deliverables, and suggested level of effort for this project. Unless otherwise specified, the Consultant shall complete and submit all deliverables outlined. An approximate percentage of the entire project is indicated for each task. Respondents are encouraged to prepare proposals that they consider the most appropriate to accomplish the stated project goals and produce high-quality deliverables.

Note that although these tasks are presented below in sequential order, the Consultant might find it beneficial to conduct work on different tasks in parallel and may need to perform work in a different order than presented below. In submitting cost proposals, budgets should be detailed for each specific task. All deliverables are subject to Borough review and approval. Deliverables must be submitted first in draft form for review and then revised based on comments received from the Borough Representative. A minimum of two weeks should be assumed for the Borough review, unless otherwise specified. Following revisions, final documents shall be submitted. Final documents responding to Borough comments shall be completed within two weeks of receiving comments. The Consultant shall also clearly identify changes to the draft document when the final document is submitted. The Borough shall accept the deliverable when it reasonably determines that the applicable deliverable meets the required criteria. Unless otherwise specified, five (5) color copies (double-sided as appropriate) shall be required for all final technical memoranda and reports produced for this project.

All interim and final project deliverables shall also be submitted in electronic format (on a flash drive or other electronic media, or via email, or via a file-sharing platform, as specified by the Borough project manager). Memoranda and reports shall be submitted to the Borough in both PDF format (to facilitate easy printing of additional copies) and editable format (i.e., Microsoft Word for text, Microsoft Excel for graphs and tables, and/or Microsoft PowerPoint for presentations, as applicable). The deliverables shall include the raw data files, including GIS files, for the graphics, and the Consultant shall provide a clear indication of the location of data underlying any graphics so that the staff can reproduce or modify graphics as needed.

Task 2: Safe System Analysis
Using existing and available crash data, and other data as appropriate, the Consultant will identify the locations and types of the most pressing safety issues in Red Bank. The data to be analyzed will primarily include crash locations, causes, and demographics, as well as other data available from the Borough, the NJTPA, or other sources as appropriate. The results of this task will be used to help identify disproportionate crash experiences, including those that impact disadvantaged communities, to inform stakeholders for outreach in Task 3, and to highlight high-crash locations for countermeasure recommendations in Task 4. Data analysis is also integral to setting informed safety priority improvements and performance goals. Task 2 is divided into three parts: a "first cut" to identify crash hotspot locations and/or corridors; a second, more comprehensive data-driven effort to overlay other relevant factors at hotspot locations and corridors; and a third, broader, regional analysis. The first cut will include an demographic analysis to identify disproportionate safety issues in disadvantaged communities. The second analysis may incorporate additional local and regional data, as available, roadway characteristics such as speed limits, road design and conditions, lighting, and land use mix, or other relevant data. The Consultant shall determine relevant datasets for this overlay analysis, in consultation with the Borough. The "third cut" analysis will be regional. It will establish regional baseline data for comparative purposes and summarize the region's current State of transportation safety, including trends, impacts, and performance metrics. Demographic analysis will involve identifying areas considered underserved. Analysis should identify areas within the Borough that are disadvantaged and experience a high number of crashes, which can then be incorporated into subsequent tasks. This analysis should also make use of the US DOT's Equitable Transportation Community Explorer, which identifies communities designated by USDOT as disadvantaged. USDOT guidance encourages the use of the Equitable Transportation Community Explorer.

Task 2.1: Crash Analysis

For this subtask, the Consultant will build on the work already conducted by the Borough to update the analysis of crash data and summarize trends and travel safety conditions relative to established regional safety performance measures. The Consultant will examine NJDOT network screening lists (for county roads) and conduct screening for the local road network to identify fatal and serious injury crash hotspot locations. The Consultant should conduct additional analysis at hotspot locations and corridors, including an analysis of crash history to identify overrepresented crash types, high-risk roadway characteristics, and contributing factors. The Consultant should include the following crash analysis factors and data inputs, at a minimum:
• Network Screening Lists and other High Injury Network documents identifying high-risk corridors and hotspot locations
• Crash and historic trends
• Crash experience – locations, severity, types (pedestrian, rear-end, road departure, etc.), and other contributing factors
• Demographic profiles including data and identification of statistical overrepresentations.

Task 2.2: Comprehensive Crash Analysis

The Consultant, in consultation with the Complete and Green Street Committee, will refine the crash analysis conducted under Task 2.1 to include a variety of overlay analyses and additional datasets (as available). The overlay of crash analysis should determine demographic groups and Census tracts within the Borough that have experienced disproportionately high numbers of serious injuries and fatalities. This subtask should help highlight specific data that is important locally. As appropriate, additional local data, such as roadway characteristics and sidewalks, major transit stations or stops, schools or senior centers, as available, should be incorporated. The Consultant should consider the most appropriate way to organize, overlay, and present the findings. The Consultant should include the following factors and data inputs for this subtask, at a minimum:

• Overlay of relevant regional data analysis results from other programs, plans, and studies, to be determined in consultation with the Borough.
• NJDOT Straight Line Diagrams and equivalent local road design inventory documents (as available)
• Exploration of land use and the built environment related to safety performance
• Incorporation of local and/or county datasets, as available, to enhance safety analyses.

Deliverables for Task 2:

• Technical memo (Task 2.1) with network screening and crash history results, including detailed maps, tables, discussion of results, and data limitations.
Task 3: Public and Stakeholder Engagement
The Consultant will be responsible for developing and coordinating a Public and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (PSEP) – a comprehensive overall framework for engaging state, regional, county, and local engineers, planners, elected officials, advocates, Transportation Management Associations (TMAs), and stakeholders to guide and inform the planning process. There will also be a public outreach process that includes opportunities for meaningful input from Borough officials, staff, and stakeholders representing disadvantaged communities and groups (as identified in Task 2.2), as well as the general public.
The Complete and Green Street Committee should be involved in the plan development, including outreach tasks. The Consultant shall provide coordination and support to the committee. The PSEP should outline anticipated meetings and activities. The Consultant will be responsible for a range of PSEP implementation activities, including coordination for goal setting, conducting public involvement opportunities, and presentation of the Plan to the Borough Council for endorsement when completed. In coordination with the Complete and Green Streets Committee, the Consultant will develop and deliver regular communication materials and engage with Borough leadership to foster endorsement. Communication materials may include presentations, newsletters, or other mechanisms.

The Consultant will develop and implement PSEP strategies to incorporate committee and public input, as well as planned community engagement activities. The PSEP should describe the Consultant's intended use of communication mechanisms, including a project website that will be embedded within the Borough website and utilized on social media. The Consultant will use demographic profiles for the study. The Consultant will be responsible for leading strategic activities from the PSEP to gather meaningful feedback from residents.
It should be noted that the PSEP is a “living” document that may be amended in consultation as the project advances. The Consultant shall submit the draft PSEP to the Complete and Green Streets Committee for their review. The Consultant may conduct outreach activities virtually and/or in person. The Consultant must make efforts to ensure that this is completed in an inclusive, accessible, and meaningful manner. Proposals should consider that unanticipated coordination meetings, in addition to those outlined in this task, may also be beneficial and should be budgeted for accordingly.

Engagement will include:
• Monthly progress meetings with the Complete and Green Streets Committee to coordinate plan development, adoption, and implementation, in keeping with SS4A guidance;
• Municipal outreach and input;
• Strategies to keep Monmouth County planning officials informed about the study’s development;
• A combination of in-person and virtual public outreach opportunities, emphasizing equitable engagement of underrepresented population segments. Engagement may include a series of inclusive, safety-oriented public participation events or workshops, the number of which will vary in keeping with the available budget.

Task 3.1 Complete and Green Streets Committee

The Consultant will engage with the Borough’s Complete and Green Streets Committee to help supplement the Task 1 review of existing approaches to safety-related policy, plans, and programs. The Consultant's engagement process will also include support for developing safety goals and identifying any potential barriers to achieving these goals. The Consultant should plan to attend monthly meetings with the committee as an integral part of the plan development.

Task 3.2 Public Engagement

The Consultant will lead in deploying a set of practical engagement tools, which can include a mix of map-based technology applications, surveys, paid social media advertising, and direct engagement opportunities. Public engagement may consist of in-person, virtual, and online input opportunities. The Consultant should work with the Community Engagement Coordinator to engage with the Borough's historically disadvantaged populations, as well as vulnerable travelers (pedestrians, bicyclists, children, people with disabilities, or seniors, for example). Public engagement should focus earnest efforts to engage on meaningful issues such as lived experiences, challenges to safe mobility, data analysis, strategies, broader safety culture, or focused safety issues as appropriate.
Activities may include:
• Project Website - online engagement including a survey and an interactive web map, social media messaging, project information, or other materials.
• Pop-up public workshops or traditional workshops, or presentations to community groups or others, in person and/or virtually.
• Focus groups, interviews, or other engagement activities with traditionally underrepresented groups.
• Working with the Community Engagement Coordinator to translate materials into Spanish, as needed.
• Required one (1) presentation to the Governing Body at a regular public meeting.

Deliverables for Task 3:

• PSEP outlines the framework for collecting public and stakeholder input, as presented in the task descriptions.
• Establishing provisions for project team and external communication, including a project website that hosts project information and online engagement exercises, as well as a mechanism for sharing documents, such as the use of SharePoint (preferred) or a similar platform. • Coordination with the Complete and Green Streets Committee.
• Public outreach events, including pop-ups, public workshops, focus group discussions, or interviews. Coordination with public partners to host events is highly encouraged.
• Technical memo outlining the PSEP approach and outcomes from engagement activities, including appendices to compile the results of all engagement activities.

Task 4: Vision Zero Plan

Task 4.1: Develop Prioritized List of Safety Projects

Based on community feedback and data collection, the Consultant will develop a prioritized list of safety projects. The purpose of the conceptual design is to identify specific improvements, such as street projects that emerge based on high crash locations or repaving schedules. This will provide a basis for a comprehensive network of long-term capital improvements. The prioritized list will include plan development completion percentages, consideration of environmental impact, promotion of Vision Zero goals awareness, and anticipation of changes in technology, demographics, and land use patterns.

Task 4.2: Develop a Vision Zero Plan for the entire Borough

The Consultant shall prepare a Vision Zero Plan document that organizes and synthesizes content from Tasks 1 to 3. The Plan should develop a set of Borough-specific strategies to improve transportation safety outcomes at priority locations identified through Tasks 2 and 3. In addition to "safer roads" through engineering improvements, the Plan's recommended strategies should cover a broad range of actions consistent with the Safe System Approach, including safer people through education and encouraging behavioral change; safer vehicles through coordinated technology; safer speed policies; and enhanced post-crash care. The Plan should include a rationale for matching high-crash locations with appropriate FHWA-proven safety countermeasures and other promising strategies. The Plan should also include implementation guidance on funding and phasing options. The Consultant will develop a complete and green streets network built upon the best practices.

The Consultant should develop plans in stages, including an outline and drafts, that are submitted to the Borough for review and revision. Final plans should be submitted in electronic format. Final plans should document the outcomes of data collection and analysis, the identification of countermeasures, stakeholder and public input, and location-specific strategies and projects. Methodology should be reported in appendices. Each Plan should include an executive summary, goals, objectives, process, analysis, recommendations, maps, charts, photos, zero fatality goals, and graphic renderings of countermeasures and multi-modal street designs. Graphic renderings should illustrate the design and function of countermeasures, not location-specific designs.

Deliverables for Task 4:

• Draft and revised Vision Zero Plan, including executive summary, maps, visual representation of critical analysis, and conceptual Complete Streets Network. The Consultant shall be responsible for responding to comments on a draft of this report and producing a final document incorporating those comments.
• An executive summary of key findings, incorporating takeaways from previously submitted technical memoranda
• Final plans submitted to the Borough in PDF and editable format

Task 5: Satisfy FHWA SS4A Reporting Requirements

FHWA requires all SS4A grant recipients to provide quarterly program performance reports and quarterly financial status. Data and updates will be provided to the Borough of Red Bank staff to complete these requirements promptly.

Proposals must be mailed or delivered to:
Borough of Red Bank Planning and Zoning
90 Monmouth Street, 3rd Floor
Red Bank, NJ 07701

On the outside of the submission, it must be labelled:
Borough of Red Bank
Vision Zero Plan RFP Submission