RFP553 ¿ South Fulton County Comprehensive Transportation Plan

RFP553
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
SOUTH FULTON COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is seeking proposals from firms or teams of firms experienced
urban area and regional transportation planning, transit planning, alternative systems planning,
transportation safety planning, public involvement, traffic analysis, financial analysis, project
identification and prioritization, and non-motorized transportation planning, necessary to support ARC in
the development of a Comprehensive Transportation Plan for the cities of south Fulton County. The
Scope of Service for the work is attached as Exhibit A and provides information regarding the level of
effort required as well as specific tasks to be accomplished. The deadline for applications is May 15,
2026, at 11:59 PM EST.
Overview
ARC anticipates that a contract will be awarded in Q3 of 2026. All work activities must be completed by
May 31, 2028, with an adoption target date in Q2 of 2028. It is anticipated that available funds for the
project will be approximately $1,237,500. Any award for this project is contingent upon ARC receiving
adequate funding for this purpose from the Georgia Department of Transportation. ARC reserves the right
to award all or part of the available funds for this project. Interested firms should submit a proposal that
addresses the factors listed below and the scope of services in Exhibit A. The Consultant must provide a
detailed breakdown of the proposed budget in the format of Exhibit B-1. Additionally, a breakdown of
proposed labor hours in the format at Exhibit C should be provided.
Content and Organization of Proposal
Firms or teams of firms must respond to this RFP with electronic versions of their proposals a PDF file
format. ARC reserves the right to award this contract or contracts based on initial proposals received
without formal interviews. Proposals shall not exceed a total of 20 pages (8.5 x 11), single-sided,
inclusive of resumes and firm experience. Proposals may be double-sided but still must not exceed the
20-page single sided maximum length of content. Covers, end sheets, budget exhibits, DBE
documentation, and an introductory letter shall not count against this maximum. Font size shall be a
minimum of 10 point in all cases.
Proposals must include the following information:
1. Name and company background of lead firm and any sub-consultants.
2. Point of contact (name, title, phone number, mailing address, and email address) at lead firm.
3. Description of relevant experience of lead firm and subs on projects of this type. Include up to
five (5) projects from lead firm, and up to four (4) projects from subs. At a minimum, each
description of experience should include the following information:
1

name of project, description of project, name of organization/client work was performed for,
location of work performed, period of performance, total dollar value of project, role of firm in
the project, and relevance to this RFP.
4. Any unique or special knowledge, qualifications, or technical competences of consultant and sub-
consultants that will help provide a better planning process.
5. List of 3 references for work performed within the past 5 years, with current contact information.
At least two (2) references must be for lead firm. At least one (1) reference must be for work
performed by the Project Manager.
6. Identification of key project personnel and descriptions of their relevant
experience/qualifications for projects of this type. Descriptions of key personnel must include
the Project Manager and up to five (5) additional Task Leads and/or Specialists who will work
on this project. Include why this experience is relevant to the RFP and how it will help provide
a better delivered outcome.
7. An Organizational Chart. Org Chart must show PM, key staff, task leads, other staff, and
company affiliation. Chart should be organized by task.
8. Geographic location of the consultant's office performing the work.
9. A detailed description of the technical approach proposed for accomplishment of the work.
10. A proposed schedule and work plan for the accomplishment of the work described in Exhibit
A. The work plan should include estimated hours by category for each task identified in
Exhibit A. Please use the format at Exhibit B-1 for the estimated hours per task.
11. A proposed project budget in the formats at Exhibit B, Exhibit B-1, and Exhibit C to this RFP.
12. Any other pertinent information.
Evaluation Criteria
The review of written proposals will be based on the following evaluation criteria, with the relative
weights in parentheses:
* Experience and qualification of lead firm and subs (20%)
* Experience and qualifications of key personnel (20%)
* Technical approach (25%)
* Demonstrated familiarity with the long-range multimodal planning process, Atlanta
metropolitan region, and the transportation needs of the South Fulton region (15%)
* Work plan, schedule, including estimated hours per task (10%)
* Note: This includes the consultants' ability to demonstrate a balanced workload for its staff to
carry out its responsibilities to ARC in balance with any other contracts the consultant may
have.
* Proposed project budget (10%)
2

Timeline for Evaluation and Selection Process
Following evaluation of the proposals, ARC will determine if interviews are necessary to make a final selection. If
so, short-listed firms will be notified by May 29, 2026, and invited to participate in an interview process with an
evaluation committee, to be scheduled the week of June 1, 2026 (tentative; specific dates and times will be
confirmed individually with each firm). It is expected that a preferred firm will be determined and notified no
later than June 5, 2026.
Information on the format of the interviews will be provided at that time and may be either in person or virtual,
based on the convenience of staff from the review team and applicants. ARC reserves the right to award this
contract based on initial proposals received without formal interviews and to award all or part of this project to
one or more firms.
Final execution of a contract between ARC and the Consultant will constitute the Notice to Proceed (NTP). Note
that the project schedule defined in Section IV identifies work initiating on or around August 1, 2026. All parties
are expected to collaborate on establishing an aggressive schedule for contract execution so that work may begin
as soon as possible
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION THROUGH WEBSITE
Electronic Submission Requirements
All proposals must be submitted electronically through the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) procurement
website. Proposal submitted by any other method (including email, mail, fax, or hand delivery) may not be accepted
unless specified in the solicitation document.
Respondents must register on the ARC procurement website to access the solicitation and submit a proposal. It is
the responsibility of the respondent to ensure successful registration and timely submission.
Proposals must be received no later than May 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. The procurement system will
automatically record the date and submission. Late proposals will not be accepted under any circumstances.
The Respondent(s) is solely responsible for:
* Uploading all required documents;
* Verifying that files are complete, readable, and properly labeled; and
* Ensuring submission is finalized prior to the deadline.
* Only one proposal containing all required information may be uploaded per responder.
ARC is not responsible for technical difficulties, internet outages, user errors, or system delays experienced by the
respondent. Respondents are strongly encouraged to submit proposals well in advance of the deadline.
Upon successful submission, the system will provide an email confirmation. This confirmation serves as proof of
receipt.
3

QUESTION AND ANSWERS (Q&A)
Question Regarding the Solicitation
All questions concerning this RFP must be submitted electronically through the procurement website by April 30,
2026 at 11:59 PM EST. Question submitted after this deadline or through any other means will not be considered.
To ensure fairness and transparency, respondents are prohibited from contacting any ARC staff, board members, or
consultants regarding this solicitation outside of the formal Q & A process.
RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS
Official responses to all timely submitted questions will be posted on the procurement website as a written
addendum by May 7, 2026. Only written responses issued through the website shall be considered official and
binding.
It is the responsibility of each respondent to regularly check the procurement website for addenda, clarifications,
and updates. Failure to review posted addenda shall not relieve a respondent from compliance with any requirements
of the RFP.
RESTRICTION OF COMMUNICATION
From the date of the advertisement of the solicitation through contract award and selection is announced,
respondents are not allowed to communicate about this solicitation or scope with any staff of ARC, except for
submission of questions as instructed in the RFP or as provided by any existing work agreement(s). In the case of
violation of this provision, ARC reserves to right to reject the submittal of the offending respondent.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST
ARC is subject to the Georgia Open Records law. All proposals submitted will become public records to be
provided upon request. Any information containing trade secrets or proprietary information, as defined by state
law, must be marked as confidential to prevent disclosure. Confidential markings must be limited to the protected
information. Entire proposals marked confidential will not be honored. Additionally, conflicts of interest are
governed by the ARC Standards of Ethical Conduct available here: Standards of Ethical Conduct. Respondents
must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may arise from the provision of services described herein.
Such disclosure should include the name of individual(s) with whom there is a conflict, any relevant facts to the
potential conflict, and a description of the internal controls proposed to mitigate any such conflict.
ARC's Staff Legal Counsel will determine whether such disclosure presents a potential organizational conflict of
interest that should preclude award to the respondent.
4

ATTACHMENT A
SOUTH FULTON COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN
SCOPE OF WORK
I . General
The work to be accomplished is in support of the following Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC)
Cost Center:
Cost Center 506ECP: County Transportation Planning
I I . Area Covered
The area of study (Study Area) for the plan development is defined, but not limited to, the South
Fulton County jurisdictional boundary, including all County municipalities (including Cities,
local governments, and communities). Coordination with adjacent jurisdictions within an area
three to five miles outside South Fulton County is also required to promote coordinated long-
range transportation planning efforts across jurisdictional boundaries.
I I I . Goal
The Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) Program was established to ensure the
transportation infrastructure has a positive impact on strengthening the Atlanta Region's
economy and communities at both the local and regional levels. It accomplishes this by
providing financial assistance for counties and their constituent municipalities to develop joint
long-range transportation plans. These plans, while focused on local issues and needs, also
serve as the foundation for regional planning efforts led by the Atlanta Regional Commission.
Coordination with the regional transportation planning process and regional development plan
policies, and consideration of the Department of Community Affairs' (DCA) minimum standards
will help ensure jurisdictions develop plans that meet regional goals and are based on sound
technical analysis.
This plan will serve as a strategic framework for addressing the City's short- and long-term
transportation needs across all modes-automobile, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and freight-
while supporting economic development, equity, safety, and sustainability.
5

I V. Background
The CTP Program will assist local governments by clearly defining county-wide goals, needs,
and priorities. While ARC typically completes needs assessments and transportation plans
focusing on regional needs and solutions, a successful local transportation plan and program is
also critical. Local transportation plans are a key mechanism in which governments define
programs and projects they are prepared to support and assist in funding. It is a critical program
objective that these identified priorities will form the basis for future funding requests during
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) update
cycles. No MTP can be successfully implemented without local support for plan goals,
programs, and projects.
Transportation plans resulting from the CTP Program shall be informed by existing county and
local government comprehensive plans. Elements of existing comprehensive plans may include,
but are not limited to, community goals, needs and opportunities, land use, housing and
economic development where required by the Georgia Planning Act, thereby strengthening the
connection between required and optional plan elements addressing the county and local
governments' immediate needs, and transportation planning. CTP plan recommendations will
clearly reference alignment with these efforts. Additionally, CTP plans must address all
Federally mandated Planning Factors as outlined by IIJA.
All work tasks herein refer to the development of the CTP. If the CTP is developed as part of a
broader local comprehensive plan, program funding shall only be spent on the transportation
planning component.
V. Work Tasks
This scope of work outlines the minimum requirements which South Fulton County
(Subgrantee) must fulfill to receive funding from ARC. The Subgrantee may include additional
or more detailed tasks in their contract with their consultants based on individual needs (Trails,
Transit, Freight, Stormwater, Safety, Sidewalks, etc.)
Comprehensive monthly progress reports detailing progress on each task will be submitted to
ARC with each invoice. The Subgrantee will present draft deliverables to ARC for comment,
involve ARC in relevant stakeholder and technical committee meetings and notify ARC of key
public outreach activities, beginning with the issuance of the Notice to Proceed.
6

TASK 1 - PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The purpose of Task 1 is to ensure that the CTP begins with a clear understanding of the project's
processes, schedule, and desired outcomes. Task 1 establishes an effective working relationship
among County/City staff, the Project Management Team, the Community Council, and the Technical
Advisory Committee.
The Subgrantee will host a project kickoff meeting with the Project Management Team (PMT) to
review major transportation issues facing South Fulton County, clarify agency roles, define
priorities, and identify relationships to other local and regional planning efforts. The PMT
meetings should take place regularly (monthly at a minimum) throughout the length of the project
and should include an ARC representative in addition to the appropriate County/City staff and
Consultant team.
The subgrantee and consultant teams will work with artists or creative designers with relevant skill,
experience, and familiarity with the study area in the development of (the CTP). A preliminary
outline of the Project Management Plan (PMP) will be presented for discussion and feedback. The
kickoff meeting will also include a review of the prior CTP's vision, goals, and objectives.
Following the kickoff meeting, the Subgrantee will finalize the Project Management Plan (PMP).
The PMP will refine the contract scope of work and drive the work schedule for the duration of the
project. The PMP will be submitted to the PMT no later than two weeks following the project kick-
off meeting for review and comment.
At a minimum, the PMP will:
* Identify an organizational chart and provide key staff contact information.
* Define protocols and procedures for the Project Team to adhere to, including:
Communications protocols
o
Quality Assurance and Quality Control protocols which will ensure a high
o
standard of professionalism with respect to all deliverables to be made available
to the public, stakeholders, and elected officials.
Administrative and Invoicing procedures, which will follow ARC's
o
provided templates and procedures for collecting invoices monthly
* Refine work tasks, subtasks, review/comment points, and the timing and content of
deliverables.
* Describe how the PMT will interface with entities working on any other concurrent land
use/ transportation planning efforts in the Study Area.
* Outline a comprehensive communications strategy / public participation plan to ensure
integration of a central message among the PMT, stakeholders and the public.
7

This includes branding the CTP and documenting a communications strategy
o
linking the CTP to ongoing and recently completed planning studies and
initiatives and capital improvement programs.
* Specify roles and responsibilities of study participants, including the composition of a
Community Council and Technical Advisory Committee.
* Outline a project schedule and deliverable dates.
* Outline a Budget Allocation by Task.
TASK 1 DELIVERABLES:
* Kickoff meeting and summary notes
* Draft and Final Project Management Plan
* Regular PMT Meetings Calendar Invite
* PMT Meeting Notes
* Monthly invoices following ARC invoicing procedures
8

TASK 2 - ENGAGEMENT
The purpose of Task 2 is to utilize ROBUST, EQUITABLE, and MEANINGFUL community
engagement throughout the CTP development process. The engagement effort will provide input for
countywide transportation vision and goals; input for the technical planning process; and
collaboration in the creation of project and policy recommendations. The community shall be
engaged early and often in the planning process with the intention of creating as many touchpoints1
as possible. All groups in the community will be actively engaged with an emphasis on groups that
have not been historically involved in the planning process. Creativity in reaching communities
which are traditionally not well represented in the planning process, including minorities, low-
income individuals, people with limited English proficiency, and students, will be essential to the
overall success of this effort.
The goal of the engagement process shall be to generate a verifiable number of touchpoints equal to
1.5 to 3 percent of the total County/City population. For example, if there are 400,000 residents in
your County/City, the goal is to generate verifiable touchpoints with 6,000 - 12,000 residents. These
touchpoints shall be a proportionate representation of the overall demographics in the County/City,
including race, ethnicity, age, and language spoken at home (demographic analysis details below).
2a. Public Engagement Plan
The exact process, schedule, and methods of community engagement will be defined in an
associated Public Engagement Plan (PEP). The PEP is an early deliverable and shall be developed
and finalized within 4 weeks of the kickoff meeting. ARC's Public Participation Plan (PPP) shall be
used as a guide and the engagement techniques and tools identified within the PPP are encouraged.
The Community Council (see Section 2b) and the Project Management Team shall review, comment
and approve the PEP and any subsequent changes to the document. A demographic analysis of South
Fulton County and all its Cities shall be conducted as part of the PEP for use in identifying the
different community groups that need to be represented on the Community Council.
Engagement activities include interactions with the public, as well as entities such as federal, state
and local governments, transit agencies, and development community representatives. Regular
coordination between City staff, stakeholders, and regional partners (e.g., ARC, GDOT, MARTA)
should occur throughout the project. The PEP shall include a plan for engaging the public officials
responsible for adopting the CTP throughout the planning process. These
1 A touchpoint is defined as any way a member of the public interacts with the planning process - whether in-person
meeting, pop-up event, through a website, survey response(s), email, or any form of communication about the CTP
with a member of the community.
9

officials should be briefed a minimum of two times during the plan development process
(additional meetings may be conducted as necessary).
The Subgrantee shall anticipate and allow for review of any materials to be released to the public
to have adequate review time by the PMT within the schedule.
A template will be provided by ARC for the Subgrantee to use to track all public engagement
touchpoints. The tracking sheet will be submitted back to ARC after all engagement for the CTP
is complete.
2b. Community Council
A Community Council (CC) will be formed and consulted regularly to represent the public's
interests throughout the CTP process. The composition of the Community Council shall reflect
the demographic makeup of the community as identified in the demographic analysis portion of
the PEP. Community Council membership shall prioritize representatives of communities which
are traditionally not well represented in the planning process, including minorities, low-income
individuals, people with limited English proficiency, and students. This inclusive outreach can
involve workshops, digital tools, surveys, and other engagement methods. ARC strongly
recommends that the Community Council actively engages community-based organizations
(CBOs) and that the CBOs are involved in the development of the Public Engagement Plan and
the planning process. Please see ARC's Community Engagement and Culture (CEC) Team for
additional resources, including a database of existing Community Based Organizations that have
been vetted by ARC and are aware of planning projects, and willing to participate in their area.
The Community Council will convene a minimum of four times during the plan development
process (additional meetings may be conducted as necessary). All significant findings and
recommendations of the CTP will be presented to the council for review and feedback, starting
with the Public Engagement Plan. The CC will help to shape the CTP by providing input on the
Goals and Objectives, draft Needs Assessment and draft Project Recommendations, including
policy recommendations.
The CC is intended to be a conduit for communication to the community at large. CC members
are expected to disseminate information to the communities they represent and shall be consulted
on the methods, timing, and messaging of the Public Engagement process.
In an effort to reduce barriers and motivate all parts of the community to participate,
compensation for CC members per allowable costs and federal guidelines is recommended.
Please see ARC's PPP for details and regulations.
2c. Technical Advisory Committee
In addition to the CC, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will be formed and consulted
regularly. The TAC shall consist of transportation and planning professionals and elected
10