Today, the MBTA operates commuter rail service with 22 inbound trains and 20 outbound trains daily Monday to Friday making local stops. The earliest train departs Readville for South Station at 6 A.M. and the last outbound train leaves South Station at 9:40 P.M. During rush hours, service operates at approximately 30 minute headways and off-peak at 60-minute headways. No service is provided on weekends. According to the MBTA train audit conducted in June 2000, the four Fairmount Line stations have combined daily boardings of 1,650 riders. These four stations are served by six MBTA bus routes. Commuter parking is available at the Readville and Morton Street stations.

The Red Line and Mattapan High Speed Line serve the area east of the Fairmount Line. MBTA bus routes 8, 10, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31, 32 and 33 serve the neighborhoods through which the Fairmount Line runs. The Fairmount Line passes through several densely populated neighborhoods, some of which do not have direct transit access to downtown Boston.

The MBTA is committed to continuous improvements in its services and to that end is looking to investigate the feasibility of expanded use and more efficient operation of its Fairmount Line. Various proposals for expanded service have been raised by neighborhood groups and the MBTA Advisory Board. These include more frequent trains , opening of additional stations at Four Corners, Mattapan, Codman Square and South Bay, use of diesel multiple unit vehicles and establishment of a hybrid commuter rail/rapid transit line.

Proposals currently under consideration in development of the Boston area Regional Transportation Plan envision a phased approach to upgrading Fairmount Line transit service. Under the first phase, additional stations would be opened and level of commuter rail service increased with operation of more frequent trains over extended hours. The second phase envisioned is conversion of the commuter rail line to a rapid transit line using alternative vehicle technology.

The planning project detailed in this RFP will focus on analyzing the feasibility of implementing the first phase of the proposed Fairmount Line upgrade. Additional planning work for the second phase would be required to assess feasibility and costs/benefits for full implementation of Fairmount Line alternatives to commuter rail operation. Depending upon the results of the first phase, a separate RFP for second phase planning work may be issued.

Purpose:

The MBTA seeks consultant services to undertake feasibility analysis of expanded commuter rail service along the Fairmount Line. Factors to consider in the analysis of an increased level of service include but may not be limited to: ridership demand; compatibility with existing freight service, intercity service and commuter rail service; lack of space for additional trains at South Station and at Readville; condition of the Line’s bridges and track; inadequate state of signal systems; Federal Railroad Administration regulations and policy; mid-day and overnight layover requirements; and equipment maintenance capacity. Factors to consider in the analysis of potential additional station stops include, but may not be limited to: right-of-way availability, safety, accessibility requirements, cost, ridership demand and ridership impact. The analysis should identify both obstacles to be overcome, as well as benefits and opportunities. Potential benefits of project implementation envisioned are: expanded and improved service for residents of some of the region’s most transit dependent neighborhoods; travel-time savings; more efficient use of rail infrastructure; and relief of bus service overcrowding along the corridor.

Through this planning project, the consultant will work with the MBTA to analyze existing conditions and operations of the Fairmount Line, identify options for commuter rail service improvement, assess feasibility of those options and analyze impacts on ridership, service delivery, neighborhoods and MBTA operating and capital budgets.

Required Schedule of Work: A project start date of February 2001 is anticipated. The consultant’s scope of work as outlined in the Request for Proposals is to be completed no later than summer 2001.

Required Scope of Work: The required scope of work includes the following major work products in accordance with the work schedule outlined above:

• Task 1 — Assessment of Existing Conditions and Service, for which a Technical Memorandum is to be delivered no later than March 31, 2001. Consultant will provide general overview of existing conditions along the Fairmount Line and identify service demands as well as service delivery constraints. Conditions overview will include review of transit usage across all modes in the service area, potential station sites, track and signal infrastructure, existing fare structure on the Fairmount Line, capacity constraints, and Line usage.

• Task 2 — Identification of Fairmount Line Commuter Rail Improvement Options, for which a Technical Memorandum is to be delivered no later than June 1, 2001. Consultant in this task will identify options for Fairmount Line Commuter Rail Improvements and develop with the Project Steering Committee criteria for evaluation of those options. This Task will involve consultant interviews with neighborhood leaders and at least one community meeting to obtain public input in identifying commuter rail options to be evaluated in Task 3 of this project.
  

• Task 3 — Analysis of Implementation Options on Existing/Future Fairmount Line Commuter Rail Service, for which a Technical Report will be delivered no later than July 15, 2001. Analysis to be provided by the consultant will include projections of costs, safety operations impacts, potential timelines for implementation and technical feasibility of service improvements identified in Task 2. Service improvements may include, but not be limited to: additional stations; reduced headways, increased service times; and more attractive pricing. In addition, the Consultant will identify potential funding strategies for implementation including opportunities for joint development with private entities and/or other public agencies. Consultant will coordinate implementation options analysis with ridership impact numbers generated by Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS). The MBTA will have separate contract with CTPS to produce estimates of ridership impact and assess mode distribution as well as origin-destination pairings of trips along the Fairmount corridor.

Final Report: A final written report summarizing and synthesizing the findings, conclusions and recommendations presented in each of the three project tasks outlined above will be completed by the consultant and due 180 days after project start.

Input and Feedback Requirements: In addition to regular consultation and communication
with the MBTA, the consultant team will be required to work closely with a Project Steering Committee which will meet regularly during the course of the project to provide guidance to the consultant and MBTA project managers.

RFP Response Requirements: Respondents to this RFP should submit their written response within thirty days of its issuance. That response shall not exceed twenty double-sided pages of narrative, with up to an additional twenty pages of attachments or appendices, if and as required. The narrative response shall address itself to the following matters:

• The qualifications of the Consultant for the type of work required. Examples of similar work completed and appropriate references will be useful. .
  
• Identification of each of the entities involved in the proposed consultant team — name(s), address(es) office telephone number(s), mobile telephone number(s), facsimile number(s),
  e-mail address(es). Also to be listed are approximate percentage of total man-hours to be worked by each consultant team staff member.

• Designation of the lead entity on the consultant team — and indication of the individual who would be the Project Manager and principal contact person for the team as a whole as well as address of the office in which the work will be performed.

• The name, address and qualifications of any proposed subconsultants and identification of the tasks to be performed by them.
  

• A proposed time schedule for the description of the work as defined in this proposal.

• A summary of the methodology and project approach to be used by the consultant in completing the tasks outlined in this Request for Proposals and any recommendations for changes or additions to the Scope of Work consistent with the objectives of the planning project.

• The proposed percentage and a description of the nature of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation in this contract. This description should be consistent with the Authority’s commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action and the utilization of the DBE participation goal which must be maintained throughout this contract, including any adjustments, of at least sixteen percent (16%) of the total adjusted contract ceiling price. Additional information relating to the Consultant’s Affirmative Action Plan and current employee profile should be included for consideration.

• A detailed budget for the proposed work plan, including a personnel schedule that specifies time commitments and consultant rates for each of those firms and individuals and itemized by project phase and labor discipline.

• MBTA policy caps all Consultant Overhead Rates at 135%, and maximum hourly billing rates at $45.00 respectively throughout the life of the contract, including any and all supplemental agreements.

• Post award, the Consultant must submit a detailed scope of work for the Basic Contract (and any and all supplemental agreements) on an IBM compatible 3-1/2 inch diskette (DOS) in American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) Text or Word Perfect 5.1/5.2 format to the MBTA Contract Administration Department.

• The Consultant shall not receive any payments until after the MBTA completes the pre-audit evaluation of proposed labor, overhead, and other direct and travel costs for the contract (including any and all supplemental agreements).

• Appeals/Protest Procedures: Appeals/protests relative to this procurement will be reviewed and adjudicated in accordance with the MBTA Appeals/Protest Procedures- Professional Services. A copy of this procedure is available by contacting the Professional Services Section of the MBTA Contract Administration Department.

• DBE Provisions: Attached to the Request for Proposal is the MBTA DBE Provisions Form which must be completely filled out, and submitted with your responding proposal.

• Child Care Provision: Attached to the Request for Proposal is the MBTA Child Care Provision Form which must be completely filled out, and submitted with your responding proposal.

• The MBTA may, in its discretion, have discussions with individual proposers for the purpose of clarifying responses to the solicitation requirements.

• The Ceiling Price is the maximum compensation to be paid for completion of all services including allowable expenses incurred and fixed fee for the work scope described herein. In no case shall a cost underrun of a particular supplemental agreement for this contract be applied to offset a cost overrun, or any other supplemental agreement on any other work scope, without prior written approval from the MBTA Project Manager and MBTA Contract Administration Department

• The Consultant must accumulate and separate costs by individual contract element (i.e. Base Contract and each individual Supplemental Agreement). Additionally, the Ceiling Price and actual costs to date for individual supplemental agreements and each contract element must be provided, when submitting bills with the standard invoice. If multiple contract elements or supplemental agreements are combined on one standard invoice, a clear trail into supporting and separating each cost documentation by contract element must be provided.

• Post-award, should the Authority make the request, the Consultant and all subconsultants shall make available (at no cost to the Authority) their Quality Assurance/Quality Control Program and Procedures for Authority review.

• Lobbying Provisions: Attached to the Request for Proposal is the MBTA Lobbying Provisions Form which must be completely filled out, and submitted with your responding proposal.

• Integrity Provision: Attached to the Request for Proposal is the MBTA Integrity Provision Form which must be completely filled out, and submitted with your responding proposal.

Attached to this Request for Proposals are: Articles II, General Provisions, and Article III, Compensation and Payment, which will be incorporated into the proposed contract. Acceptance of these terms and conditions is a prerequisite to commencing negotiations with the firm selected. Final acceptance must be so indicated within your proposal.

The written proposal, presentation, and response to questions raised during the interview will be evaluated by the Selection Committee membership based on the following criteria: