Task 1: Project Initiation and Project Management The successful bidder shall coordinate with the BMC Project Manager to schedule and facilitate an initial meeting to launch the work program for the project and clarify roles, project schedule, scope of work, deliverables and project approach. The emphasis of this meeting will be on the Consultant’s planned management, administrative, and technical approach as described in their Work Program. The kickoff meeting will also provide the Consultant with a forum to meet project team members and solicit input from BMC on the individual elements of the project approach, and refine the work program as applicable. The project will also include a decision-making Steering Committee consisting of local jurisdiction and state agency representatives from the BRTB, Technical Committee and Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. The Consultant will facilitate four meetings, including presentation materials, with the Steering Committee. Meetings will align with key tasks in the project scope. The Consultant shall commence work and communicate progress regularly with the BMC Project Manager, through short (30 minute) phone calls or virtual meetings that are scheduled approximately every two weeks throughout the project; coordinate reviews of deliverables; and provide updates to the project manager and BRTB at key milestones (at meetings or through e-mail correspondence). Invoices should be prepared and submitted monthly to the BMC Project Manager in the first week of each month following the invoice period. Task 1 Deliverables: • Facilitation of a kickoff meeting (likely virtual) • Finalized work plan, including project schedule and list of deliverables • Check-in calls with BMC Project Manager and Consultant Project Manager (and key team members as needed) and documentation of calls • Preparation for and facilitation of four Steering Committee meetings • Submittal of monthly invoices and progress updates Task 2: Explore Policy Questions with Steering Committee Scoring standalone bicycle and pedestrian projects in addition to major roadway and transit expansion projects is a new consideration for the BRTB. The Consultant will work with the Steering Committee to explore important policy questions related to integrating these projects more fully into the LRTP. Exploring these policy questions at the beginning of the project will help to frame the focus of the remainder of the tasks. BMC staff have drafted an initial list of policy questions to explore, and will work with the Consultant to refine this list following project initiation. Draft questions include: 1. What do we hope to accomplish by adding a scoring methodology for standalone bicycle and pedestrian projects? How should the scoring methodology influence the treatment of bicycle and pedestrian projects in the LRTP? 2. How do we most effectively integrate the bicycle and pedestrian scoring with existing roadway and transit scoring given the very different scopes and scales? 3. Should we envision standalone bicycle and pedestrian projects competing directly with roadway and transit projects for inclusion in the preferred alternative? 4. What kinds of standalone bicycle and pedestrian projects should we reflect in the LRTP? For example, the focus could be projects that span jurisdiction boundaries, fill key regional gaps, or projects reflected in the ongoing Bikeable Baltimore Region project. 5. How should scores influence inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian projects in the LRTP and will some projects not make the preferred alternative? Should the BRTB establish a minimum investment threshold for standalone bicycle and pedestrian projects in the LRTP to ensure that priority projects are included in the preferred alternative? What are recommended options for that threshold? 6. What criteria should the BRTB include when considering standalone bicycle and pedestrian projects? For roadway and transit projects, the technical scoring methodology includes criteria related to safety, accessibility, mobility, environment and natural resource impacts, security and economic prosperity. Scores for these projects also include a Policy component reflecting jurisdiction priorities and whether the project has demonstrated financial support. 7. Though this project focuses primarily on standalone bicycle and pedestrian projects, most roadway and transit projects submitted for the LRTP also incorporate bicycle and pedestrian elements. Recent public comments have encouraged the BRTB to provide more details in the LRTP on bicycle and pedestrian elements of roadway and transit projects, such as specifying separated vs. non-separated or protected vs. unprotected bicycle facilities. The consultant will explore with the Steering Committee if and how the LRTP can provide additional details on bicycle and pedestrian elements of these projects. Task 2 Deliverables: • Work with BMC staff to finalize policy questions • Facilitation of Steering Committee meeting to gather feedback on policy questions • Summary of feedback (to be integrated into Technical Memorandum #1 in Task 3)
