RFP – Traffic and Pedestrian Master Plan

1) Summary and introduction

Curve Lake First Nation (CLFN) is seeking proposals from qualified firms to develop a Traffic and Pedestrian Master Plan for the area surrounding the Recreation and Wellness Hub, Community Center, Family Resource Center, Health Center, and Elementary School. The objective of this plan is to enhance traffic safety, improve pedestrian accessibility, and create a comprehensive strategy for future infrastructure development in these key community areas.

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals from various individuals or organizations, conduct a fair and extensive evaluation based on criteria listed herein, and select the candidate who best represents the knowledge and experience needed to complete the task.

Curve Lake First Nation is located on a peninsula situated between Buckhorn Lake, Harrington Narrows and Chemong Lake. It is affiliated with the Union of Ontario Indians and is one of seven Williams Treaty First Nations.

The total registered population of Curve Lake First Nation is approximately 2,770.
There are 809 members who live on reserve while 1,968 live off reserve.

The Council is comprised of one (1) Chief and eight (8) Councillors.

First Nation operations are currently organized into six departments: Finance and Administration, Health & Family Services, Education, Culture, Economic Development, Consultation, Lands and Public Works. Curve Lake First Nation employs approximately 153 including full time employees and short-term contracts and sub-staff.

Several Council committees have been established to assist the operating departments. These include Finance, Health & Family Services, Education, Economic Development/Tourism and Employment, Capital and Public Works, Consultation, Lands & Environment and Rights and Resources, Governance and Nation Building, and Kinomaagewapkong and Culture. Additional Council Committees include Gaming Revenue Fund, Recreation, and Youth Advisory Council.

Curve Lake First Nation delivers several essential and non-essential programs and services to both member and non-member residents of the community.

2) Proposal Guidelines

This Request for Proposal represents the requirements for an open and competitive process. Proposals will be accepted until 12:00 p.m. (noon) Friday, April 11, 2025.

Any proposals received after this date and time will be returned to the sender.

If the individual or organization submitting a proposal must outsource or contract any work to meet the requirements contained herein, this must be clearly stated in the proposal. Additionally, all costs included in proposals must be all-inclusive to include any outsourced or contracted work. Any proposals which call for outsourcing or contracting work must include a name and description of the organizations being contracted.

All costs must be itemized to include an explanation of all fees and costs.

Contract terms and conditions will be negotiated upon selection of the winning bidder for this RFP. All contractual terms and conditions may be subject to review by Curve Lake First Nation legal department and will include scope, budget, schedule, and other necessary items pertaining to the project.

Proposal Inquiries

All questions, requests for information, instructions or clarifications regarding any part of this proposal document must be set out in writing and directed to:

Audrey Pearson
22 Winookeedaa Street
Curve Lake First Nation, ON, K0L 1R0
705-657-8045 ext. 214
procurement@curvelake.ca

All questions related to this Request for Proposal (RFP) or any clarification with respect to this RFP must be made no later than three (3) business days prior to the closing date of this RFP in order for staff to have sufficient time to respond. Curve Lake reserves the right to extend the deadline for questions, if required, regarding this RFP.

Written answers or clarifications to issues of substance shall be shared with all Proponents and shall be issued as part of the RFP in the form of an Addendum. This proposal document and all addendum(s), if any, shall also be posted on the First Nation’s website.

Proposal Submissions and Closing Date

The closing date for proposals is set for Friday, April 11, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. Only proposals that are mailed or emailed will be accepted. If packages are mailed, please send three (3) copies of the proposal. Packages should be clearly marked Traffic and Pedestrian Master Plan RFP.

Proposals should be submitted to the attention of:

Audrey Pearson
Community Project Liaison
22 Winookeedaa Street
Curve Lake First Nation, ON, K0L 1R0
705-657-8045 ext. 214
procurement@curvelake.ca

 

3) Project Purpose and Description

Curve Lake First Nation is a growing community with an increasing need for well-planned transportation and pedestrian infrastructure. The high-traffic nature of the Recreation Hub, Community Center, Family Resource Center, Health Center, and Elementary School has raised concerns regarding safety, accessibility, and efficiency. The master plan will provide a strategic framework to address these concerns while considering community growth and environmental sustainability.

4) Project Scope

The selected consultant will be responsible for the following:

a) Traffic Analysis

1. 1. Assess current vehicle and bus traffic patterns and congestion points.
   2. Identify peak-hour traffic flow challenges.
   3. Evaluate parking capacity and utilization.

b) Pedestrian Safety and Accessibility

• 1. Assess pedestrian movement and high-use crossings.
  2. Identify potential safety hazards for pedestrians and cyclists.
  3. Recommend infrastructure improvements such as sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, multi-use paths and lighting. Including all recommended signage and line painting.

c) Bus Traffic Analysis

• 1. Evaluate school bus and public transit routes.
  2. Identify areas of congestion caused by bus stops and loading zones.
  3. Recommend improvements for bus traffic efficiency and safety.

d) Community Engagement

• 1. Conduct meetings with community members, stakeholders, and local authorities.
  2. Gather input from school officials, parents, and business owners.
  3. Present findings and integrate feedback into the final recommendations.

e) Future Growth Considerations

• 1. Evaluate long-term community expansion and traffic impact.
  2. Recommend sustainable transportation options.
  3. Develop a phased implementation plan for short-term and long-term improvements, including the addition of EV stations in parking areas.

f) Final Master Plan Report

• 1. Provide detailed findings, recommendations, and conceptual designs.
  2. Include cost estimates and funding strategy recommendations.
  3. Deliver GIS-based mapping and visual representations of proposed improvements.

5) Request for Proposal and Project Timeline

Request for Proposal Timeline:
All proposals in response to this RFP are due no later than 12:00 pm (noon) Friday, April 11, 2025.

Evaluation of proposals will be conducted from April 17, 2025. If additional information or discussions are needed, the bidder(s) will be notified.

The selection decision for the winning bidder will be made no later than April 22, 2025.

Contract negotiations will be completed by April 25, 2025.

Notifications to bidders who were not selected will be completed by April 25, 2025.

Project Timeline:
Project must be completed by October 30, 2025

6) Budget

All proposals must include proposed costs to complete the tasks described in the project scope. These costs shall be itemized to include costs associated with travel, accommodations, workshops, production of reports as well as the overarching cost for conducting the work itemized above.

NOTE: All costs and fees must be clearly described in each proposal.

7) Bidder Qualifications

Bidders are required to include the following items as part of their proposal for consideration:

• Company background and experience, including a letter of introduction
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in traffic engineering, transportation planning and pedestrian safety studies
• Demonstrated experience in traffic, bus, and pedestrian planning, including references and testimonials from past clients on similar projects
• Experience working with First Nation communities
• Project team qualifications
• A Registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) or Certified Transportation Planner (CTP) on staff
• Experience with.
  1. Traffic modeling and analysis (e.g., Synchro, VISSIM, SIDRA, or similar software)
  2. Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure planning
  3. GIS mapping and data visualization
  4. Community engagement and public consultation
• List of any Sub-Contractors
  1. Any partners that will be involved including their qualifications and roles
• Work Schedule
  1. A detailed work schedule outlining the project timeline, milestones, and key deliverables to ensure clarity on project progress and deadlines
• Detailed budget
  1. A comprehensive and transparent budget outline, with no exclusions or hidden costs, for the entire project

8) Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Curve Lake First Nation will evaluate all proposals based on the following criteria. To ensure consideration for this Request for Proposal, your proposal should be complete and include all the following criteria:

• Technical Expertise and Experience
  1. Demonstrated experience in traffic analysis, pedestrian safety, and transit planning.
  2. Past projects related to similar scopes (e.g., urban mobility studies, school zone traffic management, multimodal transportation planning).
• Qualifications and certifications of key personnel.
• Methodology and Approach
  1. A clear and comprehensive approach to conducting traffic, pedestrian, and bus analysis.
  2. Proposed methodology for community engagement and stakeholder consultation.
  3. Strategy for addressing future growth considerations and sustainable transportation options.
  4. Use of GIS-based mapping and other data visualization tools.

• Community Engagement Plan
  1. Ability to effectively engage with community, administration staff, parents, and business owners.
  2. Approach to gathering and integrating community feedback into final recommendations.
• Innovation and Sustainability
  1. Proposed recommendations for sustainable transportation options (e.g., EV stations, bike lanes, multimodal solutions).
  2. Innovative solutions to address peak-hour congestion and pedestrian safety.
  3. Use of technology and data-driven approaches for traffic efficiency.
• Project Management and Deliverables
  1. Ability to deliver a phased implementation plan with clear timelines.
  2. Proposed process for developing the final master plan report, including cost estimates and funding strategies.
  3. Clarity in defining deliverables such as conceptual designs, GIS-based maps, and visual representations.
• Cost Proposal and Value for Money
  1. Competitive pricing relative to the scope of work.
  2. Justification of costs and resource allocation.
  3. Cost-effectiveness of proposed solutions.

9) Preparation Of Solicitation

If a proposing company, individual, or subcontractor was involved in the preparation of the RFP solicitation that proposal is disqualified.

10) Privilege Clauses

Curve Lake First Nation reserves its right:

1. Not to award the contract.
2. Not to award the contract necessarily to the lowest priced bidder, but rather to the best “value”.
3. To conduct negotiations with one or more bidders in the event the negotiations with the first bidder are unsuccessful.
4. To conduct a survey of potential bidders to obtain clarification of their proposals as part of the evaluation process.
5. To cancel and reissue the RFP; and
6. To extend any deadlines and amend the proposal process.

11) Exclusionary Clauses

The proposal writer shall be liable for all costs associated with preparation and submission of the proposal up to the final award of the contract.

Curve Lake First Nation shall not be liable for any costs, expenses, loss or damage incurred, sustained or suffered by any bidder prior, or after, or by reason of the acceptance or the non-acceptance by CLFN of any proposal, or by reason of any delay in acceptance of a proposal, except as provided in the tender document