NOTE: A PDF version of this notice is available.

Notice is hereby given by the West Virginia Department of Transportation/State Rail Authority that consulting services will be utilized for the preparation of a State Rail Plan (SRP) for the State of West Virginia that reflects the rail transportation planning needs in West Virginia. The SRP is intended to cover a twenty- (20) year planning horizon through the performance of the following work: 1) collect available data for and conduct an asset inventory of all Class I and short line railroads in the State; 2) perform analyses of the market, feasibility, capacity, and cost for potential new intercity passenger or High-Speed Rail (HSR) corridors, as well as existing and potential commuter corridors; 3) perform economic impact analyses of existing and potential tourist train corridors; and 4) develop methods that WVDOT may use in the future to analyze the feasibility, costs and benefits of potential rail corridors and projects throughout the State.

The Plan will be developed in accordance with any applicable provisions of the West Virginia State Code, United States Code; will address the minimum requirements for an SRP as identified in the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA); and will be developed in coordination with federal, State, and local agencies, and other public and private groups and organizations that will be identified during the initial task of the SRP.

The method of payment to be used for the SRP will be lump sum. The WVDOT anticipates completion of the SRP within 20 months of commencement of the project. A single firm will be selected for the development of the SRP, with the firm’s work divided into 18 Tasks, each with a deliverable, sorted into the 5 broad Task Groups indicated below.

Task Group 1: Project Planning
Task 1 – Project Work Plan
Task 2 – Goals and Objectives
Task 3 – Public Involvement Process
Task Group 2: Data Collection and Inventory
Task 4 – Data Collection
Task 5 – Asset Inventory
Task Group 3: Assessment and Analysis
Task 6 – Commodity Movement Assessment
Task 7 – Network Capacity Assessment
Task 8 – Freight Rail and Rail/Roadway Interface Safety Assessment
Task 9 – Intercity Passenger and HSR Feasibility Assessment
Task 10 – Amtrak Service Assessment
Task 11 – Commuter Rail Feasibility Assessment
Task 12 – Tourist and Recreational Train Assessment
Task Group 4: Alternatives and Cost
Task 13 – Funding Opportunities for Short Line Railroads
Task 14 – Identification and Evaluation of Alternatives
Task 15 – Design Concepts and Cost Estimates
Task 16 – Funding Analysis
Task Group 5: Project Documentation
Task 17 – Draft SRP
Task 18 – Final SRP

The firm will maintain an updated budget throughout the duration of this Project and submit it to WVDOT/SRA for review with quarterly reports as required by the Federal Railroad Administration. Deviations or issues pertaining to the progress of the Project with respect to the budget shall be described in a narrative and included with the quarterly budget report.

The consultant firms responding to this ad must be qualified by the WVDOT in all areas required to prepare comprehensive Transportation Plans.

To be considered by the project selection committee, all letters must contain the following elements:

1. A list of key staff members, including the Project Manager. Include a breakout of project engineers, technicians and other staff members responsible for the project. Also, indicate the number of each personnel available for assignment to this project.
2. A brief description of the experience of the firm’s personnel on similar projects.
3. A representative listing of projects similar to the proposed project performed by the firm and summary of comparable projects if they are available.
4. A list of the firm’s present workload relative to capacity and availability to provide the requested services.
5. A list of significant subconsultants, their current prequalification categories, and DBE status, and the percentage of work to be performed by each. Also, include the key subconsultant staff members to be assigned to the project.
6. The location of the primary office where most of the work will be performed.

The consultant selection process used by the WVDOT is a two-step process:

1. preparation of a letter of interest; and
2. preparation of a technical proposal and a formal presentation by the firms chosen.

All presentations will be evaluated and scored by a selection committee and a final choice will be based upon the technical proposal and presentation. The project information can be viewed on the WVDOT website and found in local Charleston Gazette legal advertisement section. Questions regarding this request should be directed to Cindy Butler, Executive Director of the WVDOT State Rail Authority, at (304) 538-2305; Cindy.K.Butler@wv.gov, or David Cramer, P.E., at 304-558-9211; David.E.Cramer@wv.gov.

The Consulting Firms are invited to submit a letter of interest and qualifications, and an unpriced prospectus, to WVDOT until 12:00 PM local time, on the response due date April 28, 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: Letters received after the response due date and time will not be considered.
Submit ten (10) copies of the letter of interest to:

Ms. Cindy K. Butler, Executive Director
WV Department of Transportation
State Rail Authority
120 Water Plant Drive
Moorefield, WV 26836

Each of the above evaluation factors will be given equal consideration in the shortlisting process.

In addition to the evaluation factors, the prospectus shall include, as a minimum, the following items:

1. A completed copy of the GSA Form SF 330 (OMB No.: 9000-0157) for the calendar year 2011, dated January 1, 2011 or later;
2.  Indication of whether a cost accounting system has been maintained and is in effect such that it is capable of segregating and identifying accumulating costs for the project;
3. A completed copy of the Department of Transportation Short List Evaluation Factor Criteria Form; and
4. A copy of a representative final report if the firm has previous experience performing statewide transportation planning studies.

Prior to entering into contract negotiations, the selected firm and any subconsultants shall submit a current audited overhead rate computation performed by a State or Federal government agency or independent CPA firm. The submitted overhead audit shall contain a detailed exhibit of the computations with all applicable eliminations and references. The audit shall be done in accordance with Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and all eliminations required by the Federal Acquisition Regulations will be made. This requirement will be waived for the selected firm or any subconsultant when its portion of the fee for the project is less than One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00). In such instances, a company computed overhead rate may be utilized.

It is the policy of the West Virginia Department of Transportation that Disadvantaged and Women-owned Business Enterprises shall have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts financed in whole or in part with Federal funds.