Safe Streets & Roads for All
GRANT PROGRAMOverview
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) established the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over 5 years. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. North Delta, through the Ouachita Council of Governments (OCOG), has been awarded the Department of Transportation’s SS4A grant for Ouachita Parish.
OCOG is developing a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan that will identify areas for roadway and safety improvements in Ouachita Parish. The plan’s goal is to help prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries for all transportation users in the parish, including motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit riders. There will be two rounds of public engagement in which citizens will be invited to participate in an online survey to their share transportation safety priorities. Through the first round of public outreach conducted in late 2023, the Safety Action Plan identified community priorities on a wide array of risk factors related to transportation fatalities and injury. In the second and final round, the public will have an opportunity to provide input on specific projects and solutions identified to address safety concerns.
Transportation Risk Factors
The Safety Action Plan will identify a wide array of risk factors related to transportation fatalities and injuries including the following:
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- speeding
- impaired driving
- nonuse of motorcycle helmets, seat belts, and child restraints
- distracted driving, and
- unsafe road infrastructure
The completion of the plan will allow the parishes to apply for implementation of capital construction grant funds through the federal discretionary grant program. Opportunities for the public to review and make comments on the draft SS4A Safety Action Plan will be provided both online and during in-person meetings before final decisions are made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Request for Proposal (RFP) - Closed
The SS4A Safety Action Plan Ouachita Council of Governments was awarded $319,680 in Federal funding. Proposals are sought from qualified professional transportation planning and engineering firms, teams, or individuals to develop the Safety Action Plan for Ouachita Parish. The Request for Proposals and Scope of Service for the work is located above which provides detailed information regarding the level of effort as well as specific tasks to be accomplished.
Interested consultants should submit a proposal that addresses the factors and scope of services listed on the above-referenced website. Proposals are due no later than 4:00 PM, Thursday, July 6, 2023, to the North Delta RPDD Office. If you need assistance or have questions about the submission process, contact Celine Flores-Robinson at celine@northdelta.org or call (318) 387-2572.
Why is a cost proposal required in the solicitation process if the evaluation is based on qualifications?
We understand the potential confusion regarding the inclusion of a cost proposal in the current solicitation process. While the primary focus of the evaluation is on qualifications, the request for a cost proposal serves two purposes: grading and reasonableness assessment. The evaluation process considers qualifications as the main criterion, and the cost proposal will not be the determining factor in the selection. It will only be used to ensure the reasonableness of the submitted cost.
Is it common to include a cost proposal requirement in RFPs for engineering firms?
The inclusion of a cost proposal requirement may vary depending on the nature of the project and the contracting entity. While RFPs for engineering services may not explicitly require a cost proposal, it is not uncommon to request one for grading and budgetary purposes when requesting services from other types of firms. In our specific case, the cost proposal is used solely for grading, and the maximum compensation amount payable to the consultant is clearly stated in the RFP.
Can the current RFP's requirement for a cost proposal be removed or modified?
While we appreciate the suggestion to modify the RFP and omit the requirement for a cost proposal, it is important to maintain consistency with the outlined evaluation criteria and adhere to the established procedures. Therefore, we will proceed with the current RFP requirements, including the cost proposal. However, please note that the cost proposal will not be the determining factor in the selection process, and its purpose is solely for grading and reasonableness assessment.
Where can I find more information regarding the guidelines of Contracting and Subawards?
You can find detailed guidelines on Contracting and Subawards for the SS4A RFP in the “US Department of Transportation’s General Terms and Conditions Under the Fiscal Year 2022 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program: FHWA Projects.” This section refers to the negotiation of contracts for architectural and engineering services as prescribed under 2 CFR 200.320 or an equivalent qualifications-based requirement. Please refer to Appendix A of the RFP document, which provides further details on the contractual requirements and guidelines applicable to the SS4A grant.
Do proposers need to submit a Free Form proposal in addition to the MPO Standard Submittal Form? Also, we want to confirm that the MPO Standard Submittal From should be included as Attachment 1 of the Cost Proposal.
Yes, proposers are required to submit a Free Form proposal in addition to the MPO Standard Submittal Form. The Free Form proposal allows proposers to provide additional information, explanations, and details that may not be covered by the standardized MPO form or other specified forms.
The RFP clearly outlines the required contents for the proposal package, including the Free Form proposal. The Free Form proposal provides an opportunity for proposers to showcase their qualifications, unique differentiators, project management plan, detailed scope of work, proposed changes (if any), and other relevant information necessary to demonstrate their capabilities and approach to meeting the project objectives.
In addition to the Free Form proposal, the MPO Standard Submittal Form must also be completed, signed, and included as Attachment 1 of the Cost Proposal.
