The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is assisting the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) in evaluating parking demand along its Hi-Speedline in New Jersey. A study will be conducted to determine the factors that influence current and future parking demand at PATCO rail stations in New Jersey. A consultant is needed to complete a parking inventory, conduct focus groups and identify and evaluate potential parcels for increasing parking capacity at selected PATCO stations.

The Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) is a 14.2 mile rail line (Hi-Speedline) operating between Lindenwold, New Jersey and Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Train service began February 15, 1969. The Hi-Speedline has a total of 13 stations, 9 in New Jersey and 4 in Philadelphia. Initially, the 14.2 mile line carried 21,200 people per day. Today, more than 38,000 people each day use the Hi-Speedline.

Seven of the 9 New Jersey stations provide Park and Ride service. The most recent station added to the system was Woodcrest Station which opened in Cherry Hill in 1980. It features 2,700 parking spaces and direct access to and from I-295 via Exit 31. Total parking is now available for over 12,000 cars daily at 7 stations: Lindenwold, Ashland, Woodcrest, Haddonfield, Westmont, Collingswood, and Ferry Avenue. Approximately sixty percent of all of PATCO's parking spaces are free of charge each day. There is a fee to park in the other forty percent, generally those closest to the stations.

Over the years, each addition to station parking capacity has resulted in an immediate increase in passenger trips. Parking utilization at the seven stations with park and ride lots is currently in excess of 90%. This is indicative of a strong present demand for parking at these stations. Future demand is expected to be even greater when population and employment growth in the service area are factored into the current demand. Due to the development of the areas surrounding the stations, additional station parking is becoming more difficult to obtain. The challenge therefore is to identify areas where additional parking can be provided within these constraints.

A 1991 rider survey, conducted by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, found that 69% of riders drove to their boarding station and parked in a park-and-ride lot at the station. The predominance of park-and-ride lots affected both access time (14.3 minutes average) and access distance (5.9 miles average). Park and ride was most important at stations in newer suburban areas, less important at those in older suburban communities, and least important at city stations.

The study involves an identification and evaluation of the factors that affect parking needs today and in the years 2006 and 2011. These include an examination of local and regional economic and demographic changes such as population growth trends, changes in population age characteristics, and employment growth projections. Particular attention will be paid to fare policy issues such as demand elasticities to revision of the current fare structure and parking fee increase impacts. The influence of proposed mass transit improvements within the region on parking demand and ridership trends, as well as the identification of available land for expansion of existing parking and the structure of such additional parking will also be identified and evaluated.

The study area encompasses the entire PATCO line in Philadelphia and New Jersey, with special emphasis on the New Jersey stations where parking is provided. These are the 7 stations within the municipalities of Camden, Collingswood, Haddon, Haddonfield, Cherry Hill, Voorhees, and Lindenwold.

Study results will provide the information needed to inform PATCO on:

• what capital improvements are needed to improve parking at their rail stations;
• the feasibility of operating satellite facilities;
• determining the latent demand for parking;
• determining the future demand for parking.

1.     SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant shall address all the issues in this scope of work. Creativity in addressing these issues is desired and expected.

2.     MEETINGS

1. Initial meeting with Camden County, DRPA/PATCO and DVRPC to finalize and reach consensus on the scope of work, schedule, products and other deliverables.
   
   
2. Meetings with municipalities as follows:
1. Initial meetings with each of the seven municipalities to discuss local plans and goals.
2. Meeting with all municipalities collectively to present draft recommendations.
3. Meetings with involved and interested local, state and federal agencies to present preliminary and final findings of the study.
4. Meet with project team as needed.

3.     SCHEDULE

4.     CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

A.    SUBMISSION DATE

Proposals must be submitted by 4:00 PM, January 12, 2001, to John Griffies, Contract Manager, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, The Bourse Building - 8th Floor, 111 South Independence Mall-East, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2515. Proposals submitted after this time and date will not be considered.

B.    NUMBER OF COPIES:
Six (6) copies of the proposal are to be submitted.

C.    MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE:
DVRPC complies with Title 49 CFR Part 23, "Participation of Minority Business Enterprises in Department of Transportation Programs" and encourages minority businesses and women-owned businesses to submit proposals, and further encourages non-minority business firms to contract with minority business where subcontracting opportunities exist.

Disadvantaged and minority owned business will be required to submit certification of eligibility ownership prior to execution of any agreements.

D.    CONTRACT:
The contract will be between DVRPC and the selected firm. The contract will be of the cost reimbursable with a fixed fee, not to exceed type. A ten percent (10%) retainage is required pending satisfactory completion of work. The anticipated level of effort for consultant work is $80,000.

E.    CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY:
A certificate is to be included in the proposal for each firm stating that: "The firm is not ineligible to receive award of a contract due to the firm's inclusion on any federal, Pennsylvania or New Jersey State lists of debarred contractors, or otherwise ineligible to be awarded a contract using federal or state funds."

F.    COST PROPOSAL:
The consultant and any subcontractor over $10,000 are required to submit the following cost information:

5.     EVALUATION CRITERIA

A Consultant Selection Committee will evaluate each proposal submitted and at its discretion, recommend a firm to the DVRPC Board. Negotiations and award of the contract will be to the firm or firms that provide the most advantageous proposal, all things considered. The selection committee and DVRPC reserves the right to reject all proposals.

Criteria have been established to guide the evaluation of each consultant proposal. The top ranked firms with the highest numerical scores after evaluation may be asked to make oral presentations to the Selection Committee. If oral presentations are required, each firm's proposed project manager must take part in the presentation. The oral presentations will also be evaluated on the basis of the criteria listed below. The criteria are weighted and are as follows:

• A summary description of the firm's history.
• A description of the study team including an organization chart (required only if subcontractor is used) and work experience of the professional staff to be assigned, including resumes.
• A certification that the persons identified above will be available and assigned to the work.
• A full description of the roll of all subcontractors.
• The name and address of clients for whom similar work has been performed by the firm and principal members of the study team.

You should develop detailed tasks on how your firm would complete the scope of work defined above. Your detail should include special data needs, special methods of analysis, graphic preparation, milestones, end products and procedures.

Include a schedule.

The activities contained in the Scope of Services are but one approach to meet the study objectives. Consultants may: (1) develop alternative approaches and (2) offer suggestions for enhancing specific tasks or the overall work.

6.     CHECKLIST OF PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

The following are to be included in the proposal, not necessarily in the order presented:

A.    TECHNICAL PROPOSAL: Include special data needs, special methods of analysis, graphic preparation, milestones, end products and procedures.

B.    SCHEDULE: You are to include a schedule of events which corresponds to the sequence contained in your technical proposal.

C.    CERTIFICATION OF STAFF ASSIGNMENT

D.    LIST OF CLIENTS FOR WHOM SIMILAR STUDIES HAVE BEEN PREPARED

E.    RESUMES OF STAFF TO PERFORM WORK

F.    STUDY ORGANIZATION CHART

G.    DESCRIPTION OF QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE OF ANY SUBCONTRACTOR

H.    CERTIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY

I.    COST PROPOSAL

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) provides continuing, comprehensive, and coordinated planning for the orderly growth and development of the Delaware Valley region. DVRPC is responsible for comprehensive planning for the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, including the City of Philadelphia, four suburban counties in southeastern Pennsylvania and four suburban counties in southern New Jersey. As the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the region, DVRPC works with these member governments and each state on issues of transportation, land use, environmental protection, and economic development, planning analyses, data collection, and mapping services. Aerial imagery products, maps, and a variety of publications are available to the public and private sector. Federal highway and transit statutes require, as a condition for spending federal highway or transit funds in urbanized areas, the designation of MPOs which have responsibility for planning, programming and coordination of federal highway and transit investments

Rights in Data, Copyrights, and Disclosure The contract will contain the standard federal clause regarding the federal government's and participating organizations' rights to the products. In summary, this clause provides: