Regional Active Transportation Plan Update

The Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG), as the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for Tulare County, is requesting proposals from qualified consultants to update to the Tulare County Regional Active Transportation Plan (RATP).  The material produced will help shape the pedestrian and bicycle component for the region’s 2026 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)/Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS). The second purpose is to help our member agencies position themselves to successfully compete for funding from federal, state, and regional sources.  The overall purpose of the project is to prepare a comprehensive update to the Regional Active Transportation Plan (RATP) by revisiting and strengthening the vision, goals and policies for the Tulare County Region. Proposals are due Friday, August 30th 5:00PM and consultants will be notified by Thursday, September 12th.

Please note:

• Electronic proposals must be submitted by 5:00pm on Friday, August 30th to the email address stated below: sbhongir@tularecag.ca.gov
• Questions are welcomed until August 16th either by email to Sheela Bhongir, Regional Planner at sbhongir@tularecag.ca.gov OR via
  • MS Teams Group Q&A Meeting
  • Tuesday, August 20th from 1-3PM PST
  • Meeting ID: 263 305 303 121
  • Passcode: 3e6pM8
  • Link to join the meeting → Join the meeting now
• Please check www.tularecog.org/TCAG/rfps-contracts/rfps for complete Scope of Work, Budget, amendments or additional information on this RFP. 

Introduction and Objectives

Located within the heart of the Central Valley, Tulare County is situated in a geographically diverse region with relatively flat topography making it a conducive location for livable streets and high-quality walking and biking infrastructure. The region also is consistently in the top three counties in the nation for agricultural production – an industry that heavily relies on transportation facilities to move goods to market. The county has a healthy tourism industry thanks to two National Parks (Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park), a National Monument (Sequoia National Monument), and other natural and recreational attractions.

The purpose of the project is to prepare an update to the Regional Active Transportation Plan (RATP) for the Tulare County Region, also known as Walk ‘n Bike Tulare County. We will require the consultant’s help to develop a robust vision that can help shape and influence how future roads, streets and highways in Tulare County could look like by incorporating safe systems approach eventually achieving zero traffic deaths and serious injuries.

The RATP has three main purposes. The plan was developed to:

1. Create a comprehensive regional vision for active transportation,

2. Support grant applications for new funding, and,

3. Serve as critical building blocks to inform and shape the Action Element for the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS).

This would be the first comprehensive update of the RATP, which was originally adopted in 2016. Since then, technical details to the project lists have been updated; however, it’s been eight years since a comprehensive regional vision for active transportation has been reviewed. Equity and safe systems will be major factors in the new update. Therefore, we are seeking consultants who have expertise in developing a multifaceted plan centered around disadvantaged communities (DACs) and directly speak to the short term and long-term needs of member agencies and their constituents.

Visit Attachment A Scope of Work for complete description of tasks:

Task 1    Kick-off meeting
Task 2    Background Sections Updates
Task 3    Goals, Objectives, Policy Actions and Performance Metrics
We would like consultants to consolidate 2016 data which is currently mapped on two different online sites the TCAG website and on ArcGIS online https://arcg.is/0ammmD.
Task 4    Artistic Renderings
Task 5    List of all bikes, pedestrian and active transportation projects (past and future)
Task 6    Existing Conditions and Layer Analysis
Task 7   Safety Analysis and High-Injury Network for Entire TCAG Region
Task 8    Public Engagement and Needs Assessment  
Task 9    NEW! Chapter 9 on Maintenance Challenges and Solutions
Task 10  Final Document Preparation

Budget/Timeline 

While the overall budget will remain at $130,000, consultants have leeway to bid on different rates for each of the individual tasks according to their capacity and availability.  The number of deliverables can be adjusted to suit the consultant’s capacity and availability. For example, if the consultant needs more funds to deliver Task 9, Final Document Preparation, then funds from other Tasks could be reduced to ensure a quality product can be developed.

Work begins September 19 with a project completion date of March 31, 2025 or sooner if possible. 

Visit RFP-Full-Package_-RATP_7_26_24.pdf (tularecog.org) for more information and check website www.tularecog.org/TCAG/rfps-contracts/rfps regularly for amendments or additional information on this RFP.  

To view of list of all other recently completed active transportation plans and studies visit Active Transportation Planning - TCAG (tularecog.org) 

Questions are welcomed until August 16th either by email to Sheela Bhongir, Regional Planner at sbhongir@tularecag.ca.gov OR via

• MS Teams Group Q&A Meeting
• Tuesday, August 20th from 1-3PM PST
• Meeting ID: 263 305 303 121
• Passcode: 3e6pM8
• Link to join the meeting → Join the meeting now