CAMBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
2020 Kendall Square Urban Renewal Area Streetscape Redesign RFP Main, Broadway and Third
OVERVIEW
The Cambridge Redevelopment Authority (CRA) seeks a landscape design and/or transportation planning team to develop conceptual streetscape designs for enhanced bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and other improvements across a number of key blocks within and around the Kendall Square Urban Renewal Plan area (KSURP). The focus of transit-oriented development, transportation demand management and multi-modal infrastructure investment in Kendall Square has created a mixed-use employment district with high transit ridership, pedestrian traffic, and growing bicycle usage. The CRA would like to revisit various street designs to better match the needs of active transportation commuters, visitors and residents to keep up with current transportation behavior trends in the area and to further promote the City of Cambridge’s (City) sustainable transportation and Vision Zero goals.
The City and CRA have pursued numerous retrofits of the local road system over the past decade to better serve the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists including Ames Street, Binney Street, and portions of Main Street, Galileo Galilei Way, Third Street and Broadway. With additional commercial and residential development underway, the CRA would like to develop plans for the next generation of streetscape improvements. The CRA, in partnership with multiple departments of the City of Cambridge, plans to create designs for protected bicycle facilities along the remainder of Broadway, and portions of Main Street and Third Street in the area illustrated below.
Broadway/Main/Third Streetscape Project Boundary
Binney St
Project Boundary
Phase I Boundary
Broadway Park
Danny Lewin
Galileo Galilei Way
Broadway
Ames St
Grand Junct. Third St Kendall Square
Main St Galaxy Park REDEVELOPMENT CONTEXT
In 1964, at the request of the federal government, the CRA initiated the Kendall Square Urban Renewal Project (Mass. R-107, KSURP) in Cambridge, MA, under provisions of Title I of the Housing Act of 1949, with a very tight time schedule in order to meet the urgent need for a 29-acre site within the project area for construction of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Electronics Research Center (ERC).
The original urban renewal plan for the Kendall Square area, which is bounded on the north by Binney Street, on the south by Main Street, on the east by Third Street and Kendall Square, and on the west by the Grand Junction right-of-way, was approved by the City, State, and federal Department of Housing and Development (HUD) in 1965. The plan provided for development of the ERC north of Broadway and a mix of high-density, job-generating uses in the triangle south of Broadway. The CRA had anticipated that the project would attract NASA-related private development to replace a blighted industrial area of old, deteriorated and underutilized buildings with a modern, attractive industrial area, which would generate tax revenues and jobs.
Through the KSURP, with financing from HUD, the CRA completed a series of public infrastructure improvement projects designed to fully modernize the infrastructure serving the federal property and Cambridge Center. Many public streets were vacated while other rights-of-way were widened with the explicit purpose to better accommodate automobile and truck traffic. All dry utilities were placed underground. The combined sewer system was separated into a sanitary and storm water system.
In 1970, NASA withdrew from the KSURP and transferred its facilities to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) creating the Volpe Center, and a portion of the federal land back to the CRA to contribute to the city’s efforts to expand its economic base. In 1977, Cambridge City Council approved a mixed-use development plan for the KSURP, and the City created the MXD zoning district. In 1978, the CRA invited proposals to develop the MXD area, marketed as Cambridge Center, and in 1979, selected Boston Properties as the master developer.
The KSURP has been catalytic in attracting redevelopment of the entire Kendall Square area. This includes the adaptive reuse and new development at One Kendall, the completion of Alexandria’s Binney Street biotech corridor, the development of Cambridge Research Park (now the Canal District), the construction of MIT’s SOMA and NOMA project, and the future Volpe Center redevelopment. With this significant employment growth has come demands on the existing transportation infrastructure, including high volumes of transit ridership and strained vehicular intersection capacity, however the fastest growing portion of the area’s roadway use has been bicycle traffic.
Over the past ten years many of the streets in and around the KSURP have been rebuilt, often reducing travel lanes and expanding facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists. These roadway projects have been implemented by various parties and completed with various funding sources. For example, the Ames Street corridor from Binney to Memorial Drive was redesign with separated bicycle facilities in three phases by the CRA, Boston Properties and MIT. Additionally, in 2018 the CRA completed the design for cycle track designs along Binney Street, Galileo Galilei Way, and a block of Broadway. One block of this plan was recently implemented by the development at 145 Broadway and a significant portion of the remainder will begin construction in 2020.
SCOPE OF WORK
The purpose of this project is to develop concepts to improve the bicycle and pedestrian facilities along Main Street, Broadway, and Third Street. Bike lanes have been present along these roadways for years, but the high volume of bicycle traffic and the Vision Zero goals of the City necessitate a new look at these streets, even after their redesign within the past ten years. The design shall also consider signalized intersection designs, approaches to intersections with side streets and garage driveways, and transitions to anticipated improvements
Date Issued: 1/15/2020 2 that are already designed or under construction. If the conceptual designs are compelling, the CRA or others would then undertake schematic or 25% designs for all or segments of the identified roadways.
Factors to be considered and incorporated in the design include:
• Protected bicycle facilities to accommodate high volumes of cyclists • Traffic calming and improving pedestrian crossings • Design for efficient bus, shuttle and transit operation, particularly concerning the numerous bus and shuttle stops on Main Street • Significant new development and vehicular access to the Volpe site • Drop-off and pick-up zones for taxis, ride hailing services, hotel guests, and commercial loading areas • Accommodations for high volumes of pedestrian movements across all intersections • Layout of street furniture, bike parking, and Blue Bike station locations • Existing stormwater facilities and other utilities • Preservation and enhancement of tree canopy
The CRA has over 20 years of traffic data for the roadways in the core area of Kendall Square per the MEPA requirements for the KSURP. Additionally, the City has installed an automated bicycle traffic counter on Broadway. Construction documents are available for both the Main Street and Broadway improvements. Limited survey work may be needed for portions of Main Street and Third Street.
The redesign should expect that the project will be undertaken in phases, and that various parties could be responsible for implementing the final design and construction. The designer should consider multiple phasing scenarios.
The design process will require close coordination with the City departments (DPW, CDD, TPT). The CRA will lead the coordination effort with the goal of ensuring the design receives a city-wide perspective, and to receive guidance from the departments who oversee various infrastructure elements of the City’s rights-of-way. The design process will also require coordination with neighboring property owners and developers. See exhibit for work product details.
SCHEDULE
This contract will be for the duration of one year. Due to development timelines, the redesign of Main Street between Galileo Galilei Way and Third Street needs to be prioritized as a first project deliverable. Designs for Broadway and Third Street may follow.
MINIMUM TEAM EXPERIENCE
The CRA requires that respondents have experience in active transportation design, and document that experience as part of their response:
- Team experience designing a minimum of two protected cycle track or protected bike lane projects. Documentation must be submitted describing this experience. - Team experience with and/or substantial understanding and familiarity of the following documents is required , and documentation must be submitted describing a team’s familiarity or experience: o NACTO Urban Street Design Guide o NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide o MassDOT Separated Bike Lane Planning & Design Guide - Team experience with City of Cambridge DPW streetscape design standards is preferred but not required
Date Issued: 1/15/2020 3 RFP EVALUATION CRITERIA
The CRA will award the contract to the Consultant offering the most advantageous proposal, taking into consideration all evaluation criteria, as well as billing rates. Finalists may be required to appear for an interview.
A. EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATION OF PERSONNEL
Provide a brief summary of the qualifications of the personnel to be involved in the project. The team must have transportation planning, engineering and design experience for at least ten (10) years, with substantial experience working for urban municipalities. The team should have specifically been involved in and be able to document active transportation design experience as described above in “Minimum Team Experience.”
B. EXPERIENCE OF THE FIRM
Provide a brief history of a team’s experience working on similar projects in urban areas. The proposer may show examples of successful projects over a period of ten years or less.
C. PROJECT APPROACH AND TIMELINE
The proposal should indicate that the team understands the project goals, has a clear approach to the design challenge, and a reasonable anticipated timeline toward project completion. The CRA is looking for a team that can coordinate multiple stakeholders and facilitate a comprehensive design process along a complex urban corridor. Respondents are expected to present an aggressive but realistic timeline of work milestones to facilitate project completion.
D. GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION CAPABILITIES
The proposal should provide examples to show the team’s ability to produce high quality graphics to intuitively and compellingly represent all aspects of the project to stakeholders internal to the City as well as the general public. These work samples should be specific to transportation planning, especially bicycle and pedestrian planning.
E. QUALITY OF REFERENCES
Provide recommendations from three references, including at least one governmental entity, who can comment substantively on their experience(s) with the team’s personnel.
F. QUALITY OF PREVIOUS WORK
Provide information about two previous projects that are similar to the work proposed in this scope. Each project description should be no more than two pages in length, but may include references to additional supporting documents, plans or reports (or links to these documents online).
Date Issued: 1/15/2020 4 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Proposals should provide information in sufficient detail and be organized so that the CRA can conduct and informed and fair selection process. The proposal should not exceed 15 pages excluding attachments/appendices. Proposals received after the specified time will not be accepted or recognized.
To be complete the proposal must include at minimum the following information:
a) Legal name and contact information b) A clear project approach c) Proposed project timeline d) Information and qualifications of all team members and sub-consultants e) Examples of project experience f) At least three references for similar work products g) Evidence of professional liability insurance h) Completion of the attached Non-Collusion and Tax Statements i) A copy of the organization’s W9
See exhibit for work product details.
PRICE PROPOSAL
In a separate envelope and separate electronic PDF clearly marked “Price Proposals”, firms or individuals must provide a proposed project budget along with an hourly fee schedule for all personnel. The proposed fee should include an hourly breakdown for each task and include all expenses.
Please include hourly rates for any sub-contractors, names of sub-contractors, and any other relevant information. Include the name of the proposer on each page to be submitted.
RFP DUE DATE AND EVALUATION PROCESS
The due date on this RFP is Friday, 2/14/2020 at 4:00pm local time
6 paper copies are required and may be dropped off or mailed to the CRA at 255 Main Street, 8th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142. If being dropped off, please call the day before to notify us what time you plan to arrive.
In addition to the required paper copies, one electronic copy is also required.
Questions may be submitted any time before 5:00pm Friday 1/31/2020 directed to CRA Project Manager Alexandra Levering at [email protected] or 617.492.6800x13
The CRA will host a walk-through of the project area with any interested parties/teams at 9:30am on Wednesday, 1/29/2020
The CRA anticipates interviews of finalists to be scheduled during the week of 2/24/2020 or 3/2/2020
Date Issued: 1/15/2020 5 LINKED REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
• CRA Transportation Website: www.cambridgeredevelopment.org/kendall-transportation • Bicycle Network Plan (http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Transportation/bikesincambridge/bicyclenetworkplan.aspx ) • Transport Kendall • K2 Plan (http://www.cambridgema.gov/cdd/projects/planning/k2c2.aspx ) • Cambridge Transit Strategic Plan (http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Transportation/regionalplanning/masstransit ) • 25% Streetscape Designs and Landscape Vision for Binney/Galileo/Broadway Streetscape Designs (https://www.cambridgeredevelopment.org/streetscaperedesign)
APPENDIX
Appendix A: Non-collusion, Non-Discrimination, Tax/Employment Statements. These statements must be signed and returned with your RFP submission.
Date Issued: 1/15/2020 6 APPENDIX A: NON-COLLUSION, NON-DISCRIMINATION, and TAX/EMPLOYMENT STATEMENTS
NON-COLLUSION STATEMENT
The undersigned bidder or agent, being duly sworn on oath, says that he/she has not, nor has any other member, representative, or agent of the firm, company, corporation or partnership represented by him/her, entered into any combination, collusion or agreement with any person relative to the RFQ response, to prevent any person from responding nor to include anyone to refrain from responding, and that this response is made without reference to any other response and without any agreement, understanding or combination with any other person in reference to such response.
I HEREBY AFFIRM UNDER THE PENALTIES FOR PERJURY THAT THE FACTS AND INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE FOREGOING RFQ FOR THE CRA ARE TRUE AND CORRECT.
Dated this ___ day of ______, ______
______Name of Organization,
______Title of Person Signing
______Signature
RFQ for Designer Services, 93-99 Bishop Allen Drive, Cambridge 4 | Page NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
The Consultant agrees:
1. The Consultant shall not, in connection with the services under this Contract, discriminate by segregation or otherwise against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, veteran status or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law.
2. The Consultant shall provide information and reports requested by the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority pertaining to its obligations hereunder, and will permit access to its facilities and any books, records, accounts or other sources of information which may be determined by the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority to affect the Consultant’s obligations.
3. The Consultant shall comply with all federal and state laws pertaining to civil rights and equal opportunity including executive orders and rules and regulations of appropriate federal and state agencies unless otherwise exempt therein.
4. The Consultant’s non-compliance with the provisions hereof shall constitute a material breach of this Contract, for which the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority may, in its discretion, upon failure to cure said breach within thirty (30) days of written notice thereof, terminate this Contract.
5. The Consultant shall indemnify and save harmless the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority from any claims and demands of third persons resulting from the Consultant’s non-compliance with any provisions hereof, and shall provide the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority with proof of applicable insurance.
Signed (type name): ______
Title: ______
Date: ______
RFQ for Designer Services, 93-99 Bishop Allen Drive, Cambridge 5 | Page CERTIFICATE OF TAX, EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, AND CHILD CARE COMPLIANCE
Pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 62C, §49A and Chapter 151A, §19A(b) and Chapter 521 of the Massachusetts Acts of 1990, as amended by Chapter 329 of the Massachusetts Acts of 1991,
I ______(Name) whose principal place of business is located at ______(Address), do hereby certify that:
A. The above-named Respondent has made all required filings of state taxes, has paid all state taxes required under law, and has no outstanding obligation to the Commonwealth's Department of Revenue.
B. The above-named Respondent/Employer has complied with all laws of the Commonwealth relating to unemployment compensation contributions and payments in lieu of contributions.
C. The undersigned hereby certifies that the Respondent/Employer (please check applicable item):
1. ______employs fewer than fifty (50) full-time employees; or
2. ______offers either a dependent care assistance program or a cafeteria plan whose benefits include a dependent care assistance program; or
3. ______offers child care tuition assistance, or on-site or near-site subsidized child care placements.
Signed under the penalties of perjury this ______day of ______, 201__.
Federal Identification Number: ______
Signed (type name): ______
Title: ______
Date: ______
RFQ for Designer Services, 93-99 Bishop Allen Drive, Cambridge 6 | Page