SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- E-Tool for Business Processes to Improve Travel Time Reliability
- Notice Date
- 3/20/2012
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- The National Academies, Transportation Research Board, SHRP2, 500 Fifth Street NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20001, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20001
- Solicitation Number
- SHRP2_L34
- Archive Date
- 5/16/2012
- Point of Contact
- Gummada Murthy, Phone: 202-334-2542, Linda Mason, Phone: 202-334-3241
- E-Mail Address
-
gmurthy@nas.edu, lmason@nas.edu
(gmurthy@nas.edu, lmason@nas.edu)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- TRB's second Strategic Highway Research Program SHRP 2 Request for Proposals Focus Area: Reliability Project Number: L34 Project Title: E-Tool for Business Processes to Improve Travel Time Reliability Date Posted: March 20, 2012 Proposal Due Date: May 1, 2012 SHRP 2 Background To address the challenges of moving people and goods efficiently and safely on the nation's highways, Congress has created the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2). SHRP 2 is a targeted, short-term research program carried out through competitively awarded contracts to qualified researchers in the academic, private, and public sectors. SHRP 2 addresses four strategic focus areas: the role of human behavior in highway safety (Safety); rapid highway renewal (Renewal); congestion reduction through improved travel time reliability (Reliability); and transportation planning that better integrates community, economic, and environmental considerations into new highway capacity (Capacity). Under current legislative provisions, SHRP 2 has expanded its efforts to include activities such as pilot tests and field demonstrations that help to prepare research results for implementation. More information about the program is available on the website: www.TRB.org/SHRP2. Reliability Focus Area The major objective of SHRP 2 Reliability research is to greatly improve the reliability of highway travel times by reducing the frequency and effects of events that cause travel times to fluctuate unpredictably. The results of the research program should help local, state, and national agencies reduce travel time variability for travelers and shippers. The Reliability research plan addresses both recurring and nonrecurring congestion with an emphasis on nonrecurring congestion. The following seven potential sources of unreliable travel times (i.e., events that cause variable travel times) were identified: traffic incidents, work zones, demand fluctuations, special events, traffic control devices, weather, and inadequate base capacity. The Reliability focus area targets travel time variation-that frustrating characteristic of the transportation system that means you must allow an hour to make a trip that normally takes 30 minutes. Not only is reliability an important component for travelers and shippers, it is also an area of the congestion problem in which transportation agencies can make significant gains even as travel demand grows. The seven sources of unreliability account for approximately half of the total delay. Reducing reliability-related delay will also result in fewer crashes, reduced vehicle emissions and fuel use, and other benefits. These benefits can be realized through a mix of leading-edge research into a better understanding of strategies and their consequences, new technology and practices, and reducing institutional barriers so that our existing knowledge can be more fully exploited. The goals of the Reliability focus area are built around the first five of the seven sources mentioned above. Work on weather-related issues will be coordinated with the Road Weather Management R&D program under way at the Federal Highway Administration. Related research on inadequate base capacity being undertaken in the SHRP 2 Capacity focus area and elsewhere will be closely coordinated by SHRP 2 staff. Project Background The recently completed Reliability Project L01, Integrating Business Processes to Improve Travel Time Reliability, delivered two reports: 1. Integrating Business Processes to Improve Travel Time Reliability (SHRP 2 Report S2-L01-RR-1, http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/shrp2/SHRP2_S2-L01-RR-1.pdf) a final report describing the relationship of highway operations business processes to travel time reliability using case study narratives and analysis and 2. Guide to Integrating Business Processes to Improve Travel Time Reliability (SHRP 2 Report S2-L01-RR-2, http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/shrp2/SHRP2_S2-L01-RR-2.pdf), a guidance document that describes methods transportation agencies can use to reengineer their day-to-day business practices to improve traffic operations, address nonrecurring traffic congestion, and improve the reliability of travel times delivered to roadway system users. As a follow-up to the research effort, proposals are being solicited to implement the findings from project L01 and develop an interactive e-tool that transportation agencies can use to evaluate their current business processes and to identify and remove barriers to implementing and sustaining improved processes to advance operations to enhance travel time reliability. The e-tool is primarily an electronic version of the business processes and guidance material developed in project L01 and is hereafter referred to as "L34 e-Tool for Business Processes to Improve Travel Time Reliability." The L34 contractor will work closely with the SHRP 2 L34 project team consisting of SHRP 2 staff and the L34 Technical Expert Task Group (TETG) along with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and other public sector and industry representatives. Project Objective The primary objective of project L34 is to develop and pilot test an e-tool for evaluating existing and proposed business processes to improve travel time reliability. The e-tool will be based primarily on the research outcomes from project L01, Integrating Business Processes to Improve Travel Time Reliability. Please Note: A pre-bid webinar will be held within the next two weeks to discuss the desired outcomes of Projects L32-B and L32-C and to provide opportunity for potential proposers to ask questions. Registration for the free webinar will be available on the SHRP 2 website and announcements will be made as soon as a date is selected. Please check the site beginning March 22 for the registration announcement. e-Tool Project Requirements Following are the project essentials that will serve as guiding principles to achieve the project objective: How the e-tool will be developed 1. The report, Guide to Integrating Business Processes to Improve Travel Time Reliability, will be translated into an interactive, prototype e-tool, henceforth referred to as the e-tool. 2. The contractor shall draw upon additional literature as appropriate to develop the e-tool. 3. Reports produced by the contractor will identify and elaborate the current best practices and explore if additional improvements are needed. What the e-tool will accomplish 4. With the e-tool users can identify which business processes improve highway systems operations. 5. The outputs from the e-tool will become inputs to agency business processes to allocate resources and funding to advance operations. The e-tool will provide the outputs that will serve as the communication tools to advance collaboration and process change. 6. The e-tool shall provide recommended business process mapping to mainstream highway system operations into agency processes. For example, the developed e-tool shall demonstrate how to eliminate institutional barriers. 7. The e-tool shall have the capability to quantify the impact of the optimal operational processes on some performance measure of reliability. The developed e-tool will be applied in a real-time situation to demonstrate the e-tool outcome. How the e-tool will be tested 8. The contractor will use lessons learned from selected case studies in the L01 Final Report to demonstrate the e-tool. 9. The demonstration of the e-tool application shall focus on two of the seven sources of nonrecurring congestion. The contractor will propose to the TETG a process for selecting two of the seven sources of nonrecurring congestion that are listed below: • Incidents • Weather • Work zones • Fluctuation in Traffic Flows (Demand) • Special Events • Traffic Control Devices • Inadequate base capacity e-tool Pilot Tests 10. The e-tool will be pilot tested at two locations. Prior to this pilot test, the Contractor shall provide: (a) a list of at least seven candidate locations; (b) criteria for selecting the two best locations; and (c) the results of applying these criteria such that the two best locations are identified. Statement of Work This statement of work describes the key tasks to be performed for SHRP 2 project L34. It should be noted that the task descriptions are intended to provide a framework for developing the e-tool. SHRP 2 is seeking the insights of proposers on how best to achieve the e-tool objectives. Proposers are expected to describe technical specifications and all pertinent work plans that can realistically be accomplished within the constraints of available funds and contract time. Proposals must present the proposers' current thinking in sufficient detail to demonstrate their understanding of the issues and the soundness of their approach to meet the L34 project objectives. Project Tasks The proposal must use a task structure to describe the approach and must provide a cost estimate for each task in the proposal. A brief description of possible tasks to be performed for the L34 project is provided in this section. The objectives reflected in the following tasks are considered essential, but proposers are invited to suggest different approaches that would accomplish the same objectives more effectively or efficiently. Also, proposals should identify and describe sub-tasks where appropriate. Task 1: Review of Pertinent Literature and Current e-Tools Review in depth the SHRP 2 Project L01 final reports. In addition, to help understand and assess the context for the e-tool, the contractor is required to review relevant e-tools currently in use, including but not limited to the following: • Systems Operations Guide Web Tool (SHRP 2 L06 web tool) • Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) e-tool for Commuter Assistance Program • Florida Department of Transportation Decision Support System • Wisconsin Department of Transportation, e-tool "Emergency Traffic Control and Scene Management Guidelines Overview and Training Program CD" • Other e-tools from AASHTO, ITE, and ITSA, etc. • North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, TIMe4Safety video series and handbook During this review the contractor will also identify and document how these existing e-tools are used in practice by the primary stakeholder groups (i.e., state DOT, MPO, county and city and other transportation agencies). The review focus of these existing e-tools and their applications is primarily to identify any learning opportunities and constraints that will serve as additional insights for incorporation into the proposed L34 e-tool functionality. Also as part of this review the contractor will explore the stand-alone e-tool in the form of DVD and/or CD versions and develop estimated quantities of DVD and/or CD version of the L34 e-tool with appropriate user friendly desktop environment application options. Such DVD or CD form of application of e-tools should be executable as is without requiring a software installation on the personal computer. Deliverables: The contractor will prepare a brief technical memorandum that consists of: • A concise synthesis of current e-tool programs, resources, and initiatives • A succinct assessment of the e-tools that are in use by stakeholder groups • Itemized significant review findings that serve as inputs to this project • Functional requirements of the e-tool • A traceability matrix to map the project requirements with the functional requirements. • A brief report on the application and cost feasibility of providing the L34 e-tool in CD and DVD format. Task 2: e-Tool Architecture Development The contractor will develop a set of e-tool architecture schematics that are capable of implementing the functional requirements developed in Task 1. The contractor will develop and apply appropriate criteria, prioritize the candidate architectures, and make a recommendation to the L34 TETG regarding the selection of e-tool architecture. The recommended technical architecture should provide details such as the selected operating system, web server to be used, the relational database the e-tool is likely to operate, the scripting/programming language, the e-tool development environment including the details on web framework in which the e-tool is likely to be embodied. Deliverables The contractor will submit a Technical Memorandum on the development and application of the L34 e-tool architecture for TETG review and approval. Task 3: Build the Prototype e-Tool The contractor will build and present a working prototype e-tool to demonstrate the architecture and the functionalities of the e-tool finalized in Task 1 and Task 2 for TETG approval. The prototype e-tool will depict the proposed organization and layout of the e-tool in the website environment and, where necessary, include appropriate visual/graphical user interfaces charts (including the screen shots as required). Following the TETG approval of the e-tool concept model, the contractor will develop a working prototype e-tool to meet all the functional objectives identified in Task 2. The contractor will be required if necessary to revisit Task 3 for redefining any of the functional requirements that cannot be achieved in e-tool prototype model. Task 4: Develop the e-Tool Test Plan The contractor will develop a test plan and seek TETG review and approval. Following TETG approval, the contractor will implement the approved test plan and test the e-tool. The contractor is required to fix any operational problems that are identified during the test period. Additionally, the contractor should be aware that any of the operational problems that require reconstruction of the e-tool may require the contractor to repeat the e-tool testing process. Deliverables The contractor will prepare a report on the e-tool test results and document any proposed changes to the e-tool resulting from the e-tool tests performed in Task 4 for TETG review approval. Task 5: Build the e-Tool After successful completion of the e-tool testing during which no operational problems occurred, the contractor will build the e-tool and demonstrate a fully functional e-tool to the TETG for further piloting the e-tool. Task 6: Pilot Test the e-Tool Following the TETG approval, the contractor will successfully demonstrate through piloting the e-tool application at two locations that are specified by TETG. If any operational problems arise during the piloting of the e-tool, the contractor will fix the problems and repeat the test plan as specified in Task 4. At the discretion of the TETG, the contractor will be required to repeat Tasks 4 through 6. After successful development, testing, and demonstration of the e-tool, the contractor will work with the TETG to host the L34 e-tool on a contractor-managed IT system and make this tool available for public use as required by the L34 TETG, SHRP 2, FHWA, and AASHTO until a permanent arrangement is made to host the L34 e-tool elsewhere. This requirement does not extend beyond March 2015. Task 7: Final Report After successful demonstration and piloting of the e-tool, the contractor will prepare and submit for review by the ETG a draft final report of the project along with technical and system operations information for the e-tool system and the outcomes of the two pilot demonstrations of the e-tool. The draft report will be revised to respond to review comments and submitted as a Final Report. SHRP 2 ends in March 2015. Our goal is to have all final deliverables in hand one year before this termination date to allow for editing and publication. This contract period allows 9 months for carrying out the project and preparing the draft final report. Three additional months are allowed for review of the draft and delivery of the final report. Special Notes: 1: The L34 e-tool will closely mirror the case studies identified in the L01 research project. Therefore the contractor is required to review and gain thorough understanding of the L01 core research final report and guide book. The L01 core research material is based on case studies consisting of the following multi-disciplinary operations scenarios: I. Incident Management • Nevada DOT I-80 (weather, freight, rural focus) • Wisconsin DOT Joint Operations Policy and Programs • Florida DOT Road Rangers • United Kingdom Incident Response Strategies to Support Active Traffic Management (ATM) II. Regional Coordination/Operations • AZTechTM Regional Archived Database • San Pablo Avenue Corridor Study (Signal Operations) III. Special Event Traffic Management • Kansas Motor Speedway • The Palace of Auburn Hills (Michigan) IV. Work Zone Traffic Control • Michigan DOT Construction Impacts Modeling • North Carolina DOT Network Capacity Analysis 2: Additionally, the L34 contractor will be expected to demonstrate a broad and comprehensive understanding of the web-based or stand-alone tools that are currently in application and their methods of maintaining and using pertinent databases. 3: The contractor should follow the design standards such that the e-tool adheres to the web architecture and web design standards. 4: The recommended e-tool system and the various components should be based as much as possible on off-the-shelf software and equipment that is readily available to public sector agencies through existing contracts or standard bidding procedures. 5: In selecting software for the L34 project, the contractor should seek to minimize ongoing licensing and maintenance costs without compromising functionality. 6: The standard SHRP 2 proposal selection criteria will be used. These include: expressed understanding of the problem, quality of the proposal, experience and qualifications of the research team, a plan for participation by disadvantaged businesses, and adequacy of facilities (if special facilities are needed). In addition, significant expertise and experience is expected in developing e-tool systems and tools for transportation professionals responsible for carrying out complex transportation operations. Deliverables In summary the L34 project deliverables include: • Detailed work plan for the project, including a detailed time line with tasks, budget, delivery dates, and proposed series of opportunities for consultation with and input by the L34 Technical Expert Task Group (TETG). • Task reports as specified • Work plan and schedule in their response. • The contractor will work with TETG and host the L34 e-tool on the contractor managed IT system and make this tool available for public use as required by the L34 TETG, SHRP 2, FHWA, and AASHTO until a permanent arrangement is made to host the L34 e-tool. Funds Available: Entire Project: $200,000 Contract Time: 12 months Responsible Staff: Gummada Murthy, gmurthy@nas.edu, 202-334-2542 Authorization to Begin Work: September 2012, estimated Proposal Due Date: May 1, 2012 Proposals (20 single-bound copies) are due at the address below by 4:30 p.m. on May 1, 2012. This is a firm deadline and extensions are not granted. To be considered, all 20 copies of the agency's proposal accompanied by the executed, unmodified Liability Statement must be in our offices not later than the deadline shown or they will be rejected. Delivery Address: PROPOSAL-SHRP 2 ATTN: Gummada Murthy Strategic Highway Research Program 2 Transportation Research Board 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington DC 20001 Phone: 202-334-1340 Liability Statement The signature of an authorized representative of the proposing agency is required on the unaltered statement in order for SHRP 2 to accept the agency's proposal for consideration. Proposals submitted without this executed and unaltered statement by the proposal deadline will be rejected. An executed, unaltered statement indicates the agency's intent and ability to execute a contract that includes the provisions in the statement. Here is a printable version of the Liability Statement (http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/shrp2/LiabilityStatement.pdf). A free copy of the Adobe Acrobat PDF reader is available at http://www.adobe.com. The Liability Statement is included as Figure 1 in the Manual for Conducting Research and Preparing Proposals for SHRP 2 (http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/shrp2/PreparingSHRP2Reports.pdf) referred to in General Note 4. General Notes 1. Proposals will be evaluated by SHRP 2 staff and Expert Task Groups (ETGs) consisting of individuals collectively very knowledgeable in the problem area. Selection of an agency is made by the SHRP 2 Oversight Committee, based on the recommendation from SHRP 2 staff and the ETG. The following factors are considered: (1) the proposer's demonstrated understanding of the problem; (2) the merit of the proposed research approach and experimental design-the approach to validating the handbook is a key consideration; (3) the experience, qualifications, and objectivity of the research team in the same or closely related problem area; (4) the proposer's plan for participation by disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs)-small firms owned and controlled by minorities or women; and (5) the adequacy of facilities. TRB and the SHRP 2 Oversight Committee strongly encourage the significant participation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in SHRP 2 research contracts. Although no quota is specified nor is DBE participation mandated, the proposer's plan for involvement of DBEs is a factor in selection of the research contractor, and the contractor's adherence to its DBE plan will be monitored during the contract period. The "Research Team Builder" section of the SHRP 2 web site (http://www.trb.org/StrategicHighwayResearchProgram2SHRP2/Pages/Research_Team_Builder_177.aspx) is a resource for proposers interested in participating on research teams. 2. Any clarifications regarding this RFP will be posted on the SHRP 2 Web site (www.TRB.org/SHRP2). Announcements of such clarifications will be posted on the front page and, when possible, will be noted in the TRB e-newsletter. Proposers are advised to check the Web site frequently until April 25, 2012, when no further comments will be posted. 3. According to the provisions of Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 21, which relates to nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs, all parties are hereby notified that the contract entered into pursuant to this announcement will be awarded without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability. 4. The essential features required in a proposal for research are detailed in the Manual for Conducting Research and Preparing Proposals for SHRP 2 (http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/shrp2/PreparingSHRP2Reports.pdf). Proposals must be prepared according to this document, and attention is directed specifically to Section IV for mandatory requirements. Proposals that do not conform to these requirements will be rejected. 5. The total funds available are made known in the project statement, and line items of the budget are examined to determine the reasonableness of the allocation of funds to the various tasks. If the proposed total cost exceeds the funds available, the proposal is rejected. 6. All proposals become the property of the Transportation Research Board. Final disposition will be made according to the policies thereof, including the right to reject all proposals. IMPORTANT NOTICE Potential proposers should understand that the research project described herein is tentative. The final content of the program depends on the level of funding made available. Nevertheless, to be prepared to execute research contracts as soon as possible after sponsors' approvals, the second Strategic Highway Research Program is assuming that the tentative program will become official in its entirety and is proceeding with requests for proposals and selections of research agencies.
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