Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure Charlotte, North Carolina REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

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Arleen Bryant
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1 Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure Charlotte, North Carolina REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

2 November 16, 2016 for Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure A. Purpose Charlotte Center City Partners (CCCP) seeks to engage a marketing and communications firm to develop a comprehensive strategy and offer implementation assistance for a Spring/Summer 2017 campaign to promote bicycling Uptown, in hopes of developing a large base of new riders and cycling advocates in the center city. CCCP is seeking a firm whose combination of experience and expertise will provide innovative, timely, cost-effective and quality professional services. B. About Charlotte Center City Partners CCCP is a private 501 (c) 4 non-profit corporation. CCCP is a financial partner with the City of Charlotte, under contract to manage Municipal Service Districts 1-4 (Uptown and South End). Mission: CCCP envisions and implements strategies and actions to drive the economic, social, and cultural development of Charlotte s Center City. Vision: Charlotte s Center City is viable, livable, memorable, and sustainable, with modern infrastructure, a tapestry of unique neighborhoods, and a diversity of thriving businesses. Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure Page 2 of 9

C. Project Focus Area This project is focused on promoting cycling to and from Uptown Charlotte, generally defined as the area within the I-77/I-277 loop.

3 C. Project Focus Area This project is focused on promoting cycling to and from Uptown Charlotte, generally defined as the area within the I-77/I-277 loop. Uptown is in the heart of Charlotte s center city, which includes the area inside the highway loop and the adjacent neighborhoods. This is the region s largest employment destination. It hosts the highest concentration of stadiums, museums and visitor attractions, and is home to a growing residential community. With over 211,094 employees that work in Center City and over 97,431 residents within a 3-mile radius of Independence Square, Charlotte s Center City is the economic heart of the region. The map below is a general representation of Charlotte s Center City. Respondents should expect to focus on encouraging cycling to and from the Uptown area, recognizing that many stakeholders will begin or end their trips elsewhere in Center City and elsewhere in the region. National research shows that people are most likely to bike for trips that are 4 miles or shorter, so the map below provides a good illustration of 1-, 2-, and 3-mile rings from Independence Square. Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure Page 3 of 9

4 D. Background and Existing Conditions OVERVIEW: As Charlotte continues to grow, the transportation modes used in Center City will become more diverse. Bicycling, in particular, has become more popular in urban centers around the country as more people realize the health, sustainability, and convenience benefits. In recent years, cities across the U.S. have been racing to add more bike infrastructure to accommodate the surge in demand.. Widespread use of bicycles in Center City would benefit the area in a number of ways: As more people opt to travel by bike rather than by car, the city will not experience the worsening traffic congestion and air quality that it would if those trips are made in cars Studies show that cyclists spend more money supporting local businesses, and they add vibrancy to city streets. A culture of cycling has become an important amenity to attract talent and jobs Bicycling is a great form of exercise, and there are numerous health and wellness benefits to increased physical activity. Earlier this year, the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) engaged the engineering firm Stewart, Inc. to analyze Uptown streets and rights of way and develop ideas for a network of Uptown bike facilities that will be comfortable for riders ages 8 to 80. The study is well underway and is identifying challenges to, and solutions for, cycling through Uptown between existing and future greenways and urban trail facilities. Though the exact locations are not yet known, a system of urban trails will begin to be implemented in the Uptown area within the next year. Charlotte Center City Partners and CDOT realize that it is critically important that the new infrastructure is widely understood and welcomed by the traveling public and that it becomes rapidly adopted by cyclists. Therefore, CCCP applied for and was awarded a small federal grant through the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to help promote this new infrastructure when it s introduced. E. Project Participants Primary project participants include CCCP and the City of Charlotte (including CDOT). Other key Center City employers, institutions, neighborhood groups and visitor destinations will be involved as needed. Advocates for cycling, sustainability, health and tourism will also be important partners to help spread the messages. F. Target Audiences The main target audience is Center City residents, employees and visitors who are interested in cycling more often. This audience will include bike enthusiasts who ride recreationally, but not as a mode of transportation, as well as individuals who rarely ride because they do not feel comfortable cycling in a shared environment. Messaging for this target audience should revolve around the notion that biking in Uptown is cool, cost effective, healthy, convenient, safe, and fun. Secondary target audiences include the following: - Retail business owners in Uptown who may be impacted by new bike infrastructure - Uptown residents who may be impacted by new bike infrastructure - Uptown employers and property owners - Drivers who will never ride bikes Uptown but may feel or perceive an impact to the ease and speed of their vehicle trips Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure Page 4 of 9

5 For these secondary audiences, messages must be crafted that address their concerns and tactics must be developed to ensure that the messages reach them. G. Key Tasks This project is intended to be directly tied to the rollout of new bike infrastructure in Uptown Charlotte. The selected firm will develop and implement a comprehensive marketing, outreach, and communication strategy to encourage the use of these new facilities and to foster a more bicyclefriendly culture throughout Center City. Key tasks to achieve this objective are as follows: 1. Develop a marketing, outreach, and communication strategy with a broad range of tactics 2. Develop Marketing Materials such as: Posters Advertisements Maps that highlight the following o Cycling Routes o Bike Parking o Popular Destinations 3. Media Leverage CCCP s long-standing media relationships to achieve significant earned media Acquire reduced-cost media buys with partnered news outlets. Leverage Social Media assets to create new promotional campaigns: Facebook Twitter Instagram 4. Produce promotional items such as: Water bottles Stickers Bike lights Keychains T-shirts 5. Other promotional tactics could include: Strategic Placement of billboards Bus and light rail vehicle wraps Novel and interactive signage promoting bicycle infrastructure Other ideas developed as part of the marketing strategy 6. Create and assist in the execution of programs and events that introduce the community to urban bike trails which include an emphasis on: Neighbors Work with neighborhood organizations to spread the word to residents who live near safe routes to promote directly to them. Employees Partner with business to ensure employees (guests/customers) are aware of proximity to safe bike facilities Destinations Partner with local business with and destinations, such as 7 th Street Public Market, BB&T Ballpark, Bank of America Stadium, as well as Uptown parks and retail stores to promote incentives or rewards to visitors who arrive by bike. Host pop-up events in key destinations with high pedestrian traffic Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure Page 5 of 9

6 H. Products/Deliverables 1. Kickoff and bi-monthly meetings with client (6 meetings) 2. Minutes and/or summaries of all monthly meetings as well as any interviews with project stakeholders 3. Written stakeholder engagement/communication strategy and presentation to key project partners and CCCP stakeholders 4. All marketing materials to support communications strategy including campaign slogan, tagline, advertisements, flyers, social media etc. 5. Written report and accompanying presentation that summarizes measurement of media reach and engagement. a. How many stakeholders are present at programmed events b. How many unique users/visitors are interacting with digital properties i. Including likes, comments, and retweets on social media c. Articles, Segments, etc. 6. Electronic files of all project documents, spreadsheets, data, PowerPoint presentations and marketing materials I. Project Funding The project s total budget is $87,000, which includes advertising costs. Costs for promotional items should not exceed $10,000 while cost for printing and reproduction should not exceed $7,000. J. Timeline Request for Proposal Posted November 18, 2016 Questions about RFP submitted in writing November 25, 2016 Proposals Due December 22, 2016 Interviews January 9-13, 2017 Consultant Hired January 20, 2017 Marketing campaign kick-off March 2017 Campaign implementation Spring/Summer 2017 Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure Page 6 of 9

7 K. Proposal Format/Requirements Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as possible so that the involved parties can properly evaluate your capabilities to provide the required services. Proposals should be limited to a maximum of 12 pages, excluding qualifications. 1. Organization, Understanding, and Approach: A written narrative statement describing the Consultant s organization and experience in providing services similar to those anticipated with this study. This should include a description of the firm, its size and organizational structure, as well as the firm s background, resources (financial and personnel), and capabilities in the relevant areas. Provide a brief description of the Consultant s qualifications for this project including a short history of the Consultant s experience in similar projects. Consultant should outline its approach to completing the work as required by this solicitation. This statement shall illustrate the Consultant s overall understanding of the project. 2. Work Plan: Provide a detailed description of the Consultant s proposed services which explains how the Consultant will carry out the project. In the work plan, describe each project task and proposed approach to the task as clearly as possible. 3. Schedule: Include a preliminary schedule for the project. Indicate all work plan tasks and their durations. The chart should also include a preliminary meeting schedule that clearly identifies all project deliverable dates. 4. Staffing: Include a staffing plan for the project listing key project team members and subcontractors by name, field of expertise, specific responsibilities on the project, and estimated number of hours they will work on the project. Include any relevant experience each project team member has directly participated in. 5. References: Proposal should include at least three (3) references from recent clients for whom similar services have been provided. References should include the name, address, address and telephone number of the client contact person. Identify when work was performed and the type of work and services performed. These references may be contacted. 6. Federal, State, DBE and SBO Requirements: Consultant must show that it is certified to do business in the State of North Carolina and that it can comply with all standard federal and state contracting requirements. The Consultant should also indicate whether the firm or any Sub- Consultants for the study have status as a certified minority/women-owned/disadvantaged business enterprise in the State of North Carolina or the City of Charlotte. After selecting a consultant for the project, CCCP will request concurrence from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) recommending award of the project to the lowest responsible, responsive bidder. NCDOT will review the submitted information and provide written approval to CCCP. CCCP is a partner with the City of Charlotte and participates in the Charlotte Business INClusion (CBI) Program. It seeks to enhance competition and participation of small, minority and woman owned firms in city contracting and to promote economic growth and development in the City of Charlotte. Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprises (MWSBEs) are major contributors to our state and local economies. The success of our MWSBEs is essential to providing jobs, promoting economic growth, diversifying our economy, and reaching our goals as a City. 7. Price Proposal: The price proposal should set forth the fee for services and method of calculating the rates for the different services to be provided. This price proposal shall not exceed the project budget. Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure Page 7 of 9

8 8. Insurance: The Consultant must confirm that it meets the insurance requirements outlined below. General Liability: Each Occurrence $1,000,000 General Aggregate $2,000,000 Charlotte Center City Partners, Inc. shall be named as additional insured with respect to General Liability Automobile Liability: Any Auto $1,000,000 Combined Single Limit Workers Compensation with Employers Liability: Workers Compensation Statutory Limits $100,000 Each Accident $500,000 Disease Policy Limit $100,000 Disease Each Employee Excess Liability: Umbrella Form $1,000,000 / Each Occurrence All insurance required shall be primary and non-contributory to any other insurance. Consultant shall obtain and maintain the insurance at its expense for the duration of the engagement. 9. The Consultant is required to conduct a background check on each employee hired and assigned to work on this project during the effective term of this engagement. Each background check must include: (a) the person s criminal conviction record from the states and counties where the person lives or has lived in the past seven (7) years; and (b) a reference check. 10. The Consultant shall comply with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the North Carolina General Statutes, and shall require each of its employees working on this project to be confirmed through E-Verify. L. Proposal Submittal 11. Please transmit one digital copy by 5pm December 22, 2016 by to proposals@charlottecentercity.org. The digital copy should be either in MS Word or pdf format. 12. Please submit 5 hard copies by 5pm December 22, 2016 to: Charlotte Center City Partners Attn: Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure 200 South Tryon Street, Suite 1600 Charlotte, NC The outside of the package should be clearly marked Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure. Each firm is fully responsible for the timely delivery of its Proposal. Reliance upon mail or public carriers is at the firm s own risk. 14. Proposals received after the time and date specified will not be considered. Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure Page 8 of 9

9 15. This RFP does not commit Charlotte Center City Partners to award a contract, to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal, or to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of a contract for services. 16. All proposals (including the ideas and materials contained therein) submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of Charlotte Center City Partners. They may be reviewed and evaluated by any persons at the discretion of the organization. 17. Questions regarding clarification of the RFP must be submitted in writing on or before November 25, Responses will be provided to all parties who request a copy of the RFP. Any questions should be submitted via to Charlotte Center City Partners at proposals@charlottecentercity.org. Subject line should read, Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure RFP. 18. Proposal evaluation: The evaluation team will review and rank the proposals based on the experience and qualifications of personnel assigned to perform the services (40%), specific plans or methodology to be used to perform the services (40%), firm expertise and/or references from other clients (20%). After selecting the preferred Consultant, the price proposal will be checked to make sure it does not exceed the maximum available project budget. In the event that the preferred Consultant s price proposal exceeds the maximum available budget, the Evaluation Team will select a new preferred Consultant based on the factors listed above. This process will be repeated until a preferred Consultant whose price proposal does not exceed the maximum available budget is selected. Promoting Uptown Bike Infrastructure Page 9 of 9

Transportation Master Plan Advisory Task Force

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