$150,000 Milk District and Mills50 Bike + Pedestrian Study Project

We told you in January that A Request for Qualification Statements (RQS) was issued for a new Orlando Main Street District Bicycle and Pedestrian Study project (Mills 50 and Milk Districts). 

The City of Orlando is receiving U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) funding from the Florida Department of Transportation (Department) for this project. 

On April 10, 2017, City Council approved the Committee's ranking and authorized staff to commence negotiations for a contract with the top-ranked Respondent, HDR Engineering, Inc. Based on this approval, staff proceeded and successfully completed negotiations with HDR Engineering, Inc. for a not-to-exceed fee of $150,000.00.

What's the project about? 
In 2009, responding to the downturn in the local economy, Mayor Buddy Dyer launched Strengthen Orlando, a comprehensive economic action plan to sustain communities and ensure that Orlando remains in position for future growth and prosperity. One main component of the comprehensive action plan was the promotion of the City’s Main Street Program. At its core, the Main Street Program strives to advocate a return to community self-reliance, local empowerment, and the rebuilding of traditional commercial districts based on their unique assets.
There are two main street districts that are associated with this study: Milk District and Mills 50. Each district has its own character, culture, architecture, infrastructure, and sense of community. These unique differences are favorable to businesses, citizens, and visitors in that they merge to enhance the overall environment for pedestrians, cyclists, and other commuters.

These main street districts however are not without faults or shortcomings. Like many main streets districts throughout the country, there is a desperate need to improve and provide additional roadway facilities, parking spaces, sidewalks, handicap ramps, street lighting, and bike lanes. This is vital to these communities considering the thousands—or hundreds of thousands—of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists who venture in and out of these districts daily.

The issues become even more important when considering the proximity of these districts to high volume streets (pedestrian and vehicular), schools, hospitals, residential communities, parks and recreational facilities, and business districts—to include the Downtown Orlando Business District.

Considering the improvements needed, and the complexities associated with each district, this study aims to facilitate and implement a comprehensive streetscape study that will address the conceptual design, cost estimates, maintenance plan, corridor design criteria requirements, and jurisdictional issues unique to each main street district.

The ultimate goal will be to enhance the pedestrian and vehicular environment by addressing issues associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pedestrian environment, walkability, bikeability, and place-making.

This project includes federal grant funding administered by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), therefore, the successful consultant must be familiar with the Plans Preparation Manual and the Local Agency Program Manual.
Through this request, the City seeks to select a consulting team to provide assistance in planning, public involvement, permit coordination, survey, roadway design, structural/bridge design, cost estimates, and other services related to a comprehensive streetscape study.

The professional services team may serve as an extension of City staff, who may also assist on the project. Therefore the professional services required may include, but may not necessarily be limited to the following:
  1. Transportation Planning and Design 
  2. Land Use Planning and Design
  3. Geographic Information Systems
  4. Graphic Design 
  5. Public Outreach and Coordination 
  6. Transportation Modeling 
  7. Spatial Analysis 
  8. Roadway Design 
  9. Structural/Bridge Design 
  10. Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities Planning and Design 
  11. Stormwater/Drainage Design and Permitting 
  12. Environmental Consulting - Design, Permitting & Mitigation 
  13. Geotechnical Engineering - Soils Investigations, Pavement Design, etc. 
  14. Survey Services - Design Survey, Legal Descriptions & Right-of-Way Mapping 
  15. Utility Coordination 
  16. Traffic Engineering - Signals, Signs & Markings, and Maintenance of Traffic Plans 
  17. Coordination of roadway lighting with OUC