Travel Demand Modeling Service
NC State Universitys Institute for Transportation Research and Education (hereafter referred to
as ITRE) seeks proposals from qualified transportation planning professionals to provide on-call
technical services in travel-demand modeling for the Triangle Regional Model Service Bureau.
The Triangle Regional Model (TRM) is a predictive model that can be used to forecast
automobile, transit, commercial vehicle, and non-motorized travel given a set of population and
employment forecasts. The model can analyze peak characteristics or daily trends and is used
for system-wide transportation analysis and air quality emissions testing related to regional
transportation plans.
The TRM Service Bureau is responsible for developing and maintaining the model, and for
providing training and conducting applications based research related to the model. The service
bureau will begin work on a new model for the region during 2008.
ITREs approach to using planning professionals is to have the best travel forecasting
professionals under contract for possible on-call assistance for technical assistance or technical
expertise during the model development process over the coming years. The total anticipated
planning professional expenditure is estimated to be between $25,000 and $50,000 per year.
ITREs preferred approach to the use of outside planning professionals is to issue this Request
for Proposals (RFP) for firms with travel modeling expertise. The top three or four submissions
will be requested to enter into a Master Services Agreement (MSA) with ITRE. This agreement
shall consist of this RFP along with the firms response to the RFP. By submitting a proposal,
each firm agrees that there is no minimum fee implied by submission or acceptance of a
proposal.
Although the MSA will not commit ITRE to spending any minimum dollar amount for services,
it will provide ITRE with the ability to describe to each firm the needed assistance, and request
an estimated cost to provide that service. If the service estimate is acceptable, ITRE shall issue a
Purchase Order to commence those services. Please note that no work is authorized without a
purchase order.
The focus of this RFP is travel forecast modeling expertise. Firms are strongly encouraged to
submit based on their specialization without teaming with other firms. ITRE seeks to work with
the best in the field and desires to enter into Master Services Agreements with single firms and
not teams of firms. Any proposal with more than one firm or additional specialized individual
professionals not employed full time with the firm submitting the proposal will be considered
non-responsive to this RFP.
