Developing a National Road Condition Standard Legend

Location:	Minnesota
Posted:	Nov 5, 2025
Due:	Dec 16, 2025
Agency:	State Government of Minnesota
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	66 - Instruments and Laboratory Equipment
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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State of Minnesota

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

PART A: INSTRUCTIONS AND CONTENT

Developing a National Road Condition Standard Legend

MnDOT Contract Number: 1060853

Date Posted: 11/04/2025

1. Responses must be received not later than 2:00 PM, Central Time, 12/16/2025. Late responses will not be

considered.

2. This document is available in alternative formats for persons with disabilities by calling Michael Friberg at 651-

366-4683 or for persons who are hearing, or speech impaired by calling the Minnesota Relay Service at 1-800-

627-3529. For other information on disability rights and protections, contact MnDOT’s Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator.

3. As of July 1, 2025, certain terms are unenforceable in state contracts. See Session Laws, 2025 Regular Session,

Chapter 39, Article 2, Sec. 45.

Minnesota’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

The State of Minnesota is committed to diversity and inclusion in its public procurement process. The goal is to

ensure that those providing goods and services to the State are representative of our Minnesota communities

and include businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and those with substantial physical disabilities.

Creating broader opportunities for historically under-represented groups provides for additional options and

greater competition in the marketplace, creates stronger relationships and engagement within the State’s

communities, and fosters economic development and equality.

To further this commitment, the Department of Administration operates a program for Minnesota-based small

businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and those with substantial physical disabilities. For additional

information on this program, or to determine eligibility, please call 651-296-2600 or go to

www.mmd.admin.state.mn.us/mn02001.html.

SPECIAL NOTICE: This is a request for proposal. It does not obligate MnDOT to award a contract or complete the

proposed program, and MnDOT reserves the right to cancel this RFP if it is considered in its best interest.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Request For Proposal Content

SECTION 1 - INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDERS ......................................................................................................... 4

SECTION 2 - SUMMARY OF PROJECT SCOPE ............................................................................................................ 5

SECTION 3 – PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ............................................................. 6

SECTION 4 – PROPOSAL CONTENT & SUBMISSION.................................................................................................. 8

SECTION 5 – EVALUATION PROCEDURE AND CRITERIA ..........................................................................................13

SECTION 6 – TERMS & GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................................14

Request For Proposal Required Forms and Declarations (see PART B, posted seperately)

1. Attachment 1: Responder Declarations

2. Attachment 2: Exceptions to MnDOT's Terms and Conditions

3. Attachment 3: Responder Forms

a. Conflicts of Interest Checklist and Disclosure Form

b. Resident Vendor Form

c. Federal Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying (Standard Form-LLL)

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SECTION 1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDERS

Steps for

Completing Your

Response

Follow the steps below to complete your response to this RFP:

Step 1: Read the solicitation documents and ask questions, if any

Step 2: Write your Proposal and complete the required Forms in Part B of this RFP

Step 3: Submit your Proposal

Incomplete

Submittals

A Proposal must be submitted along with any required additional documents. Incomplete

Proposals that materially deviate from the required format and content may be rejected.

How to Ask

Questions

STEP 1 – READ THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT & ASK QUESTIONS, IF ANY

The Instructions for Questions and Answers section is in this link to Section 3.

The contact person for questions is:

Michael Friberg, Contract Administrator

Consultant Services

Michael.friberg@state.mn.us

How to Write

your Response

Where to Send

Your Response

The MnDOT Contract Number and RFP title must be included in the subject line of the email

Questions must be emailed to the contact by 2:00 p.m. Central Time on 11/25/2025.

Other personnel are not authorized to answer questions regarding this RFP.

STEP 2 – WRITE YOUR RESPONSE

The Proposal Content section is in this link to Section 4. Prepare a written response and supply

all requested content. Proposals must address the requested information and documents

detailed in Section 4 or be disqualified as non-responsive.

All Proposals submitted in response to this RFP will be public information under the Minnesota

Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13 once the evaluation process is complete.

Make sure to review and sign your Proposal and include all necessary Part B Attachments.

STEP 3 –SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE

Proposals must be electronically submitted to:

Michael Friberg, Contract Administrator

Michael.friberg@state.mn.us

Include the MnDOT Contract No. 1060853 and Developing a National Road Condition

Standard Legend in the subject line of the email. You must copy:

ProfessionalTechnicalContractForms.dot@state.mn.us on the email.

Proposals must be received not later than 2:00 PM , Central Time, on 11/25/2025. Late

responses will not be considered.

You will receive a confirmation email from MnDOT after submission. If you do not, please

email the Contract Administrator above to ensure your response was received.

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By signing and submitting a Proposal, you are making a binding legal offer for the period of

time listed here. This Condition of Offer is discussed in more detail in the Terms & General

Requirements section, in this link to Section 6 (13).

SECTION 2 –SUMMARY OF PROJECT SCOPE

1. Project Overview and Goals

This project has been developed by Clear Roads. Clear Roads is an ongoing pooled fund research project aimed at

rigorous testing of winter maintenance materials, equipment and methods for use by highway maintenance crews. Clear

Roads will fund and oversee the contract for this project in coordination with MnDOT. For more information, visit

www.clearroads.org.

MnDOT requests responses for a Clear Roads project that produces a national road condition standard legend for display

on 511 websites that interstate travelers, especially truck drivers, can easily access. This topic is very important and an

increasing concern for interstate vehicle operators as they attempt to access clear and consistent road condition

information to inform their driving behavior as they travel amongst states.

Many states have developed a road condition color legend accessible on their state’s 511 webpage to indicate road

weather conditions. However, these color legends are not consistent across states and can create confusion for vehicle

operators not familiar with them. The development of one road condition legend for all states to display on their 511

webpage will provide clear and consistent messaging.

2. Scope of Work and Deliverables

The goal of this project is to produce a standard road condition legend that all states can display as an option on their

511 webpage for vehicle operators to easily access and understand. Currently, interstate drivers see a wide variety of

road condition legends that consist of varying categories and colors that have inconsistent meanings. The national

standard legend will provide a consistent display of pertinent road condition information that vehicle operators know

will have the same meaning in all states they travel.

Investigators will create one standard color legend that indicates road conditions. This will involve obtaining input from

state DOTs-specifically 511 administrative and IT staff- and industry stakeholders, such as the American Trucking

Association and its state chapters and other common interstate travelers that have specific interest in this topic.

Extensive facilitated discussions, including interviews and workshops will determine what road condition indicators are

currently in use, where DOTs receive their road condition data from and what categories a nationwide standard legend

should contain. Using this information, a national road condition standard legend will be developed and accompanied by

a definition and picture for each road condition category. Upon a consensus acceptance of the road condition legend,

the project will provide guidance for DOTs to convert / crosswalk their current road condition categorization to the new

standard categorization. Researchers will then recommend a strategy to achieve nationwide adoption of the road

condition standard legend for display on 511 webpages.

Tasks

Responders should detail their approach to this project and outline the steps they would take to achieve the project’s

goals and anticipated deliverables.

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Anticipated Deliverables

The following is a list of deliverables expected to be provided by the successful responder:

1. Kick-off teleconference at the start of the project to review project tasks and goals and discuss the plans for all of the

tasks.

2. Check-in teleconferences with Clear Roads to review deliverables as appropriate.

3. State and industry reviews to identify strategies and examples for successfully displaying and relaying road conditions

to vehicle operators. The task deliverable will be a memorandum that summarizes current strategies with accompanying

examples.

4. DOT and industry interviews and workshops. Contact states, and specifically a 511 representative from each state, as

well as stakeholders such as the American Trucking Association to conduct extensive facilitated discussions to better

understand current practices for relaying road conditions to vehicle operators, obtaining pertinent road condition data

and strategies for moving towards a national standard. The task deliverable will be a memorandum that summarizes

received input and how it will inform the creation of a national road condition standard legend.

5. Draft version of a National Road Condition Standard Legend. Using agency and industry input, draft a national road

condition legend (ADA compliant) with an accompanying description and picture (sample images from Montana DOT;

images that best display the specific condition could come from anywhere within the industry) to demonstrate

conditions for each category for review by the project committee prior to proceeding with next steps. The task

deliverable will be a memorandum that presents the proposed national road condition standard legend with

accompanying descriptions and pictures.

6. Clear Roads-approved National Road Condition Standard Legend. Obtain consensus approval of the standard road

condition legend from the 39 Clear Roads member states. The task deliverable will be a signed document of Clear Roads

member states that approve the national road condition standard legend.

7. A training tool for states to convert / crosswalk their current road condition categorization to the national road

condition legend.

8. Recommendations for nationwide adoption of the new road condition standard legend.

9. Final report documenting the research methodology and findings. The report will include an executive summary,

conclusions and recommendations.

10. PowerPoint file to support presentations at conferences or national and regional meetings by Clear Roads members

regarding findings and recommendations resulting from the project.

11. Virtual webinar to present project findings.

12. Quarterly Reports that provide documentation of progress should be submitted to the Clear Roads Technical

Advisory Committee (TAC) at the end of each quarter of the year (March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31) for

the duration of the contract.

3. Additional Tasks or Activities.

Responders are encouraged to propose additional tasks or activities if they will substantially improve the results of this

Project. These items must be separated from the required items on the cost proposal required under this RFP.

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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Developing a National Road Condition Standard Legend

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See also