Highway 13 Traffic Modeling

MnDOT Contract Number: 1064206
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work
Scope of Work
1. Project Overview
1.1. Independent Contractor
1.1.1. The Successful Responder (Contractor) agrees it is acting in the role of an independent
contractor. The Contractor, and its employees and subcontractors, will not be considered
employees of MnDOT (State) for any reason. The Contractor acknowledges that it is
responsible for its own financial control. The Contractor has negotiated the payment for
this contract with the State, which may result in a profit or loss for the Contractor. The
Contractor also acknowledges that it is responsible for the behavioral control of itself, its
operations, and its staff. The Contractor is solely responsible for determining the means,
methods, and sequence of performing the work covered by this contract. The State has
included deliverable dates in this contract, not to provide a "sequence" of work but
because the State must coordinate these deliverables with (1) the State's financial plans,
(2) other contracts managed by the State, and (3) work performed by the State's own staff.
The parties have mutually drafted and agreed upon a scope of work. The level of detail
used to describe the work is intended only to establish minimum standards and ensure
consistency across the hundreds of projects managed by the State; the Contractor remains
responsible for determining the means and methods of performing the work to meet or
exceed those requirements. The State will not directly supervise the Contractor's work but
will provide oversight and monitoring, as required by Minnesota Statutes 16C.08 and 23
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 172.5, to ensure compliance with the terms,
conditions, and specifications of this contract. At the conclusion of this contract, the State
will evaluate the Contractor's performance under this contract for potential use in future
evaluations and selections as required by Minnesota Statutes 16C.08 and 23 CFR Part
172.5.
1.2. General Statement of Scope of Work
1.2.1. The work of this Contract will utilize the Twin Cities Regional Travel Demand Model, and
other tools as noted or needed, to evaluate and quantify the impacts of planned roadway
construction activities on traffic flow, congestion, and travel behavior across the southwest
area of the Twin Cities as it relates to the upcoming Highway (Hwy) 13 Reconstruction from
Quentin Avenue (Ave.) in the City of Savage to Washburn Ave. in the City of Burnsville. This
project will examine the travel impacts of the 2027, 2028, and 2029 upcoming construction
years.
1.3. Project Background
1.3.1. Highway 13 from Quentin Ave. to Washburn Ave. is anticipated to begin construction in
2027 with the potential to continue through 2028 and 2029. The current traffic control plan
utilizes temporary pavement in conjunction with new pavement in the reconstructed area
to maintain at least one-lane in each direction on the highway.
Beyond this reconstruction project, State's Metro District has many projects programmed
in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) that will impact traffic flow in the
upcoming years. A non-inclusive list of key highways includes the second construction
project of Interstate 494 (I-494), the new interchange at Interstate 35 (I-35)/County State
Aid Highway (CSAH) 50, bridge and pavement work on Hwy 62, and pavement work on Hwy
169. Combined with other State and County projects, there is a risk of significant impacts to
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MnDOT Contract Number: 1064206
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work
the travelling public in terms of increased travel times and congestion. Understanding these
impacts is critical for project planning, coordination, and communication to the public.
This project will review the current project plans to obtain a high-level understanding of
traffic impacts such as potential areas of concern and roadways with expected high
increases in volumes. The Contractor will assist with compiling the key projects, running
model scenarios, evaluating the results with additional tools, and helping the State
understand potential impacts and concerns as specifically related to the current Hwy 13
traffic control plan, and secondarily to the other State projects. It is anticipated that
additional scenarios will be evaluated to help the State determine if changes to traffic
control plans are warranted and if increased scrutiny is necessary on detour routes or roads
with expected increased volumes. This project will not develop specific traffic management
plans.
1.4. Web-Based Teleconferencing
1.4.1. The Contractor must provide the means for the project team to meet via web-based
teleconferencing that allows participants to view the desktop of the meeting organizer.
Participants must be able to "take control" of the virtual desktop as needed to point out
things on the file being displayed. Voice communication may occur via computer or phone.
1.5. Source Type Codes and Primavera 6 (P6) Activity Codes
1.5.1. Every deliverable must list a P6 activity code that matches the P6 activity in the P6
schedule. The Contractor may use this code to understand the due dates for that
deliverable in the schedule and how the activity relates to other activities in the schedule.
1.5.2. If requested by the State's Project Manager (PM), every deliverable must list a source type
code. The source type code may be used in the Contractor's invoice to subtotal the
deliverables together under that source type code.
1.5.3. The Contractor is not required to know how to use P6 or work within the program itself
unless stated in Section 2 (Project Management). The Contractor is, however, expected to
understand the concept of Critical Path Method (CPM) scheduling, understand hardcopy
reports printed by the P6 schedule, update the hardcopy reports, and recommend changes
to the schedule to reflect changes in the scope or flow of work.
1.6. Format of Deliverables
1.6.1. Plain Language
a. All documents or exhibits specifically designed to be used by the public must be
developed in "plain language." Executive Order 14-07 requires the Office of the
Governor and all Executive Branch agencies to communicate with Minnesotans using
plain language and defines plain language as communication that an audience can
understand the first time they read or hear it. Additional information is available at
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Plain Language. To meet the requirements of
this executive order, the Contractor will:
i. Use language commonly understood by the public
ii. Write in short and complete sentences
iii. Present information in a format that is easy to find and easy to understand
iv. Clearly state directions and deadlines for the audience
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MnDOT Contract Number: 1064206
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work
b. Technical documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and drawings used by technical
staff do not need to be in plain language.
1.6.2. Accessibility Standards
1.6.3. Software
a. Report source files must be in current versions of Microsoft Word and Microsoft
Excel. Files must be delivered to the State by email or File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
depending on the file size.
b. Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) deliverable source files must meet the
State's Level 2 Enhanced CADD Data Delivery Specifications.
c. All applicable spatial data and maps created in Geographic Information System (GIS)
software must be provided in a standard shapefile format (.shp) that is compatible
with current versions of ArcMap software.
d. All source files also must be converted to Adobe Acrobat (.pdf extension), and the
Portable Document Format (PDF) must be searchable, with scanned pages eliminated
except for signature pages.
1.6.3.2. The Contractor must comply with the State of Minnesota's Accessibility Standards for all
documents or exhibits specifically designed to be used by the public. The State of
Minnesota's Accessibility Standards are based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) 2.0 (Level AA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended. Additional
requirements can be found at Accessibility/Accommodations and include:
a. Providing interpreters, translators, or other special accommodations.
b. Providing documents in an alternative format.
c. Following the PDF accessibility guidance.
1.6.3.3. The State of Minnesota's Accessibility Standard also includes:
a. All videos must include closed captions, audio descriptions, and a link to a complete
transcript.
b. All documents, presentations, spreadsheets, drawings, and other material must be
provided in an accessible format. Native files must be provided in an editable format.
Acceptable formats include InDesign, Word, and Excel.
c. All materials intended for downloading and printing must be labeled as such, and the
content must be provided in an accessible format.
1.6.3.4. Technical documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and drawings used by technical staff do
not need to comply with the State of Minnesota's Accessibility Standard.
1.6.3.5. All outward-facing Microsoft Word documents to be used during the project must be
designed with ADA-accessible features, including alt text and screen-reader compatibility.
1.6.4. All deliverables must be provided in electronic file format.
1.7. Standards and Guidance
1.7.1. All design work must be conducted by or under the direct supervision of a Professional
Engineer licensed in Minnesota.
1.7.2. All survey work must be conducted by or under the direct supervision of a Professional
Land Surveyor.
1.7.3. All design work must be done in conformance with current State MicroStation Version and
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MnDOT Contract Number: 1064206
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work
Bentley OpenRoads Designer CE standards, following Level 2 Enhanced CADD Data Delivery
Specifications.
1.7.4. All field data must be provided in GIS/Global Positioning Systems (GPS)/County Coordinates
- North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) (1996) County Datum and North American
Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) vertical datum, the current State MicroStation Version,
and Microsoft Excel/Word formats.
1.7.5. Failure of this scope of work to list a specific standard under a specific deliverable does not
absolve the Contractor's obligation to comply with all laws, regulations, and standards that
apply to highway projects within the State of Minnesota. The Contractor must comply with
all state, federal, and local standards, laws, and regulations related to the scope of work
and project area. Work must comply with the latest edition or revision of that standard in
effect on the proposal due date, including any amendments in effect on that date, unless
otherwise specified in the contract or otherwise directed by the State.
1.7.6. Websites have been supplied to the Contractor for some of the standards and guidance
documents listed for convenience only to help the Contractor locate the required standard
or guidance. The websites are not guaranteed to be correct. It is ultimately the Contractor's
responsibility to locate the required standard and to determine if the standard has been
modified pursuant to this Contract.
1.7.7. All deliverables must be prepared in accordance with MnDOT Transportation Project
Development Process (TPDP).
1.7.8. Additional requirements for standards may be provided within the scope tasks that follow.
1.8. Items Provided by the State
1.8.1. The State will provide the following items. Some items must be provided at notice to
proceed. Other items are developed as the project progresses. The Contractor is
responsible for requesting the needed information when it is available during the project
development.
a. Spreadsheet of State projects with summary information on construction and
maintenance of traffic plans by year
b. Additional key County projects with summary information on construction and
maintenance of traffic plans by year, if known
c. Traffic data and available traffic analyses/studies
d. MnDOT Traffic Engineering Manual
e. Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MN MUTCD)
f. State StreetLight software license
2. Project Management
State will provide a PM to give direction on the Contractor's activities. It will be the
responsibility of State's PM to receive the work produced by Contractor, review the work
for accuracy and compliance with State standards, and to recommend payment for such
work.
2.1. Project Coordination and Administration
2.1.1. Project management includes work necessary for communicating and completing the
project tasks on time and within budget. The Contractor must not reassign the PM or their
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MnDOT Contract Number: 1064206
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work
primary duties without the written consent of the State's PM. The Contractor's staff must
have the training and expertise necessary for the work tasks to which they are assigned.
2.1.2. Meeting summaries must be submitted no later than three business days after each
meeting and a final meeting summary must be submitted no later than three business days
after receiving comments on summary notes.
2.1.3. The Contractor will:
a. Prepare invoices accompanied by:
i. A cover letter explaining the general status of the project, including at a
minimum the work completed to date, the anticipated remaining efforts, and
required schedule changes
ii. Progress report form
iii. Supporting data for direct expenses
iv. An updated project status report reflecting P6 activities identified by the State's
PM
b. Manage, coordinate, direct, and monitor subcontractor services, including reviewing
progress reports, deliverables, schedule, and invoices.
c. Update the State's PM on the status of the project schedule, budget, and general
status/progress monthly.
d. Store all deliverables in an organized electronic document management system and
make deliverables available to the State's PM as needed whether the file is
incomplete, in draft form, or the final deliverable by email, FTP site, or other agreed
upon method.
e. Have a method to list and track issues that develop during the project that either
need resolution or implementation. The tracking spreadsheet must prioritize issues
for due dates and amount of risk to schedule and construction budget. For example,
the State's PM may send an email to the Contractor stating that an issue needs to be
resolved or completed. The Contractor must log that issue and track it until it is
marked completed. The Contractor will review the list with the State's PM at
progress meetings.
2.1.4. Deliverables
The Contractor will:
a. Submit monthly invoices and progress reports
b. Submit subcontractor status reports included with monthly invoices and progress
reports
c. Participate in update calls with the State's PM as needed
d. Use a document management system
e. Produce and update an Issue resolution tracking spreadsheet
f. Respond to correspondence from State and other project personnel
2.2. Project Meetings
The Contractor will:
2.2.1. Kickoff Meeting
2.2.1.1. Schedule and facilitate a project kickoff meeting to confirm the basic project objectives,
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MnDOT Contract Number: 1064206
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work
solidify a work plan, and obtain consensus on the project requirements. This meeting must
occur no later than 14 business days after notice to proceed. The meeting may be held
virtually and can include up to three Contractor staff.
2.2.1.1.1. The kickoff meeting will include discussion on the Activity-Based Model, which is the
advanced framework the Metropolitan (Met) Council uses to run Twin Cities regional
traffic forecasting. Key discussion topics may include:
a. Area corridor Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT),
Average Daily Traffic (ADT), Travel Times, etc.
b. Estimated daily traffic volumes on key study area roadways in each scenario.
Traffic volumes by scenario will be guided by results from the Activity-Based
Model, however post-processing will be applied following guidance from the
National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and engineering
judgment.
c. Estimated travel times on major routes for each scenario will be estimated based
on output from the Activity-Based Model. The model provides estimated travel
times for the before noon (a.m.) peak period, mid-day period, post meridiem
(p.m.) peak period, and overnight period. However, the model is not validated for
speeds, as such travel times will be compared relative to the base year and/or
adjusted to reflect existing observed travel times.
2.2.2. Project Management Team (PMT) Meetings
2.2.2.1. Facilitate monthly PMT meetings with the State's PM and other personnel as identified by
the State's PM. The intent of the PMT is to review overall project progress and to discuss
process issues.
2.2.3. Model Review Meetings
2.2.3.1. Facilitate up to two meetings with State and Met Council staff to clarify and collaborate on
the Activity-Based Model. These meetings will be held in conjunction with the work being
performed as detailed in Section 3.2.
2.2.4. Evaluation Meetings
2.2.4.1. Facilitate up to three evaluation meetings to present the evaluation and results to a larger
group than the PMT, such as key members of the Hwy 13 Traffic Management Plan (TMP)
team. The meetings will be planned and scheduled jointly between the State's PM and
Contractor.
2.2.5. Deliverables
The Contractor will:
a. Send meeting invitations; produce meeting materials, agenda, and draft and final
meeting summaries for each meeting.
3. Traffic Modeling
The Contractor will:
3.1. Confirm Traffic Control Details
3.1.1. Using the base project information provided by the State, assist in confirming details or
adding major County or City projects to the spreadsheet covering calendar years 2027,
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MnDOT Contract Number: 1064206
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work
2028, and 2029. The approximate study area, roughly centered on the Hwy 13 project and
to be confirmed at kick-off, includes Hwy 62 on the north, Hwy 169 on the west, County
Road (Rd.) 21/County Rd. 60 on the south, and Interstate 35E (I-35E)/Hwy 77 on the east.
Local projects should only include those impacting highways or arterials as well as having
significant reductions in traffic flow, like closures for reconstructions. The information is
intended to be a snapshot in time based on what is currently known. The project traffic
control during construction does not need to be finalized.
3.1.2. Work with the PMT to confirm which corridor projects and traffic control are included for
this modeling effort. Based on the traffic control details, decisions could be needed on
adding or subtracting projects, splitting a calendar year into two scenarios if significant
changes in traffic control are expected, or other similar issues.
3.1.3. Deliverables
Contractor will:
3.1.3.1. Produce a final spreadsheet identifying up to five initial scenarios for modeling, with details
such as a description of the work, expected timing, expected traffic control, and official
detours or alternative routes if applicable.
3.2. Met Council Activity-Based Model Review
Contractor will:
3.2.1. Coordination and Collaboration
a. Work with State and Met Council staff to review project methodology, assumptions
and results. Using the regional model provided by local partners, identify and
correct network or other coding errors, reviewing model validation for acceptability
for key corridors in the study area.
3.2.2. Existing Data Collection and Review
a. Obtain relevant existing conditions traffic data throughout the study area to
establish a baseline condition, including using StreetLight data to assess model
validity as relating to potential scenarios.
3.3. Travel Demand Model Validation
Contractor will:
3.3.1. Model Review
a. Review and correct model for network coding errors and updates.
3.3.2. Model Validation
a. Rerun network model and check validation confirming model is producing results
within appropriate modeling guidelines.
3.3.3. Streetlight Data
a. Use StreetLight data (or equivalent) to compare model origin and destination for
key corridors.
3.3.4. Deliverables
Contractor will:
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MnDOT Contract Number: 1064206
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work
3.3.4.1. Produce a draft and final brief Model Validation Memorandum highlighting validation
process and results, including appropriate maps, graphs, figures, and tables.
3.4. Travel Demand Model Runs
Contractor will:
3.4.1. Initial Scenarios Modeling
a. Utilizing the Twin Cities Regional Travel Demand Model, perform initial highway
assessment runs for up to five scenarios in addition to the base network run. The
scenarios will reflect the expected traffic control during construction for calendar
years 2027, 2028, and 2029 as based on the information confirmed in Section 3.1.
Post processing of model outputs will be conducted following appropriate
guidelines identified in the NCHRP.
3.4.2. Iterative Scenarios Modeling
a. Perform additional highway assessment runs required based on the results on the
initial scenarios. The PMT, in consultation with the Contractor, will determine how
many iterative scenarios will be assessed upon completion of this task.
3.4.3. Use StreetLight (or equivalent) to understand Origin-Destination (O-D) patterns in the study
area for the scenarios. Using O-D patterns and available traffic data, determine traffic shifts
for the scenarios noting items like daily pattern changes and anticipated traffic diversions
on other primary routes.
3.4.4. It is anticipated that a total of eight scenarios are to be run (i.e., if four initial scenarios are
determined, then four iterative scenarios may be completed).
3.5. Evaluation
Contractor will:
3.5.1. Initial Scenarios
a. Following the Initial Scenarios Modeling, evaluate the results for high-level
information on the impacts of the expected traffic control during each year's
planned construction. The intention is to identify areas of concern and potential
planning-level issues. Key emphasis should be placed on identifying corridors with
significantly higher volumes, routes (and detours) with significantly longer travel
times, or other regional impacts. Engineering judgment will be necessary to fully
assess the results and determine those areas of concern locations, if any. The goal
is a system evaluation of each scenario's traffic control plans and how they impact
area vehicle travel.
3.5.2. Determine Potential Changes
a. Once areas of concern are identified, if any, determine potential options for
mitigation. As with determination of issues, solutions should be considered high-
level, such as adding capacity to a corridor, revising the order of directional
closures, or potentially adjusting the start or end time of a particular project.
Changes will be discussed with the PMT, with the PMT making decisions on the
appropriate concerns and mitigation options to advance for additional study.
3.5.3. Iterative Scenarios
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MnDOT Contract Number: 1064206
Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work
a. Once potential changes are determined for one or more of the initial scenarios and
the model rerun, evaluate and compare results back to the initial scenario(s). The
number of model reruns and subsequent evaluations is dependent on the number
of initial scenarios determined to need improvement. This assessment should help
the State determine the impact of the potential changes and if they are warranted
to help reduce concerns during each year's construction.
3.5.4. Deliverables
Contractor will:
3.5.4.1. Produce presentation materials describing methodology and results, using appropriate
visualizations to best convey evaluation findings.
3.5.4.2. Produce a brief memorandum highlighting modeling methodology and results. This
memorandum will include final recommendations for potential changes to the planned
traffic control during construction for the study projects and years, if any. Supporting
documentation produced with the memorandum will include appropriate maps, graphs,
figures, and tables.
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