RFQ Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Improvements Design

Request for Qualifications # 274-TR-2026-04
Title: Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Improvements Design
Issue Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Due Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
not later than 4:00PM EST
*LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED*
Issuing Department: Transportation Department
Direct all inquiries concerning this RFQ to:
Shane McCarthy, PE
Traffic Safety Engineer
Email: shane.mccarthy@raleighnc.gov

Table of Contents
1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 3
1.1. Purpose ........................................................................................... 3
1.2. Background ..................................................................................... 4
1.3. RFQ Timeline .................................................................................. 5
1.4. Pre-Submittal Conference ............................................................... 6
1.5. Questions ........................................................................................ 6
1.6. Submittal Requirements and Contact Information ........................... 6
1.7. Business Engagement and Opportunities ....................................... 7
1.8. Rights to Submitted Material ........................................................... 7
1.9. Communications ............................................................................. 7
1.10. Lobbying ......................................................................................... 8
1.11. Conflicts of Interest ......................................................................... 8
1.12. Proposer Expenses ......................................................................... 9
1.13. Proposer Acceptance ...................................................................... 9
2. Qualifications Package ............................................................................ 9
2.1. Request for Qualifications Required Document Format .................. 9
2.2. North Carolina Department of Transportation Provisions and Requirements
...................................................................................................... 12
2.3. Hourly Rates ................................................................................. 14
2.4. Qualifications Package Documents ............................................... 14
3. Proposal Evaluation .............................................................................. 14
3.1. Evaluation Criteria ......................................................................... 14
3.2. Final Selection............................................................................... 15
3.3. Notice to Proposers Regarding RFQ Terms & Conditions ............ 15
3.4. Contract Term....................................................................15
3.5. Federal Funding Requirements ..................................................... 15
4. Scope of Services .................................................................................. 15
Appendix I - Hourly Rate Schedule ................................................................ 20
Appendix II - Proposer Questionnaire ........................................................... 21
Appendix III - Reference Questionnaire (Instructions) ................................. 22
Appendix III - Reference Questionnaire Form ............................................... 23
Appendix IV - Sample Contract ...................................................................... 25
Appendix V - Federal Provisions and Requirements .................................... 36

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose
The City of Raleigh is seeking a qualified firm with which to contract for the following services:
Engineering Services (Design) and preparation of contract documents in advance of
construction for the Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Improvements Project. The scope includes the
following services:
Task 1: Communications & Public Engagement
Task 2: Onsite Survey & SUE Level B Private Utility Investigation and Coordination
Task 3: Real Estate Acquisition Support
Task 4: Permits
Task 5: Construction Drawings
Task 6: Specifications & Project Special Provisions (PSP)
Task 7: Construction Cost Estimate and Bid Schedule
Task 8: Limited Construction Administration Services
The Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Improvements Project will construct safety improvements on
Martin Luther King Jr Blvd (SR 4363) from Blount St to Poole Rd. This project is federally
funded. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is the pass-through entity
which acquired the funding. NCDOT has also contributed funding. The City is responsible for
the delivery of the design and construction for this project.
The work consists of, but is not limited to, improvements to traffic signals, new traffic signals,
crosswalks, and improvements to sidewalks and curb ramps. The project consists of four
sections, defined by the STIP numbers assigned by the North Carolina Department of
Transportation. During design and construction, work must be billed and tracked
separately for each of the following segments. This is required for compliance with
federal requirements.
HS-2405T: Blount St to East St
HS-2405S: Garner Rd to Haywood St
HS-2405V: Gregg St to Rock Quarry Rd
HS-2405W: Raleigh Blvd to Poole Rd
A detailed scope of services is provided in Section 4 of this document.
Due to file size constraints, supporting documents could not be included in this RFQ
These documents are available upon request from the project manager. Please email
Shane McCarthy, PE at shane.mccarthy@raleighnc.gov to receive copies of the
following:
New traffic signal plans for 11 intersections in the project limits
The signed & executed municipal agreements between the City and NCDOT
Plans for City project E051-092-25-01223, which will separately be constructing
improvements withing the project limits.

All information related to this solicitation, including any addenda, will be posted to the North
Carolina electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) at https://evp.nc.gov/.
All questions related to this solicitation must be submitted in writing (via email) to the following
individual - questions submitted via telephone will not be answered:
Contact Name Email Address
Shane McCarthy, PE shane.mccarthy@raleighnc.gov
1.2 Background
The City of Raleigh, the Capital City of North Carolina, remains one of the fastest growing areas
in the country. A great economy, top educational institutions, and exceptional health care
facilities are some of the characteristics that attract people to the triangle area. The mild
climate, diverse work force and proximity to Research Triangle Park combine to make Raleigh
a great place to live.
Raleigh is a 21st Century City of Innovation focusing on environmental, cultural, and economic
sustainability. The City conserves and protects our environmental resources through best
practice and cutting-edge conservation and stewardship, land use, infrastructure and building
technologies. The City welcomes growth and diversity through policies and programs that will
protect and enhance Raleigh's existing neighborhoods, natural amenities, history, and cultural
and human resources for future generations. The City leads to improve quality of life for
neighborhoods and standard of living for all citizens. The City works with universities, colleges,
citizens, and local partners to promote new technology, create new job opportunities, and
encourage local businesses and entrepreneurs. The City enlists and prepares 21st Century
staff with the skill sets to carry out the duties of the City through transparent civic engagement
and by providing the very best customer service to our citizens.
Martin Luther King Jr Blvd includes several intersections with documented pedestrian crash
histories and vehicular crash patterns. This includes serious injury and fatal crashes. As a
community, it's our goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries for all who share
Raleigh streets by 2040. We plan to accomplish this through projects like this one, which
improves roadway safety while increasing safe, healthy, and equitable mobility for all.
This project also supports the City's goal of advancing equity by investing in a transportation-
disadvantaged community, where households are less likely to have access to safe and
reliable transportation. The project will improve accessibility for wheelchair users and
pedestrians with low vision through accessible curb ramps and accessible pedestrian signals.
It will provide new crosswalks which benefit all pedestrians. Driving through the area will also
be safer after upgrading traffic signals with improved left turn signals, near-side signal heads
and retroreflective back plates to address red light running.

1.3 RFQ Timeline
Provided below is a list of the anticipated schedule of events related to this solicitation. The
City of Raleigh reserves the right to modify and/or adjust the following schedule to meet the
needs of the project. All times shown are Eastern Time (ET):
RFQ Process Date and time
RFQ Date Tuesday, March 24
10:00 AM on Wednesday, April 1, at
Pre-Submittal Conference
Conference Room 303, 222 W Hargett St,
(if required)
Raleigh, NC 27601
Deadline for written questions 4:00 PM on Thursday, April 9
City Response to Questions
Tuesday, April 7
(anticipated)
4:00 PM on Tuesday, April 14 at Suite 400
Submittal Due Date and Time (Fourth Floor), 222 W Hargett St, Raleigh,
NC 27601
Evaluation Meeting
Thursday, April 30
(anticipated)
Interviews
Thursday, May 7
(if required)
Selection Announcement Thursday, May 14
(tentative)

1.4 Pre-Submittal Conference
The City of Raleigh will conduct a Pre-Submittal Conference at 10:00 AM on Thursday, March
12, at Conference Room 303, 222 W Hargett St, Raleigh, NC 27601. Attendance by
prospective proposers is strongly encouraged but is not mandatory. Prospective Proposers are
encouraged to submit written questions in advance.
1.5 Questions
Requests for clarification and questions to this RFQ must be received by the City not later than
the date shown above in Section 1.3 RFQ Timeline, for the submittal of written inquires. The
firm's failure to request clarification and submit questions by the date in the RFQ Timeline
above shall be considered to constitute the firm's acceptance of all City's terms and conditions
and requirements.
The City shall issue addenda reflecting questions and answers to this RFQ, if any, and shall
be posted to North Carolina electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). No information, instruction or
advice provided orally or informally by any City personnel, whether made in response to a
question or otherwise in connection with this RFQ, shall be considered authoritative or binding.
Respondents shall be entitled to rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this
RFQ.
It is important that all Respondents submitting to this RFQ periodically check eVP for
any Addenda. It is the Respondents responsibility to ensure that all addenda have
been reviewed and, if required signed and returned.
All questions related to this solicitation must be submitted in writing (via email) to the following
individual - questions submitted via telephone will not be answered:
Contact Name Email Address
Shane McCarthy, PE shane.mccarthy@raleighnc.gov
1.6 Submittal Requirements and Contact Information
Submittals must follow the format as defined in Section 2 Qualifications Package and be
addressed and submitted as follows:
DELIVERED BY US POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERED BY OTHER DELIVERY
MAIL: SERVICES:
City of Raleigh City of Raleigh
ATTN: Shane McCarthy, PE ATTN: Shane McCarthy, PE
222 West Hargett St 222 West Hargett St
Suite 400 (4th floor) Suite 400 (4th floor)
Raleigh, NC 27601 Raleigh, NC 27601
RFQ No. 274-TR-2026-04 RFQ No. 274-TR-2026-04

Submittals must be enclosed in a sealed envelope or package and clearly marked with the
name of the submitting company, the RFQ number and the RFQ Title, and must include:
A. one (1) signed hard-copy original submittal package;
B. one (1) electronic version of the signed submittal;
C. and one (1) hard-copy of the signed submittal.
The electronic version of the Proposal must be submitted as a viewable and printable Adobe
Portable Document File (PDF) on a flash drive. Both hard copy and electronic versions must
be received by the City on or before the RFQ date and time provided in Section 1.3 RFQ
Timeline. Proposals received after the RFQ deadline above will not be considered and will be
returned unopened to the return address provided on the submission envelope.
Proposers must respond to the entire Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Any incomplete
submittal may be eliminated from competition at the discretion of the City of Raleigh.
The City reserves the right to reject any or all submittals for any reason and to waive any
informality it deems in its best interest.
Submittals that arrive after the due date and time will not be accepted or considered for any
reason whatsoever. If the Firm elects to mail in its response, the Firm must allow sufficient
time to ensure the City's proper receipt of the package by the time specified in Section 1.3 RFQ
Timeline. Regardless of the delivery method, it is the responsibility of the Firm to ensure that
their response arrives at the designated location specified in this Section 1.6 by the due date
and time specified in Section 1.3 RFQ Timeline.
1.7 Business Engagement and Opportunities
The City of Raleigh maintains processes to conduct business with all business enterprises,
including small, emerging, growing, under-capitalized, and under-resourced firms or
organizations.
1.8 Rights to Submitted Material
All qualification packages and supporting materials, as well as correspondences relating to this
RFQ, shall become the property of the City. The content of all submittals will be held
confidential until the selection of the firm is made. Qualifications will be reviewed by the
Evaluation Team, as well as other City staff and members of the general public who submit
public record requests. Any proprietary data must be clearly marked. In submitting
qualifications, each submitting firm/company agrees that the City may reveal any trade secret
materials contained in such submittal to all City staff and City officials involved in the selection
process and to any outside consultant or other third party who serves on the Evaluation Team
or who is hired by the City to assist in the selection process. Qualification submittals marked
entirely as "confidential", "proprietary", or "trade secret" will be considered non-responsive and
will be removed from the evaluation process.
1.9 Communications
All communications of any nature regarding this RFQ with any City staff, elected City officials,
evaluation committee members are strictly forbidden from the time the solicitation is publicly
posted until award. Questions must be submitted in writing to the individual designated in
Section 1.1 Purpose, prior to the deadline provided in Section 1.3 RFQ Timeline. Violation of
this provision may result in the firm's proposal being removed from consideration.

1.10 Lobbying
By responding to this solicitation, the firm certifies that is has not and will not pay any person
or firm to influence or attempt to influence an officer or employee of the City or the State of
North Carolina, or any elected official in connection with obtaining a contract as a result of this
RFQ.
1.11 Conflicts of Interest
City of Raleigh contracts are controlled by three conflict of interest provisions.
(1) First, federal procurement standards provided in 2 CFR 200.318 (c)(1) states:
No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of
a contract supported by a Federal award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of
interest. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any
member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs
or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in
or a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract. The officers, employees,
and agents of the non-Federal entity may neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or
anything of monetary value from contractors or parties to subcontracts.
(2) Similarly, the North Carolina General Statutes provide a criminal statute for conflicts of
interest in public contracting, N.C.G.S. 14-234(a) states:
(1) No public officer or employee who is involved in making or administering a contract on
behalf of a public agency may derive a direct benefit from the contract except as
provided in this section, or as otherwise allowed by law.
(2) A public officer or employee who will derive a direct benefit from a contract with the
public agency he or she serves, but who is not involved in making or administering the
contract, shall not attempt to influence any other person who is involved in making or
administering the contract.
(3) No public officer or employee may solicit or receive any gift, favor, reward, service, or
promise of reward, including a promise of future employment, in exchange for
recommending, influencing, or attempting to influence the award of a contract by the
public agency he or she serves.
(3) City of Raleigh Charter Section 3.9 regulates private transactions between the City and
its officials and employees, the charter states:
No member of the City Council, official, or employee of the City of Raleigh shall be financially
interested, or have any personal beneficial interest, either directly or indirectly, as agent,
representative, or otherwise, in the purchase of, or contract for, or in furnishing any
materials, equipment or supplies to the City of Raleigh, nor shall any official or employee of
the City of Raleigh accept or receive, or agree to accept or receive, directly or indirectly,
from any person, firm or corporation to whom any contract may be awarded or from whom
any materials, equipment or supplies may be purchased by the City of Raleigh, by rebate,
gift, or otherwise, any money or anything of value whatsoever, or any promise, obligation or
contract for future reward or compensation, for recommending or procuring the uses of any
such materials, equipment or supplies by the City of Raleigh; no member of the City Council,
official or employee of the City of Raleigh shall for his own personal benefit operate, directly
or indirectly, any concession in any building or on any lands of the City of Raleigh, nor shall
any official or employee of the City of Raleigh bid for or be awarded any contract granting

concessionary rights of any nature or kind from the City of Raleigh; it shall be unlawful for
any member of the City Council, official or employee of the City of Raleigh to bid for or to
purchase or to contract to purchase from the City of Raleigh any real estate, equipment,
materials, or supplies of any nature or kind whatsoever, either directly or indirectly, at either
public or private sale, either singly, or through or jointly with any other person.
1.12 Proposer Expenses
The City of Raleigh will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by any Firm in the
development of a response to this Request for Qualifications or any other activities associated
with this procurement including but not limited to any onsite (or otherwise) interviews and/or
presentations, and/or supplemental information provided, submitted, or given to City of Raleigh
and/or its representatives. Further, the City of Raleigh shall reserve the right to cancel the work
described herein prior to issuance and acceptance of any contractual agreement/purchase
order by the recommended Firm even if the awarding authority for each entity has formally
accepted a recommendation.
1.13 Proposer Acceptance
Submission of any proposal indicates a Proposer's acceptance of the conditions contained in
this RFQ. The City of Raleigh has the sole discretion and reserves the right to cancel this RFQ,
and to reject any and all submittals, to waive any and all informalities and/or irregularities, if it
is deemed to be in the City's best interests to do so.
The City of Raleigh reserves the right to accept or reject any or all of the items in any proposal,
and to award the contract in whole or in part and/or negotiate any or all items with individual
firms if it is deemed in the City's best interest. Moreover, the City reserves the right to make
no selection if the submittals are deemed to be outside the fiscal constraint or not in the best
interest of the City.
2 QUALIFICATIONS PACKAGE
Submittal responses must follow the format outlined below. The City may reject as non-
responsive at its sole discretion any submittal that does not provide complete and/or adequate
responses or departs in any substantial way from the required format.
All submittals are limited to 25 pages or less, inclusive of the cover sheet, and shall be typed
on 8-1/2" x 11" sheets, single-spaced. Tab 3 (financial information) and form RS-2 will not be
included in the page count.
Fold-out pages are not allowed. In order to reduce costs and to facilitate recycling, binders,
dividers, tabs, etc. are prohibited. One staple in the upper left-hand corner is preferred.
2.1 Request for Qualifications Required Document Format
Responses should be divided using tabs to separate each section, listed sequentially as
follows:
Tab 1: Cover Letter

Provide an introduction letter summarizing the unique qualifications of your firm to
meet the needs of this project. This letter should be presented on the firm's official
letterhead and signed by an authorized representative who has the authority to enter
into a contract with the City on behalf of the firm. Include the name, address,
telephone and email address of the individual who serves as the point of contact for
this solicitation.
Tab 2: Corporate Background and Experience
Include background information on the firm and provide detailed information regarding
the firm's experience with similar projects. Provide a list of all similar contracts
performed in the past five (5) years, accompanied by at least three (3) references
(contact persons, firm, telephone number and email address). Please highlight
experience with federal funding, NCDOT, and traffic signals.
Include the total amount invoiced for each listed project, the length of the project, and
list of personnel involved in the project who are also proposed for the subject project
named in this solicitation. Failure to provide a list of all similar contracts in the specified
period may result in the rejection of the firm's proposal. The evaluation team reserves
the right to contact any or all listed references, and to contact other public entities
regarding past performance on similar projects.
Tab 3: Financial Information
Review and provide one of the following three (3) financial statement options:
1. Recent audited or reviewed financial statements prepared by an independent
certified public accountant (CPA) that shall include, at a minimum, a balance sheet,
income statement (i.e., profit/loss statement) and cash flow statement and, if the
audited or reviewed financial statements were prepared more than six (6) months
prior to the issuance of this RFQ, the Proposer shall submit its most recent internal
financial statements (balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement or
budget with entries reflecting revenues and expenditures from the date of the audited
or reviewed financial statements to the end of the most recent financial reporting
period (i.e., the quarter or month preceding the issuance date of this RFQ)).
OR
2. Recent compiled financial statements prepared by an independent CPA that shall
include, at a minimum, a balance sheet, income statement (i.e., profit/loss statement)
and cash flow statement and, if the compiled financial statements were prepared
more than three (3) months prior to the issuance of this RFQ, the Proposer shall
submit its most recent internal financial statements (balance sheet, income
statement and cash flow statement or budget with entries reflecting revenues and
expenditures to date), and other evidence of financial stability such as most recently
filed income tax return, evidence of a line of credit/loans/other type of financing with
statement of amount in use/outstanding balance (e.g., a complete copy commitment
letter, loan agreement, billing statement reflecting the line of credit or statement from
lender acknowledging the commitment to fund the Proposer's stated financing),
personal guaranty with copies of personal income tax filing and statement of net