SB1 - Merced County Travel Demand Model Update

PH: 209.723.3153
FAX: 209.723.0322
www.mcagov.org
369 W. 18th Street
Merced, CA 95340
Release Date: March 26, 2026
Project No. RFP20260326MCAG
Request for Proposals
for
SB1 - Merced County Travel Demand Model Update
Notice is hereby given that proposals will be received at the Merced County Association of Governments
(MCAG), a California Joint Powers Authority, for performing all work necessary in accordance with the
Requirements specified herein. Please carefully read and follow the instructions provided. Proposers are
responsible for making certain their proposal is complete and is received by MCAG on or before the closing
deadline.
Proposals shall be emailed to: Magdalena Gartonzavesky, HR & Procurement Specialist, at
procurements@mcagov.org.The email subject line shall read as follows: RFP20260326MCAG - SB1 -
Merced County Travel Demand Model Update - Email Submission Deadline April 30, 2026, 12:00 p.m., PDT
[insert consultant name here].
Proposals received/email timestamped after the closing deadline will be rejected.
A pre-proposal meeting will be held on April 15, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. The pre-proposal meeting will be held
via a conference call. Proposers interested in attending must RSVP via email to
procurements@mcagov.org by 10:00 a.m. April 14, 2026. To attend, proposers may use the following
Zoom meeting link or dial the following number, and enter the meeting ID and access code:
Zoom meeting link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88199365280?pwd=vmcpLXW7jjw0PJ4ahHdHbZ4DwJmKua.1
Meeting ID: 881 9936 5280, Access Code: 968880, Dial in Number: 1 (669) 444-9171.
The Merced County Association of Governments Purchasing Policy and all of its provisions are
incorporated by this reference. Proposers of this project are hereby bound by all applicable federal laws,
regulations, and certifications.
MCAG is not liable for any costs incurred by Proposers in responding to this Request for Proposals (RFP).
Proposers are hereby notified that Proposals become public record. Proposers are to clearly identify any
information that is confidential and/or proprietary and submit a redacted copy of their Proposal with the
confidential and/or proprietary information. In the event of a Public Records Act or Freedom of
Information Act request, MCAG will use the redacted copy submitted by Proposer in response and the
failure to provide a redacted copy may result in the disclosure of a Proposer's entire response. MCAG is
not responsible or liable for the disclosure of any information that is not clearly labeled as confidential
and/or proprietary and provided in redacted form.
Please direct inquiries to Magdalena Gartonzavesky, HR & Procurement Specialist, via email at
procurements@mcagov.org.
RFP20260326MCAG Page 1 of 28

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover Page 1
Table of Contents 2
Proposer's Submittal Checklist 3
Definitions 4
Section I - General Information 5
Section II - Requirements - Scope of Work 8
Section III - Submittal 11
Section IV- Basis of Award, Evaluation, Selection Process, and Protests 13
Certification 17
Nondebarment Certification 18
Lobbying Certification 20
References List 21
Sample Agreement 22
RFP20260326MCAG Page 2 of 28

PROPOSER'S SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST
This checklist is provided to assist Proposers with submitting a complete Proposal. Proposers are to
submit a Proposal as noted below and are to include this checklist with the Proposal.
1. _____ Cover Letter
2. _____ Proposer's Submittal Checklist
3. _____ Table of Contents
4. _____ Section One - Certification, Nondebarment Certification, Lobbying Certification, and
References List
5. _____ Section Two - Organization, Capability, and Experience
6. _____ Section Three - Response to Requirements
7. _____ Section Four - Cost
A simple cover page noting each Section before each Section begins in your proposal is acceptable. For
example, a single page noting "Section One."
Non-submittal of any requested item may be considered non-responsive.
RFP20260326MCAG Page 3 of 28

DEFINITIONS
Agreement - The Agreement constitutes the entire contract between MCAG and the selected Proposer.
Term may be used interchangeably with Contract.
Authorized Representative - Person who has the legal authority to enter into and sign contracts on behalf
of the organization.
Closing Deadline - The last day and time the proposal must be received via email to
procurements@mcagov.org. Term may be used interchangeably with Submission Deadline.
Consultant - The Proposer awarded the Contract derived from this RFP. Term may be used
interchangeably with Contractor, Vendor, or Service Provider.
Contract - The Contract constitutes the entire agreement between MCAG and the selected Proposer.
Term may be used interchangeably with Agreement.
Evaluation Committee - A committee established to review and evaluate proposals to determine the
Contract award. The committee may include representatives of MCAG and its member jurisdictions.
MCAG - Merced County Association of Governments, a joint powers authority, established under
California Government Code Section 6500 et seq.
Proposer/Respondent - A person, partnership, firm, or corporation submitting a proposal with the
intention of obtaining an MCAG contract.
Subcontractor(s) - Any person, entity, or organization, to which Consultant or Contractor/Vendor/Service
Provider or MCAG has delegated any of its obligations hereunder.
RFP20260326MCAG Page 4 of 28

SECTION I - GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 PURPOSE
MCAG is seeking proposals from consulting firms with qualifications and experience necessary to update
and enhance its Travel Demand Forecasting Model by adding a mode choice component, improving
feedback processes, refining performance metrics, and strengthening the evaluation of transit services
and emerging mobility options to better inform regional transportation and climate policy decisions.
MCAG intends to use the results of this RFP to award one contract to the most responsive and responsible
Proposer as evaluated per Section IV of this RFP.
1.2 AGENCY INFORMATION
Formed through a Joint Powers Agreement signed by member jurisdictions in 1967, MCAG serves as the
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Regional Transportation Planning Agency, and Local
Transportation Authority for Merced County. MCAG is comprised of seven member agencies including six
cities (Atwater, Dos Palos, Gustine, Livingston, Los Banos, and Merced) and the County of Merced. The
MCAG Governing Board includes a supervisor from each of the five county districts and an elected official
from each of the cities. In addition to transportation planning, MCAG also administers the Transit Joint
Powers Authority for Merced County, Merced County Regional Waste Management Authority, and
Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System. MCAG is also responsible for the administration of
Measure V. For more information, visit MCAG's website at http://www.mcagov.org/.
1.3 CONTRACT DURATION
The contract term is anticipated to commence August 3, 2026, and end February 4, 2028, and is contingent
upon agreed upon services, available funding, and successful performance. The contract term may be
extended on a month-to-month basis by MCAG, at its sole discretion, and shall be based on available
funding and successful performance. The contract will be a fixed price contract for the full term including
the additional extension options.
1.4 RFP SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES
To the extent achievable, the following schedule shall be used for the procurement process. MCAG
reserves the right to modify the dates below as necessary.
a. RFP Distributed March 26, 2026
b. Pre-Proposal Meeting (RSVP by 10:00 a.m. 4/14/26) April 15, 2026, 10:15 a.m.
c. Questions/Clarifications due via email by April 17, 2026, 12:00 p.m.
d. Addendum(s) and Responses Posted by April 23, 2026
e. Deadline to Submit Proposal via Email April 30, 2026, 12:00 p.m.
f. Evaluations/Selection April 30 - May 13, 2026
g. Virtual Interviews May 20 - 22, 2026
h. Notice of Intent to Negotiate May 26, 2026
i. Notice of Intent to Award June 18, 2026
j. Governing Board Approval of Contract July 16, 2026
k. Notice of Award July 17, 2026
l. Contract Execution/Notice to Proceed August 3, 2026
RFP20260326MCAG Page 5 of 28

1.5 PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING AND PROJECT SITE VISIT
A pre-proposal meeting will be held on April 15, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. PDT via a conference call. Pre-Proposal
meeting is not mandatory. An attendance sign-in sheet will be available, and all potential proposers must
sign-in to verify their attendance. Interested attendees are to RSVP via email to
procurements@mcagov.org by April 14, 2026, by 10:00 a.m. To attend, proposers may use the following
Zoom meeting link or dial the following number, and enter the meeting ID and access code:
Zoom meeting link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88199365280?pwd=vmcpLXW7jjw0PJ4ahHdHbZ4DwJmKua.1
Meeting ID: 881 9936 5280, Access Code: 968880, Dial in Number: 1 (669) 444-9171.
1.6 QUESTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS AND/OR REVISIONS
Proposers are expected to raise any questions, noted errors, discrepancies, ambiguities, exceptions,
additions, or deficiencies they have concerning this RFP via email to procurements@mcagov.org no later
than 12:00 p.m. April 17, 2026.
If the Proposer fails to notify MCAG of any condition stated above that reasonably should have been
known to the Proposer, and if a contract is awarded to that Proposer, the Proposer shall not be entitled
to additional compensation or time by reason of the error or its correction.
Revisions to this RFP will be made only by official addendum issued by MCAG. Addenda will be posted by
April 23, 2026. Proposers are responsible for checking the website for addenda prior to submitting their
proposal. Failure to acknowledge addenda may disqualify a Proposal. As such, Proposers are advised to
review the website prior to the close of this RFP at http://www.mcagov.org/bids.aspx. Proposers are
encouraged to sign up for "Notify Me" on the website to receive emails, or a text, when items are posted
relevant to RFP's.
1.7 WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS
Proposals shall be irrevocable unless withdrawn prior to the closing deadline. Proposers may withdraw a
Proposal, in writing, at any time up to the closing deadline. A written withdrawal notice must be received
by MCAG at 369 W. 18th Street, Merced, California, 95340 or via email at procurements@mcagov.org. The
notice must be signed by an authorized representative. If a previously submitted Proposal is withdrawn
before the closing deadline, the Proposer may submit another proposal at any time up to the closing
deadline.
1.8 PROTEST PROCEDURES
Notice of intent to protest must be made in writing and conform to the requirements of MCAG Protest
Procedures, included herein on pages 14-16.
1.9 FALSE OR MISLEADING STATEMENTS
Proposals which contain false or misleading statements, or which provide references which do not
support an attribute or condition claimed by the Proposer, shall be rejected.
1.10 RIGHT TO REJECT OR ACCEPT PROPOSALS AND RIGHT TO CANCEL
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MCAG reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals or any part thereof, to waive any informalities or
minor irregularities in the Proposals, and to make an award on the basis of suitability, quality of service to
be provided, and ability to perform the Requirements. MCAG also reserves the right to cancel this RFP in
part or in its entirety.
1.11 DISPUTE RESOLUTION, ATTORNEY FEES, JURISDICTION, AND VENUE
In any action, suit, or proceeding arising out of or in any way connected with the performance of the
Agreement contemplated herein, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's
fees and costs. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Agreement contemplated herein, any disputes
concerning any question of fact or law relating to the Agreement contemplated herein, or any litigation
or arbitration arising out of the Agreement contemplated herein, shall be interpreted pursuant to
California law, subject to the jurisdiction of the Superior Court of California, and venued in the County of
Merced. CONSULTANT expressly waives federal jurisdiction.
RFP20260326MCAG Page 7 of 28

SECTION II - REQUIREMENTS - SCOPE OF WORK
2.1 GENERAL/BACKGROUND
Merced County Association of Governments (MCAG) is seeking consultant services to update and
enhance its Travel Demand Forecasting Model. Originally developed in 2022 using a single-county, four-
step, trip-based structure in Bentley CUBE for the 2022 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable
Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS), the model is currently being refined and updated to version 2.1 with a
2023 base year using data from the 2023 Central California Travel Survey and on-demand data post
pandemic. MCAG would like to further update the model to incorporate post-pandemic land use and
travel behavior data, including on-demand transportation datasets, surveys and census data, to improve
the analysis of travel patterns, traffic volumes, Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), greenhouse gas emissions,
and to reflect the efforts of the upcoming infrastructure and transit investments on the overall system
performance. MCAG relies on its travel demand model to support long-range planning, infrastructure
investment decisions, and Sustainable Communities Strategy implementation. The upcoming model
update will enhance the model's analytical capabilities by adding a mode choice component, improving
feedback processes, refining performance metrics, and strengthening the evaluation of transit services
and emerging mobility options to better inform regional transportation and climate policy decisions.
2.2 SCOPE OF WORK
The selected CONSULTANT shall complete the tasks listed below and fulfill the executed grant contract
between Caltrans and MCAG with the funding awarded by Caltrans Sustainable Communities
Competitive (Technical).
Task 1: Update and Enhance Travel Demand Model Structure
* Update the 2025 base-year MCAG Travel Demand Forecasting (TDF) model using existing data
sources (e.g., Census/ACS, 2023 Central California Household Travel Survey, traffic counts,
transit data, StreetLight acquired by Valley MPOs, and other reputable big-data sources if
available). No new primary surveys shall be conducted.
* Update and refine transportation networks, external gateways, land use, socioeconomic data,
demographic forecasts and any other relevant model inputs/parameters for consistency with
the RTP/SCS.
* Refine trip generation methods using enhanced household-level variables (e.g., household
income, vehicle ownership/type, household size, number of workers and other applicable
variables) from existing datasets.
* Conduct calibration and validation of model outputs (volumes, trip lengths, speeds among other
typical validation data sources) using observed and big-data sources.
* Update scripts, input files, and documentation associated with the base-year model which shall
be consistent and available for future year forecast and other forecast related tasks.
Deliverables:
* Memorandum describing the data and outputs.
* Updated 2025/2026 Base-Year Travel Forecasting Model (scripts).
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Task 2: Develop and Integrate Mode Choice Component
* Develop and implement a hierarchical mode choice module (e.g., drive alone, shared ride,
transit, bike, walk, and emerging mobility options among others).
* Utilize detailed household and traveler characteristics from existing data sources to improve
sensitivity to income, vehicle ownership, and household size and/or other typical household
characteristics in forecasting trips and mode choices such as transit and shared mobility use.
* Develop transit and active mode skim matrices using existing static and dynamic transit data
which may include and shall not be limited to routes, schedules, frequencies, fares, and other
available performance data.
* Incorporate available data on transit ridership and emerging mobility trends (e.g., shared
mobility, ZEV/ZOV projections).
* Calibrate the mode choice model using accepted statistical techniques and existing datasets.
Deliverables:
* Documentation of the mode choice methodology.
* Script files for mode choice component.
Task 3: Expand Model with Time-of-Day Component
* Expand the model to include five time-of-day periods (early morning, AM peak, midday, PM
peak, and late evening) or hourly periods, using latest available datasets related to time-of-day.
* Develop time-of-day specific models or factors and procedures to be consistent with observed
travel behavior across time-of-day.
* Calibrate and validate time-of-day traffic volumes and assignments using observed counts and
other available datasets.
* Document methodology, assumptions, and validation results associated with the time-of-day
expansion.
Deliverables:
* Memorandum of the methodology for the time-of-day expansion.
* Documentation of calibration and validation.
Task 4: Feedback Integration and Post-Processing Enhancements
* Refine the traffic assignment methodology to incorporate feedback loops between trip
distribution, mode choice, and traffic assignment, or similar iterative mechanism to better
reflect congestion and travel time impacts.
* Validate traffic volumes and roadway travel speeds from the loaded traffic network using real-
world observational data, including traffic counts, fixed sensor data, and reputable big-data
sources.
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* Update and refine post-processors for Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, and any other related system performance measures.
* Ensure compatibility with SB 375, SB 743, and CARB EMFAC applications and support
preparation of technical memo summarizing methodologies and results.
Deliverables:
* Documentation of the feedback methodologies.
* Post-processor scripts.
* Output files with summary spreadsheets.
Task 5: Documentation, Reporting, and Training
* Besides the task-specific documentation (progress report, presentation slides etc), prepare a
Model Development Report and updated User Guide documenting methodologies, data
sources, calibration, and validation results.
* Maintain organized model scripts and supporting technical documentation.
* Provide presentations and technical briefings to MCAG staff, Technical Review Board, and
Governing Board.
* Provide training to MCAG staff on updated model components and tools.
Deliverables:
* Model Development Report.
* User Guide.
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