Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice (“Hawaiʻi Appleseed”) is seeking proposals from qualified traffic engineering firms to provide design, planning, procurement, and installation services for pedestrian safety and solar transit lighting improvements at select demonstration sites in the Waipahu and ʻEwa areas of Oʻahu.

This project is part of Phase 2 of the Mobility, Access, and Transportation Insecurity (MATI) Program, which seeks to improve mobility and safety for low-income women and families by addressing critical pedestrian and transit lighting needs near schools, high-ridership bus stops, and community corridors. Project priorities were informed by extensive community engagement, including surveys, listening sessions, and design charrettes. The MATI program is an effort of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies and is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The MATI Phase 2 project will result in: 

• Pedestrian safety improvements at up to 6 intersections in Waipahu and ʻEwa, including but not limited to curb extensions, refuge islands, crosswalk enhancements, and other traffic-calming measures (i.e., quick-build style, within the existing right-of-way). The main goal of the roadway treatments are to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries by slowing vehicles and increasing pedestrian visibility. 

• Solar-powered transit lighting improvements at up to 25 bus stops in Waipahu and ʻEwa. The main goal of the solar lighting enhancements is to improve visibility of the roadway, transit stop, and surrounding built environment and also improve pedestrians’ and transit users’ safety perceptions. 

A map of demonstration sites is included in Appendix A (Waipahu) and Appendix B (ʻEwa). As shown in these figures, the resulting improvements shall be focused within a 0.5-mile radius from “priority” elementary schools in the project area. 

These project improvements shall be installed by October 30, 2026. The selected Consultant will play a lead role in finalizing design elements, coordinating with manufacturers, managing permits and construction coordination, and leading installation.

The selected Consultant will be responsible for:

Design and Planning

• Finalize pedestrian safety treatment types and installation locations in coordination with Honolulu DTS.

• Finalize solar lighting installation locations in coordination with Honolulu DTS.

• Conduct additional site analysis as needed to confirm feasibility.

• Develop and finalize traffic engineering designs and transit lighting designs.

• Develop and finalize traffic control plans.

• Coordinate with solar lighting manufacturers and suppliers.

Permits and Coordination

• Secure necessary permits from applicable agencies, in compliance with local, state, and federal policies. 

• Coordinate with roadway construction companies regarding traffic control and installation schedules.

Installation and Oversight

• Install pedestrian safety treatments at selected intersections. 

• Install solar-powered lighting fixtures at designated transit stops.

• Provide traffic control services during installation.

• Oversee quality control to ensure compliance with safety standards and project specifications. 

• Monitor demonstration sites, up to six months following installation, to ensure proper functionality of installations. 

Procurement and Materials

• Acquire pedestrian safety materials and solar lighting fixtures.

• Ensure timely delivery and quality standards.

Note: If the selected Consultant chooses to use sub-contractors to perform any of the above services, the Consultant must adhere to the terms and conditions of procurements financed with FTA assistance, and the flow-down terms that may affect a recipient’s contractors.

The selected contractor shall receive a lump-sum budget of no more than $415,000 to cover services, labor, and equipment. This budget is also inclusive of the General Excise Tax (4.712%).

Licensing Requirements: 

• The selected Consultant, and any of its subconsultants, shall hold and maintain all necessary professional licenses, registrations, and certifications to practice traffic engineering in the State of Hawai‘i, including but not limited to:

  • Hawai‘i Professional Engineer (PE) license where applicable. 

  • Hawai‘i general contractor license where applicable. 

  • Registration to conduct business in the State of Hawai‘i. 

• The Consultant shall submit proof of good standing (e.g. certificate of registration) prior to contract award.

Insurance Requirements: Prior to contract execution, the Consultant shall provide valid Certificates of Insurance (COIs) evidencing required minimum coverages.

Interested applicants must submit a 5–10 page proposal and include the following details:

• Project Team

  • Project team members, short bios, and team qualifications. 

  • Summary of experience working on similar projects in Hawaiʻi, and if applicable, experience working with the Waipahu and ‘Ewa communities.

  • Summary of experience with managing federally-funded projects. 

  • Summary of existing relationships with relevant government agencies. 

• Project Methodology and Schedule

  • Approach to meeting project goals and scope of work. 

  • Schedule with key milestones. 

  • Approach to mitigating risks and ensuring timely delivery of project installations. 

• Budget

  • Cost estimates tied to eligible project activities, providing a breakdown based on schedule and type of service and equipment. Budget should include expenses related to: 

    • Staff and sub-consultant labor, including classifications and hourly rates. 

    • Materials and equipment.

    • Travel.   

    • Overhead, including fringe and benefits. 

  • Approach to maximizing the number of sites addressed within the available budget.

• October 20, 2025 – RFP released on Hawaiʻi Appleseed website.

• October 30, 2025 – Deadline for applicants to submit questions via email. 

• November 3, 2025 – Hawaiʻi Appleseed responses to questions via email. 

• November 11, 2025 – Proposals due by 11:59 PM HST.

• November 12–18, 2025 – Proposal review and scoring.

• November 19, 2025 – Notification of award (all applicants will be notified via email).

• Anticipated contract execution by November 15, 2025. 

Selection is the sole responsibility of Hawaiʻi Appleseed. We reserve the right to reject any or all responses to the RFP. We also reserve the right to re-release the RFP if:

• No proposals are received, or;

• No qualified vendor submits a proposal.

• If only one proposal is received, the vendor may still be selected provided it meets the qualifications.

Proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format to: abbey@hiappleseed.org 

Subject line: “MATI Phase 2 Traffic Engineering Proposal – [Firm Name]”

Proposals must be received no later than November 11, 2025, 11:59 PM HST.

Confirmation of receipt will be sent following the submission deadline.

For questions regarding this RFP, please contact:

Abbey Seitz, Director of Transportation Equity 

Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice

Email: abbey@hiappleseed.org

Phone: (808) 897-1221