Shared mobility in Greater Minnesota | Resources | Shared Mobility Public-Private Partnership Guide
6: Implementation: Issuing RFPs
Once your city has identified its transportation needs, explored the range of shared-mobility options available (Section 3), and considered which partnership model is most appropriate, the next step is implementing the shared-mobility solution. Most cities issue requests for proposals (RFPs) as part of their vendor-selection process to identify potential vendors and compare proposals from various providers who respond. In a blog post titled “What to Consider in Your Next Micromobility RFP,” Ride Report marketing manager Corrine Murray outlines some key considerations when creating an RFP.
Identify your shared-mobility program stage and goals
“Before you start drafting an RFP, it’s important to understand the current status of your municipality’s program,” Murray notes. Do you already have existing forms of shared mobility in your community, or will this be the first? Are you looking for a new mobility solution, or are you replacing an established vendor that already operates in your community? Understanding the current state of your shared-mobility portfolio will help you determine where to start.
Talk to your colleagues and consultants
Many cities that have launched a shared-mobility program found it helpful to engage with other municipalities that already have such a program in place to learn about their successes and challenges. You can save time, effort, and resources by learning about best practices and what to avoid from those who have already been through the process. Murray identifies some key questions you might consider asking peer communities:
- What do you wish you knew before starting the RFP process?
- What lessons did you learn along the way?
- Is there any language that we can use in our RFP?
- What do you wish you had included in the initial RFP?
MnDOT also hosts a monthly call for municipalities to discuss their shared-mobility questions and ongoing issues. Staff from cities in Minnesota can join the conversation regardless of where you are in the shared-mobility process by contacting Elliott McFadden, MnDOT Greater Minnesota Shared Mobility Program Coordinator, at Elliott.McFadden@state.mn.us.
Define your technical requirements
“Once you have a good understanding of the high-level structure of your desired program,” Murray explains, “it is time to start defining the requirements. What are the must haves and nice to haves?”
For example, it may be critical for your municipality to have a 24/7 car-share option, and your city council insists that the fleet uses only electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “Make a list of the technical and project-management requirements and differentiate between what is necessary and what is optional.”
In addition to including specific requirements to achieve your goals with a shared-mobility service, Murray notes that “it is important to clarify the goal or reasoning behind the requirements listed in the RFP.” As she explains, “This provides the vendors with the context needed to create an informed response that is catered to your unique needs. It also allows vendors to propose alternative solutions that may not meet the technical requirement, but ultimately address your goals.”
Limit proposals to as short as is feasible
To avoid receiving overly lengthy proposals from vendors that are difficult to evaluate or compare with others, Murray recommends including a page limit for proposals in your RFP. “Setting a reasonable page limit encourages vendors to be succinct with their messaging and focus on the important requirements and key differentiators. This will lead to proposals that are easier to evaluate and more aligned with your unique specifications.”
Align evaluation criteria with your shared-mobility needs
It is important to include in your RFP the criteria you will use to evaluate proposals your city receives.
“Do you have a very strict budget? Are there local laws or politics that will have a major impact on the operation of your program? What type of equity goals are in place for your city? These are all factors that should be considered when creating the evaluation criteria for your program,” Murray notes. “Most vendors base their response to an RFP on the evaluation criteria, making it crucial for cities to clearly state how they are scoring the proposals.”
You can find an example of how the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul defined their RFP criteria for shared-mobility providers, as well as how they weighted these criteria. A system like this helps to standardize the selection process so city council and staff can efficiently select the provider that best meets the needs of your community.
Some cities include cooperative RFP language in their solicitations. This allows other public sector entities to use the procurement process of the originating city and go straight to contracting with the selected vendor(s). If your city has limited capacity to produce your own RFP and manage a procurement, you may wish to survey existing RFPs to determine if the vendor requirements match what you are trying to implement in your community.
Permits, ordinances, and regulations
Creating, defining, and implementing a shared-mobility program can be a time-consuming process. Before launching a program, it is important for municipalities to anticipate potential problems and challenges, and establish guidelines under which shared-mobility providers are required to operate.
Imagine spending months creating a shared-mobility plan for electric bicycles only to find that they are being left in the middle of sidewalks or on private property, causing frustration and complaints from your residents and business owners. By establishing guardrails such as designated parking and docking areas, device caps, service-area limitations, and fees and fines, you can prevent these issues before they happen—or at least incentivize your private- sector partners to take steps to mitigate these issues.
The Shared Micromobility Policy Toolkit includes definitions, examples, and case studies explaining how municipalities can develop policies and regulations to avoid common issues that can undermine the effectiveness of their shared-mobility program.