1-RFP0153-042126 Transportation Services.pdf

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 1 of 52

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP0153-042126

TRANSIT SERVICE OPERATIONS

MARCH 2026

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 2 of 52

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary and Overview

RFP Instructions & Timeline

RFP Questions

Pre-Proposal Conference

System Overview

Scope of Services Requested

City of Nashua Responsibilities and Provisions:

Contractor Required Responsibilities:

Submittal Requirements

Insurance Requirements

Evaluation Criteria

Selection & Negotiation

General Provisions

Appendices

APPENDIX A PROPOSER CERTIFICATION

APPENDIX B CERTIFICATION OF PRIMARY PARTICIPANT - DEBARMENT

APPENDIX C CERTIFICATION OF RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING

APPENDIX D FEDERAL CLAUSES

APPENDIX E PRICING SHEET

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 3 of 52

Executive Summary and Overview Nashua Transit System (NTS) is soliciting responses to a Request for Proposals (RFP) from qualified transportation providers interested in providing Fixed Route Service and Paratransit Service, at the highest level of customer supported mobility in the Region.

More information about our service and routes can be found at www.ridebigblue.com.

The City of Nashua conducts its procurements in a manner that promotes full and open competition. This RFP is issued to ensure a fair, transparent, and equitable process, and all qualified respondents will be given equal consideration in accordance with the established evaluation criteria.

RFP Instructions & Timeline The City is now accepting Proposals electronically via Bonfire. Please review the Bonfire Vendor Registration and Bonfire Vendor Submission tutorial documents in the Appendix for more information. We strongly recommend that you give yourself sufficient time and at least one (1) business day before due date to begin the uploading process and finalize your submission. Copies are also available on the City’s website in the Purchasing section within the Bids section.

Responses shall be submitted in accordance with the schedule below., c/o Purchasing Office, City Hall, Room 11, 229 Main Street, Nashua NH, 03061-2019.

Responses shall be submitted in the format provided and address the items specified in the Request for Proposal. Postmarks or other timestamps will not be accepted in lieu of actual delivery. The City has the right to waive any informalities in the submittal procedure. The City of Nashua may reject any or all of the Proposals on any basis and without disclosure of a reason.

Complete specifications and related documentation are available on the website, www.nashuanh.gov, under Services, Bid Opportunities, Current Bids; and on the Bonfire website. Refer to Document RFP0153-042126 and related documents.

Please note paper copies will not be available. No RFP documents are available at the Central Purchasing Office.

Milestone Date/Time Location

Issued Request for Proposal

February 18th, 2026 https://www.nashuanh.gov/Bids.aspx http://www.ridebigblue.com/ https://www.nashuanh.gov/DocumentCenter/View/28837/Bonfire-Process-Overview---Vendor-Registration https://www.nashuanh.gov/DocumentCenter/View/28838/Bonfire-Process-Overview---Vendor-Submission http://www.nashuanh.gov/ http://www.nashuanh.gov/

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 4 of 52

Optional Pre-Proposal Conference

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 10:00 am

Via Zoom

Deadline for Proposer Questions

Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 10:00 am

Answers / Clarification Posted

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 3:00 pm

RFP Response Deadline

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 3:00 pm

City Hall Purchasing Department, Room 11 229 Main Street Nashua, NH 03060

Proposer Short List Review

TBD -

RFP Questions Proposer Questions shall be submitted in writing, citing the RFP title, RFP number, Page, Section, and received in accordance with the schedule above. Proposers are encouraged to submit written questions via email; however, the City assumes no liability for assuring accurate and complete email transmission/receipt and is not responsible to acknowledge receipt. Questions submitted by email are to be sent to:

Amy Girard

Purchasing Manager City of Nashua

229 Main Street Nashua, NH 03060

Email: purchasing@nashuanh.gov Phone: (603) 589-3330

The City will consider all timely-received questions and, if reasonable and appropriate, will issue an addendum to clarify or modify this RFP. Answers to submitted questions and other addenda will be posted under document RFP0153- 042126 on the City of Nashua website; www.nashuanh.gov, under Services, Bid Opportunities in alignment with the schedule above.

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 5 of 52

The Proposer shall fill out and submit as part of its Proposal an Acknowledgment of all Addenda to the RFP. Addenda to the RFP will be posted periodically to the City of Nashua web page under “Bid Opportunities”.

The City is exempt from all taxes. All Proposals shall be delivered to the City of Nashua, NH at your own costs. All Proposers shall comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations.

Pursuant to NRO 5-78 (F), the Purchasing Manager shall not solicit a Proposal from a Proposer who is in default on the payment of taxes, licenses, or other monies due the City. Therefore, this RFP is void as to anyone who is in default on said payments.

Pre-Proposal Conference A Pre-Proposal Conference will be offered in alignment with the schedule above via Zoom only. The purpose of the conference is to discuss the City’s proposal objectives and relevant information concerning the site and context for development and to answer questions about the RFP. Attendance by a representative of each Proposer is optional.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6035893330?pwd=YjZ5ZUtSMURySmdBRms1bXBLQ1 NUdz09&omn=84229036978

Meeting ID: 603 589 3330 Passcode: 5893333

One tap mobile

+13092053325,,6035893330#,,,,*5893333# US

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6035893330?pwd=YjZ5ZUtSMURySmdBRms1bXBLQ1NUdz09&omn=84229036978 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6035893330?pwd=YjZ5ZUtSMURySmdBRms1bXBLQ1NUdz09&omn=84229036978

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 6 of 52

System Overview Nashua Transit System is operating with a fleet of 22 vehicles, which are owned by the City. Service may increase or decrease over the contract period. Average monthly call volume in 2025 was 290.

Fixed Route - MB

FY27 FY28 FY29 FY30 FY31

Estimated Estimate d

Estimated Estimate d

Estimate d

Revenue Hours 30,842 31,090 30,771 30,807 30,807

Deadhead Hours

924 929 926 925 925

Revenue Miles 432,899 436,360 431,937 432,418 432,418

Deadhead Miles

11,174 11,240 11,185 11,179 11,179

Ridership 376,920 391,395 387,270 387,749 387,749

# of Weekdays 256 259 254 255 255

# of Saturdays 51 50 53 52 52

*Total Billing Hours

32,490 32,701 32,490 32,490 32,490

*Billing hours do not include Pre/Post Trip

Paratransit - DR

FY27 FY28 FY29 FY30 FY31

Estimated Estimate d

Estimated Estimate d

Estimate d

Revenue Hours 9,005 9,100 8,950 8,977 8,977

Deadhead Hours

954 964 948 951 951

Revenue Miles 118,367 119,671 117,567 117,967 117,967

Deadhead Miles

12,773 12,913 12,688 12,731 12,731

Ridership 14,242 14,828 14,575 14,622 14,622

# of Weekdays 256 259 254 255 255

# of Saturdays 51 50 53 52 52

*Total Billing Hours

10,257 10,324 10,257 10,257 10,257

*Billing hours do not include Pre/Post Trip

All Miles and Hours are based on the averages of FY 2025 data

Ridership is based on FY 2025 / adding 3% for years 2028 and on

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 7 of 52

Weekdays and Saturdays do have the holidays removed from each year

*Billing hours are based on the average of FY

Fixed Route Bus Services Citybus Weekday Service

• Eight buses operate Monday through Friday from 6:00AM to 6:30PM o Six buses cover one-hour routes: Amherst Street, South End/Pheasant

Lane Mall and Nashua Mall/West Hollis Street, Nashua North HS o Two buses cover half-hour routes: Crown Hill, Northeastern Blvd, French Hill and Main Dunstable Road

• Five buses “pulse” on the half hour and 5 buses that “pulse” on the hour at the Nashua Transit Center to allow transfers between routes.

Citybus Weekday Evening Service

• Two buses operate Monday through Friday from 6:45PM to 10:45PM

• These routes run every hour at 45 minutes past the hour.

CityBus Saturday Service

• Eight buses operate from 9:00AM to 5:50PM

• One bus to cover lunch breaks

• There is only one van available to run on Saturday to cover Paratransit Transit Service

• Two evening buses operate from 5:45PM to 10:45PM

ADA Paratransit/Senior Services – Regional Door to Door

• Ramp-equipped vans provide mandatory ADA service to those who are unable to access the city bus at a bus stop due to a physical or mental impairment.

• Riders must fill out an application for ADA or Senior Service in order to ride this service

• Service is by reservation, and is origin to destination

• ADA Service is provided at all times that Citybus operates

• 60-80 trips are provided per day

• Service is also provided to senior citizens on a space available basis

• The list of towns in the Nashua Transit Service Area include: Amherst, Brookline, Hollis, Hudson, Merrimack, Milford, Mt. Vernon, Nashua and Wilton, NH

Fleet and Facilities

• (4) – 2017 Gillig 30’ Heavy duty CNG low-floor buses Capacity – 26 seated and 29 standees

• (1) – 2019 Gillig 30’ Heavy duty CNG low-floor buses Capacity – 26 seated and 29 standees

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 8 of 52

• (4) – 2017 Gillig 35’ Heavy duty CNG low-floor buses Capacity – 31 seated and 24 standees

• (1) – 2014 CNG Bus – 30’ CNG low-floor bus Capacity 31 seated and 15 standees

• (2) - 2019 Gillig 35’ Heavy duty Hybrid Electric low-floor bus Capacity – 31 Seated and 23 Standees

• (3) - 2009 Chevy Arboc Vans Capacity 14 seated with 2 wheelchair stations

• (5) –2018 Champion Vans Capacity – 16 seated with 2 wheelchair stations

• (2) – 2020/21 Dodge Promaster

• (425) Bus Stops

• (13) Bus Shelters

• Transit Center (30 Elm Street)

• Transit Fleet Facility (11 Riverside Drive)

• Transit Administrative Building (11 Riverside Drive)

• Road supervision SUV

• Service Truck (not utilized by contractor)

• Nissan Leaf Electric Car

*Please note that the Transit Garage and Transit Center (route hub) are located approximately 2.5 miles (one way) from each other

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 9 of 52

Scope of Services Requested The Contractor shall be responsible for operation of public transportation services pursuant to the terms, conditions and requirements stated herein, and in any contract entered into by and between the successful proposer and the City. The Contractor shall ensure at all times that vehicles used for passenger conveyance shall be operated with due regard for the safety, comfort, and convenience of the general public. The Contractor shall be responsible for staffing the Transit Center with an employee, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (with an hour lunch break). The Contractor shall be responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state and local laws and requirements.

Contractors are asked to provide proposals for five (5) years of service from FY2027

(7/1/2026) - FY2031.

The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable ADA requirements. The Contractor shall also be responsible for complying with all rules and regulations mandated by the State of New Hampshire and by the FTA (reference APPENDIX D FTA CLAUSES)

The following responsibilities are a guideline and the City may change them over the course of the contract.

City of Nashua Responsibilities and Provisions:

▪ System Planning o Safety & Security (NTD and PTASP) o Transit Asset Management (TAM) o Route Planning

▪ Drug and Alcohol

▪ Drug & Alcohol for City Employees ONLY

▪ Drug & Alcohol Oversight of Contractor

▪ Maintenance o Fueling Vehicles o Vehicle Maintenance o Facility Maintenance o Groundskeeping o Building Cleaning o Trash Collection in Facilities (not in fleet vehicles) o Snow Removal

▪ Reporting o Reporting to FTA, NTD, and State of New Hampshire o Fixed Asset Reporting o Printing of DVIR’s

▪ Administration and Operations

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 10 of 52 o Oversight of Transportation Service Contract

▪ On time Performance

▪ Federal regulations for 5307 and 5310 programs o Purchasing of Rolling Stock o Billing

▪ Review contractor billing hours

▪ Pay gate to gate hours for service rendered

▪ City provided 5310 billing for contractor o Inventory o Auto Insurance o General Liability Insurance o Code of Conduct o ADA Requirements & Certifications o Building Office Space and Utilities

▪ Ticket Sales, Customer Service and Marketing o Ticket Ordering o General Marketing o Ride Guides o Route Mapping o Paratransit Customer Applications processing and entering

▪ Technology o Paratransit Service o Real time Bus / Fixed Route Software o GPS in each Vehicle o Tablet in each Vehicle o Basic Computer Equipment and Software o Camera System for the Admin, Maintenance and Transit Center

Contractor Required Responsibilities:

Dispatch

▪ Excellent Customer Service o Answer the phone o Provide assistance to customers o Enter all reservations into the paratransit software o Instruct and guide Operators regarding any Safety/Security issues that may arise on a daily basis.

▪ Monitor and address Operator schedule adherence and provide immediate solutions to keep the Operator “On Time”.

o Provide daily updates to City Staff

▪ Final paratransit scheduling for next day.

Service Implementation and Rollout

▪ Adequate staffing for service hours and requirements

▪ Assistance and Successful Implementation of New Services

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 11 of 52

▪ Responsible for taking calls and booking trips during operating hours

▪ Pre/Post Trip Vehicle Inspections and Reporting

▪ Fare Collection on board the vehicles

▪ Passenger boarding and alighting count on board

▪ Civil Right and ADA Regulations

Safety and Training

▪ Safety Program and Training Manual (to be reviewed and approved by the City of Nashua)

▪ Safety Training for New Hires and ongoing Safety Training for Operations Staff

▪ New Employee Training Program (to be reviewed and approved by the City of Nashua)

▪ New Employee Driver Training: ELDT Program for CDL Testing and licensing tracking

▪ Post-Accident and Incident training as required, including post incident

▪ Provide annual training to all drivers on passenger safety, disability awareness, and sensitivity training.

▪ FTA Safety & Security

▪ Compliance with the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP)

49CFR part 673

Technology and Equipment

▪ Staff will be trained on equipment and technology including but not limited to vehicle operation by vehicle type, vehicle ADA equipment by vehicle type, bike racks; farebox technology; video surveillance system; scheduling software GPS locator devices and tablets, bus destination signs, AVA system programming, Token Transit, and Civic Plus Notification System. Contractor staff will have sufficient skills to assist City staff with successful implementation and maintenance of these technologies and equipment.

▪ Contractor owned laptops, software, timeclock, proprietary technology.

Administration and Operations

▪ Required Background Checks for federal, state and programs

▪ Supervisor for each Shift

▪ Road Supervision of drivers

▪ Employee Payroll

▪ Employee Benefits

▪ Workers Compensation

▪ CDL Requirements and Training Program Manual

▪ Collective Bargaining Unit Negotiations and Management (if applicable)

▪ ELDT Program Requirements for CDL Training

▪ DOT Annual Physicals

▪ Uniforms

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 12 of 52

▪ Record Retention in accordance with RSA 33-A

▪ Accident and Incident Reporting

▪ Start-up staffing plan and ongoing attraction and retention plan

▪ A detailed staffing plan showing proposed FTE’s for all elements of submissions, position titles, and percentages of time spent on Operational, Training, Dispatch, General Administration, and Corporate Support

▪ Billing

▪ Billing to the City of Nashua shall be gate-to-gate hours for service rendered

Administrative Assistance / Operating Assistance

▪ Participation in NTS planning and project implementation

▪ Assistance with crisis management, including media, messaging and on the scene presence as situations arise

▪ Assist with NTD Reporting

▪ Assist with FTA Triennial Review and providing supporting data

▪ Adherence to FTA Regulations 49 U.S.C Chapter 53

▪ Adherence to ADA Requirements

▪ Adherence to all federal Civil Rights Requirements

▪ Weekly meetings with City management

▪ Provide reports as needed by the City

Ticket Sales

▪ Reconciliation of Fixed Route and Paratransit Inventory

▪ Bonding for Fare Collection as delineated within insurance requirements

▪ Staffing of Ticket Counter at Transit Center from 8AM to 5PM, Monday-Friday o Ticket Sales and Merchandise at the Transit Center o Reconciliation of Ticket Sales and Merchandise at the Transit Center o Providing general customer service to riders o Providing general oversight of the use of the Transit Center during staffed hours and working with City partners to address issues.

Drug and Alcohol

▪ Drug & Alcohol Program Requirements FTA 49 CFR Part 655

▪ Post-Accident Drug Testing (Immediately following an accident that needs to be tested)

▪ Drug & Alcohol Random Testing is to be administered and paid for by the

Contractor

▪ Annual MIS Reporting

Contractor Insurance Pricing

▪ Proposers shall include a separate line item in the pricing schedule reflecting the cost of providing contractor liability insurance in accordance with the Insurance Requirements of this RFP.

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 13 of 52

▪ The inclusion of this pricing line item does not create any right or expectation that City-provided insurance will be utilized. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to determine whether City-provided insurance may be considered in lieu of contractor-provided liability insurance under limited circumstances.

▪ If the City elects to consider such an approach, the City further reserves the right to negotiate pricing adjustments related to insurance and any other affected cost components. Nothing herein shall be construed as a waiver, limitation, or reduction of the contractor’s indemnification obligations or responsibility for its acts or omissions.

Submittal Requirements NTS is interested in working with a contractor that is committed to providing excellent service for the customers. Proposers must have a minimum of five years of experience in transporting customers in transit services and must be able to furnish proof of ability to perform the terms of this proposal. Proposer must provide a list of clients; their addresses and telephone numbers, for whom the proposer has performed service similar to those described in this RFP, including a description of all those similar services. In addition, proposers shall provide a list of five clients with similar services during the past five years for reference purposes, including current addresses, emails, and telephone numbers.

All submittals must include the following information to be considered complete.

Narratives shall include a description of how the proposer shall fulfill all contractor responsibilities outlined above.

Project Approach – Provide a brief narrative that the proposer has a clear understanding of the operations of Nashua Transit as well as an understanding of what is expected. Give a brief description of the approach to be taken to accomplish the day to day operations of the service. Provide in detail any suggestions that will allow the service to be run at the most efficient manner.

Company Profile – Proposer must submit Company Profiles, including:

• Contact names, addresses, phones, emails

• Location of company offices

• Number of full-time employees

• Company history, including relevant experience pertaining to transit management/operating

• Listing of relevant Transit sites that the proposer is currently operating and/or managing within the last five (5) years

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 14 of 52

Assigned Personnel - a list of team personnel, position titles, and a staffing plan of who would be assigned to this operation, along with a statement of qualifications for each individual and their operation methodology. (Actual Operators are not required at this time). If subcontractors are proposed, they shall also be identified.

References and Prior Project Work - A minimum of 5 references from clients who have had similar operations run, and who are knowledgeable about the firm’s experience on specific tasks that will be required.

Safety, Dispatch, and Training Functions - A detailed safety program should be submitted with this RFP that describes the contractor’s processes and plan to ensure the highest level of safety for its operations as well as compliance with all applicable State and Federal rules and regulations.

• Ensure safe operation of all vehicles

• Responsible for the training of all drivers and staff assigned under this RFP

Financials – All proposers are required to submit financial documents showing their financial capabilities as solvency. At a minimum, proposers must submit their most recent audited financial statements including the auditor’s summary or findings.

Pricing – All proposers are required to submit a pricing sheet as included in the appendices to this RFP. All pricing is subject to a Best-and-Final-Offer. The City reserves all rights to reject or remove any portion of the proposed services.

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 15 of 52

Insurance Requirements The insurance requirement specified in this section shall apply to Proposer and any subcontractors, suppliers, temporary workers, independent developers, leased employees, or any other persons, firms or corporations that the Proposer authorizes to work under the Agreement (Hereinafter collectively referred to as “Agents”).

Proposer is required to procure and maintain at its sole cost and expense the insurance coverages subject to all of the requirements set forth below. The Proposer is also required to assess the risks associated with the work to be performed by Agents under subcontract and to include in every subcontract the requirement that the Agent maintain adequate insurance coverages with appropriate limits and endorsements to cover risks; the limit for the commercial general liability insurance in each subcontract shall not be less than $1 million.

Such insurance shall remain in full force and effect throughout the term of the Agreement. To the extent that any Agent does not procure and maintain such insurance coverage, the Proposer shall be responsible for said coverage and assume any and all costs and expenses that may be incurred in securing said coverage or fulfilling Proposer’s indemnity obligation as to itself or any of its Agents in the absence of coverage. In the event Proposer or its Agents procure excess or umbrella coverage to maintain certain requirements outlined below, these policies shall also satisfy all specified endorsements and stipulations, including provisions that the Proposer’s insurance be primary without any right of contribution from the City of Nashua. Prior to beginning work under the Agreement, Proposers shall provide the City of Nashua with satisfactory evidence of compliance with the insurance requirement of this section.

Pricing - Contractor Liability Insurance Proposers shall include a separate line item in the pricing schedule reflecting the cost of providing contractor liability insurance in accordance with the Insurance Requirements of this RFP.

The inclusion of this pricing line item does not create any right or expectation that City-provided insurance will be utilized. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to determine whether City-provided insurance may be considered in lieu of contractor-provided liability insurance under limited circumstances.

If the City elects to consider such an approach, the City further reserves the right to negotiate pricing adjustments related to insurance and any other affected cost components. Nothing herein shall be construed as a waiver, limitation, or reduction of the contractor’s indemnification obligations or responsibility for its acts or omissions.

A. Types of Insurance

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 16 of 52

Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability Insurance Workers’ Compensation with Statutory Limits as required by law.

(a) Employer’s Liability coverage with minimum limits of $1 million.

(b) Such insurance shall include the following endorsement as further detailed in the Endorsements Section below:

a. Waiver of Subrogation in the Endorsement Section.

Commercial General Liability Insurance for bodily injury and property damage coverage with a combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage of at least $1 million each occurrence, $2 million aggregate. Such insurance shall cover all of Proposer’s operations both at and away from the project site.

a. The insurance shall include coverage for, but not be limited to:

a. Premises and operations.

b. Contractual liability.

c. Personal injury.

d. Advertising injury.

e. Explosion, collapse, and underground coverage

f. Broad form property coverage.

b. Such insurance shall include the following endorsements as further detailed in the Endorsements Section below:

a. Additional Insured.

b. Cross Liability or Severability of Interests Clause.

c. Primary and Non-Contributory wording.

d. Waiver of Subrogation.

Professional Liability of at least $5 million.

a. The insurance shall include coverage for, but not be limited to:

a. Punitive damages.

b. Contractual liability.

c. Valuable Papers & EDP

b. Such insurance shall include the following endorsements as further detailed in the Endorsements Section below:

a. The policy shall have a retroactive date that precedes the start of the service.

b. Such Errors and Omissions policy shall be maintained in full force and effect for three years following the completion of services under the Agreement.

c. Waiver of Subrogation

Business Automobile Liability Insurance providing bodily injury and property damage with combined single limit of at least $1 million per occurrence. This insurance shall apply to the maintenance, and operation of all vehicles used in the performance of services under Agreement, including vehicles owned by the City of Nashua and operated by the Proposer. The Proposer’s automobile liability

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 17 of 52 insurance shall be primary for claims arising out of the operations, use, or control of City-owned vehicles by the Proposer, its employees, agents, or subcontractors.

Such insurance shall include the following endorsements as further detailed in the Endorsements Section below:

a. Additional insured, but only with respect to the Proposer’s operations under the Agreement.

b. Primary and Non-Contributory wording.

c. Waiver of Subrogation.

The City of Nashua shall maintain automobile liability insurance for vehicles it owns.

Such coverage applies solely to claims arising from the ownership or physical condition of such vehicles and shall not apply to losses arising out of the negligent operation, supervision, training, or conduct of the Proposer or its Agents.

B. Endorsements Additional Insured The referenced policies and any Excess or Umbrella policies shall include as Additional Insureds the City of Nashua and its directors, officers, employees, volunteers and agents, but only with respect to liability arising out of the Proposer’s operations, acts or omissions under the Agreement.

Waiver of Subrogation The referenced policies and any Excess or Umbrella policies shall contain a waiver of subrogation in favor of the City of Nashua and its officers, directors, employees, volunteers and agents while acting in such capacity, and their successors and assignees, as they now, or as they may hereafter be constituted, singly, jointly or severally.

Primary Insurance The referenced policies and any Excess or Umbrella policies shall indicate that they are primary and non-contributory to any other insurance with respect to liability arising out of the Proposer’s operations, acts, or omissions under the Agreement and the insurance company(ies) providing such policy(ies) shall be liable thereunder for the full amount of any loss or claim, up to and including the total limit of liability, without right of contribution from any of the insurance affected or which may be affected by the City of Nashua.

Severability of Interests or Cross Liability The referenced policies and any Excess or Umbrella policies shall contain either a Cross Liability endorsement or Severability of Interest Clause and stipulate that inclusion of the City of Nashua as an Additional Insured shall not in any way affect the City of Nashua’s rights either as respects any claim, demand, suit or judgment made, brought or recovered against the Proposer.

Said policy shall protect Proposer and the City of Nashua in the same manner as though a separate policy had been issued to each, but nothing in said policy shall operate to increase the insurance company’s liability as set forth in its policy beyond the amount or amounts shown or to which the insurance company would have been liable if only one interest had been named as an insured.

Evidence of Insurance All Coverages – Prior to commencing work, the Proposer shall provide the City of Nashua with a certificate of insurance evidencing coverage, and upon request, a certified duplicate original of the policy. The certificate shall

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 18 of 52 also show that the Proposer’s policy(ies) will not be cancelled or coverage altered without 30 days prior written notice to the City of Nashua.

General Provisions Notice of Cancellation – The policies shall provide that the Proposer’s policies will not be cancelled or have limits reduced or coverage altered without 30 days prior written notice to the City of Nashua.

Acceptable Insurers – All policies will be issued by insurers with a Best’s Rating of A- 10 or better.

Self-Insurance – Upon evidence of financial capacity satisfactory to the City of Nashua and Proposer’s agreement to waive subrogation against the City of Nashua respecting any and all claims that may arise, Proposer’s obligation hereunder may be satisfied in whole or in part by adequately funded self-insurance.

Failure to Maintain Insurance – All insurance specified above shall remain in force until all work to be performed is satisfactorily completed and the work has been formally accepted. The failure to procure or maintain required insurance and/or an adequately funded self-insurance program will constitute a material breach in of this Contract.

Occurrence Coverage – Insurance shall be provided on an occurrence basis, except for Professional Liability coverage, which may be provided on a claims-made basis in accordance with the requirements set forth herein.

Deductibles and Retentions – The Proposer shall be responsible for payment of any deductible or retention on Proposer’s policies without right of contribution from the City of Nashua.

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 19 of 52

Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated based on five (5) criteria for a total of 100 points.

• Thirty (30) points are allocated for the qualification of the proposer and is based on the proposer’s past history of successfully operating similar service to those described in the RFP.

• Twenty-Five (25) points are allocated for the dispatch, safety, and training functions of the proposed team.

• Twenty-Five (25) points are allocated for the operating methodology, general staffing plan, and proposer’s plan to effectively use personnel and resources to ensure quality service delivery of NTS services.

• Ten (10) points are allocated for the cost effectiveness of the proposal, that is, the proposed cost in relation to the quality and level of service to be provided. Bid pricing evaluation will be analyzed for the full five-year term.

• Ten (10) points are allocated for references, both on the contracting company and key management personnel.

Proposers are asked the limit the use of promotional materials beyond those sufficient to provide a complete, accurate and reliable proposal. The same will be required of proposers ask to participate in interviews.

Selection & Negotiation NTS will review all proposals submitted and select the highest rated proposals who may be invited to make a presentation to the evaluation panel established by NTS.

The evaluation of the proposals will include, but is not limited to factors such as:

▪ Completeness of the proposal submitted and compliance with the terms and conditions of the RFP.

▪ Financial stability and capabilities of the proposer.

▪ Cost of providing the contractual services.

▪ Operational capabilities and experience of the proposer.

▪ Creative ideas proposed to maximize safe and effective operations.

▪ Experience and qualifications of the key personnel identified.

▪ Understanding of the services to be provided.

▪ Safety and training program offered.

▪ Responses to reference checks.

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 20 of 52

NTS reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or any item or items and to waive any informality or technical defects as the interest of NTS may require.

Based on the presentation, the panel will select the proposal which best fulfills NTS’s requirements. Although cost will be considered, NTS is not obligated to accept the lowest cost proposal bid, but will make an award in the best interests of NTS after all factors have been evaluated.

NTS will negotiate with the selected vendor to determine final pricing, and contract form. Because this proposal is negotiable, all pricing data will remain confidential until after award is made. The contract will be awarded after approval of the Aldermanic Finance Committee and the Board of Alderman.

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General Provisions

1. Additional Information / Addenda Requests for additional information or clarifications must be made in writing and received in accordance with the rules specified in this RFP, no later than the deadline for receipt of questions specified in the RFP Timeline. The City will issue responses to inquiries and any other corrections or amendments it deems necessary in written addenda which will be posted on the City’s website. Proposers shall not rely on any statements or explanations other than those made in this RFP or in any addendum to this RFP. Where there appears to be a conflict between the RFP and any addenda issued, the last addendum issued shall prevail. It is the Proposer's responsibility to assure receipt of all addenda. The Proposer shall review the City’s website prior to submitting a Proposal to assure that all addenda have been received. Proposers are required to acknowledge all addenda received as part of their Proposals.

2. Modified Proposals A Proposer may submit a modified Proposal to replace all or any portion of a previously submitted Proposal up until the RFP Due Date. The City will only consider the latest version of the Proposal and reserves the right to waive any informalities in the submittal procedure.

3. Late Proposals and Late Modifications Proposals received after the Proposal Due Date and time are late and may not be considered. Modifications received after the Proposal Due Date are also late and may not be considered.

4. RFP Postponement / Cancellation The City may, at its sole and absolute discretion, reject any and all, or parts of any and all Proposals; re-advertise this RFP; postpone or cancel, at any time, this RFP process; or waive any irregularities in this RFP or in the Proposals received as a result of this RFP.

5. Costs Incurred by Proposers All expenses involved with the preparation and submission of Proposals to the City, or any work performed in connection therewith shall be borne by the Proposer. No payment will be made by the City for any responses received, nor for any other effort required of or made by the Proposer in the Proposal and negotiation process.

6. Exceptions to the RFP Any exceptions taken to terms of the RFP must be specific, and the Proposer must indicate clearly what alternative is being offered to allow the City a meaningful opportunity to evaluate and rank Proposals, and the implications of the exception (if any). Where exceptions are taken, the City shall determine the acceptability of

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 22 of 52 the proposed exceptions. The City, after completing evaluations, may accept or reject the exceptions. All exceptions shall be referenced by utilizing the corresponding Section, paragraph, and page number in this RFP. However, the City is under no obligation to accept any exceptions. If no exception is stated, the City will assume that the Proposer will accept all terms and conditions.

7. Public Records Law Proposers are hereby notified that all information submitted as part of, or in support of, Proposals will be available for public inspection after opening of Proposals, in compliance with New Hampshire RSA chapter 91-A. Records subject to the provisions of Ch. 91-A shall be kept and maintained in accordance with such Statute. The Proposer shall acknowledge that records and books, not subject to exemption under the law, may be disclosed and/or produced to third parties by the City in accordance with requests submitted under the law or court orders without penalty or reprisal to the City for such disclosure and/or production. The Proposer shall also agree to assert, in good faith, any relevant exemptions provided for under the law for records in its possession on behalf of the City.

8. Negotiations The City may award an Agreement on the basis of offers received in a Proposal, without discussions. Therefore, each offer shall contain the Proposer's best terms from a monetary and technical standpoint. The City reserves the right to enter into negotiations with the selected Proposer. If the City and the selected Proposer cannot negotiate a successful Agreement in a reasonable timeframe, as determined by the City, the City may terminate said negotiations and begin negotiations with the next ranked Proposer. This process will continue until an Agreement has been executed or all selected Proposers have been rejected. No Proposer shall have any rights against the City arising from such negotiations or termination thereof.

9. Compliance with Laws In performance of the services, the Proposer will comply, both as a duty and as a condition of closing, with applicable regulatory requirements, including federal, state, special district, and local laws, rules, regulations, orders, codes, criteria, and standards. It shall be the responsibility of the Proposer to obtain and maintain, at no cost to the City, any and all license and permits required to complete the services provided pursuant to the Agreement.

10. Conflict of Interest The Proposer covenants that no person employed by the Proposer which exercises any functions or responsibilities in connection with the Proposal or the Agreement has any personal financial interests direct or indirect with the City, exclusive of existing development agreement relationships with the City of Nashua for other properties. The Proposer further covenants that, in the performance of the Agreement, no person having a conflicting interest shall be employed. Any such

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 23 of 52 interests on the part of the Proposer or its employees must be disclosed in writing to City.

11. Review of Proposals for Responsiveness Each Proposal will be reviewed to determine if the Proposal is responsive to the submission requirements outlined in the RFP. A responsive Proposal is one which follows the requirements of the RFP, includes all documentation, is submitted in the format outlined in the RFP, is of timely submission, and has the appropriate signatures as required on each document and, in the Stage II Proposal, includes the specified deposit in form of a cashier's check. Failure to comply with these requirements may deem a Proposal non-responsive.

12. EEO and ADA The Proposer must be and remain in compliance with all local, state and federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.

13. Public Entity Crimes A Proposer responding to this RFP shall be deemed to warrant that there exists no circumstance that would disqualify the Proposer from making its Proposal or proceeding with development therein contemplated.

14. Collusion The Proposer, by submitting a Response, certifies that its Response is made without previous understanding, agreement or connection either with any person, firm, or corporation submitting a Response for the same services, or with any City Department. The Proposer certifies that its Response is fair, without control, collusion, fraud, or other illegal action. The Proposer certifies that it is in compliance with the conflict of interest and code of ethics laws. The City will investigate all situations where collusion may have occurred and the City reserves the right to reject any and all Responses where collusion may have occurred.

15. Property Taxes and Assessments The Proposer will be responsible for the payment of all property taxes, special assessments, or other public charges on land and improvements except as may otherwise be negotiated. An agreement shall be reached whereby, shall the private development be or later become tax-exempt, an in-lieu payment(s) equivalent to the real estate taxes, special assessments, or other public charges that would be due if taxable will be paid.

16. Federal and State Taxes The City is exempt from Federal Tax and State Sales and Use Taxes. Upon request, the City will provide an exemption certificate to the Proposer. The Proposer shall not be exempted from paying sales tax to its suppliers for materials to fulfill the

City of Nashua | Transit Service Operations | March 2026 | Page 24 of 52 contractual obligations with the City, nor shall the Proposer be authorized to use the City’s Tax Exemption Number in securing such materials.

17. Permits and Approvals No construction will commence without possession of all appropriate approvals and permits from all governing jurisdictions.

18. Indemnification and Hold Harmless To the fullest extent permitted by laws, the Proposer shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the City and its officials, officers, employees, and agents, from and against all claims, damages, losses, and expenses arising out of or resulting from (i) the operation, use, or control of any vehicle by the Proposer or its Agents, including City-owned vehicles; (ii) the negligent acts or omissions of the Proposer or its Agents in performance of services under the Agreement, and (iii) the Proposer’s employment, supervision, training, or retention of its employees.

The City shall remain responsible for claims arising solely from its ownership or physical condition of vehicles, facilities, or equipment, to the extent not caused by the acts or omissions of the Proposer or its Agents.

The Proposer’s obligation to defend and indemnify the City shall arise upon any allegation that the Proposer, its subcontractors, or any person or entity directly or indirectly employed by them acted willfully, intentionally, recklessly, or negligently in the performance of the work required under this Agreement.

In any and all claims against the City or its officers, employees, or agents by any employee of the Proposer or its subcontractors, the Proposer’s indemnification obligations shall not be limited by any limitation on the amount or type of damages, compensation, or benefits payable under workers’ compensation or similar employee benefit laws.

19. Contract Award The award(s), if any, shall be made to the Proposer whose Proposal shall be deemed by the City’s Board of Aldermen to be in the best interest of the City. The City's Board of Aldermen’s decision of whether to make the award, and which Proposal is in the best interest of the City, shall be final.

20. Subordination A lease, if any, shall not be made subject to subordination.

21. Performance and Payment Bond The City will require provision of Performance and Payment Bonds and will consider alternatives as may be more appropriate to the specifics of the project and in the City's best interests.

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22. Availability of Funds The obligations of the City under this Agreement are subject to the availability of funds lawfully appropriated for its purpose by the City’s Board of Aldermen.

23. Discrimination It is understood that the Proposer shall not discriminate against any employee in the performance or the contract with respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions or privileges of employment, or any other matter directly or indirectly related to employment because of age, marital status, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or disability.

24. Warranty of Errors All representations made herein are believed to be true but the City does not warrant or guaranty that no errors exist. Proposers shall satisfy themselves before relying on any representations made herein.

25. City Board of Aldermen Discretion In this procurement, all Proposers are placed on notice that the City’s Board of Aldermen retains the full and final discretion to select any Proposal that it determines is in the best interests of the City, and the City’s Board of Aldermen also retains full and final discretion to determine that no Proposal will be selected.

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Appendices

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APPENDIX A

PROPOSER CERTIFICATION

Signing and submitting a proposal, the proposer certifies as follows:

The certification in this clause is a material representation of fact relied upon by the City. If it is later determined that the proposer knowingly rendered erroneous certification, in addition to remedies available to City, the Federal Government may pursue available remedies, including but not limited to suspension and/or debarment.

The proposer agrees to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR 29, Subpart C while this offer is valid and throughout the period of any contract that may arise from this offer. The bidder or proposer further agrees to include a provision requiring such compliance in its lower tier covered transactions.

Executed this ___________ day of ____________ 2026.

By: _________________________________ (Signature of authorized official)

(Title of authorized official)

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APPENDIX B

CERTIFICATION OF PRIMARY PARTICIPANT - DEBARMENT

The CONTRACTOR certifies that it, its principals as defined in 49 CFR 29.995, or affiliates, as defined in 49 CFR 29.905:

1. Are not presently debarred, suspended, purposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any federal department or agency;

2. Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (federal, state or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction, violation of federal, or state antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;

3. Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a government entity (federal, state, or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (2) of this certification; and

Have not within a three-year period preceding this application/proposal had one or more public transactions (federal, state or local) terminated for cause or default.

The CONTRACTOR is required to comply with 49 CFR 29, Subpart C and must include the requirement to comply with 49 CFR 29, Subpart C in any lower tier covered transaction.

The CONTRACTOR certifies or affirms the truthfulness and accuracy of the contents of the statements submitted on or with this certification and understands that the provisions of 31 U.S.C. Sections 3801 et seq. are applicable hereto.

Executed this ___________ day of ____________ 2026.

By: _________________________________ (Signature of authorized official)

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APPENDIX C

CERTIFICATION OF RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING

I, ' hereby certify on behalf of the that:

(1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.

(2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence and officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this Federal contract, grant, loan…