1-RFQDOC 6000001388.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

PORT AUTHORITY TRANS-HUDSON (PATH)

PATH TAPP FARE GATE REPLACEMENT PROJECT

February 3, 2026 i

Table of Contents

1. OVERVIEW

1.1 Request for Qualifications

1.2 Background

2. INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

2.1 Contact Person

2.2 Rules of Contact

2.3 Questions on the RFQ

2.4 Amendments to the RFQ

2.5 SOQ Due Date

2.6 SOQ Submittal Location

2.7 Conflict of Interest

3. THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS

3.1 Summary of the Procurement Process

3.2 Procurement Schedule

4. SOQ REQUIREMENTS

4.1 General

4.2 SOQ Submittal Format

4.3 Evaluation of SOQs

5. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FARE GATES

5.1 Current System Overview at PATH

5.2 Fare Gate Design and Functionality Goals

5.3 Design Criteria and Technical Requirements for Fare Gates

6. RETAINED RIGHTS

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey PATH TAPP Fare Gate Replacement Project ii Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

RFP TITLE The full title of this RFQ is:

Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) TAPP Fare Gate Replacement Project

RFQ #6000003188

Proposers should reference the RFQ # on all correspondence.

CONTACT PERSON The Contact Person for this RFQ is:

Tim Pullen Program Director Procurement Department E-Mail: tpullen@panynj.gov

RESTRICTION ON

COMMUNICATION

A restricted period for communication is currently in effect for this procurement. Respondents are prohibited from contact related to this procurement with any Port Authority employee; Respondents are restricted to communicating solely with the Port Authority’s Contact Person.

SOQ DUE DATE March 31, 2026, before 2 P.M. Eastern Time (ET).

SUBMITTAL LOCATION The Port Authority has transitioned to an entirely digital submission process for the receipt of SOQs in response to this RFQ as described in RFQ Section 2.6 (SOQ Submittal Location) mailto:tpullen@panynj.gov

3 Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

1. OVERVIEW

1.1 Request for Qualifications

Through this Request for Qualifications (RFQ), the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (the “Port Authority”) and its subsidiary, the Port Authority Trans- Hudson Corporation (“PATH”) seeks Statement of Qualifications (“SOQs”) from qualified firms interested in participating in the future Request for Proposals (“RFP”) for the PATH TAPP Fare Gate Replacement Project (the “Project”).

The purpose of this procurement is to identify the next generation of secure, accessible, and modern fare gates suitable for the PATH system. PATH intends to replace its legacy fare gates in its system with such next generation fare gates to meet PATH’s goals for ensuring fare compliance and preventing fare evasion, improving the customer experience, and enhancing accessibility. Fare evasion has become a critical challenge for PATH; loss of fare revenue can lead to significant impacts on PATH's ability to provide reliable service for its customers. PATH is actively monitoring industry trends and reviewing best practices to deter fare evasion, one of which is the implementation of next-generation secure fare gates to replace and modernize its current fare gates, which are approximately 20 years old. Modern fare gates are only one solution to the problem of fare evasion, but recent data from peer agencies has shown them to be an effective strategy in substantially deterring fare evasion.

Those firms interested in participating in the procurement process should submit relevant product and other information in the format of an SOQ, using the format and guidance found in RFQ Section 4.2 (SOQ Submittal Format). The Port Authority will evaluate the SOQs to identify a list of qualified, secure, accessible and modern fare gate providers who will advance to the RFP phase of the procurement process and ultimately submit proposals for the Port Authority’s review. The Port Authority will identify and award a design-build-operate-maintain (DBOM) contract to the firm that provides the most advantageous proposal to the Port Authority.

This RFQ is the first step in the procurement process for the selection of a Contractor to perform the work for the Project. The purpose of this RFQ is to allow the Port Authority to determine, based on our review and evaluation of SOQs, a shortlist of the most highly qualified Respondents to participate in the RFP phase (“Shortlist” or “Shortlisted Respondent”). The Port Authority will notify each Respondent in writing via email whether the Respondent has been selected for the Shortlist.

1.2 Background

The Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH) was established in 1962 as a subsidiary of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The heavy rail rapid-transit system operates 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week and serves

4 Request for Qualifications (RFQ) as the primary transit link between Manhattan and neighboring New Jersey urban communities, as well as suburban commuter railroads. The PATH system is comprised of 13 stations and currently has 341 active turnstile fare gates. Pre- Covid, in 2019 PATH served 82 million riders. Today, PATH serves about 69% of its pre-pandemic ridership on weekdays and about 103% on the weekends.

Detailed station-level ridership data is available at:

https://www.panynj.gov/path/en/about/stats.html.

PATH is dedicated to continually supporting the anticipated growth in regional, residential, commercial, and business development around the PATH stations.

PATH is also committed to embracing modern technology to enhance customer experience and effectively address today’s challenges. PATH is in the process of transitioning to a new open payment fare payment system known as Total Access PATH Payment (TAPP). TAPP will replace its legacy closed-loop fare payment system, SmartLink, which has been in place since 2005.

https://www.panynj.gov/path/en/about/stats.html

5 Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

2. INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

2.1 Contact Person

The Port Authority’s Contact Person for this procurement process is:

Tim Pullen Program Director – Alternative Project Delivery Procurement Department The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey 4 World Trade Center, 21st Floor 150 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 Email: tpullen@panynj.gov

The Contact Person is the Port Authority’s and the Respondent’s single point of contact and source of information for this procurement.

2.2 Rules of Contact

The following rules of contact apply during the procurement process, which commenced upon initial issuance of this RFQ and will be completed with the execution of the Project Agreement. The rules are designed to promote a fair and unbiased procurement process. “Contact” includes any form of communication.

The specific rules of contact include:

(a) After the deadline for submission of SOQs, neither a Respondent nor any member of its team may communicate with another Respondent or any member of another Respondent’s team about the procurement for the Project. A Respondent may communicate with any subcontractor that is on both its team and another Respondent’s team, provided that such Respondent has obtained (in advance of any such communication) a written certification from the subcontractor that the subcontractor will not act as a conduit of information between the teams of any Respondent team.

Respondents must provide the Contact Person with all required written certifications received from its subcontractors at time of SOQ submission.

(b) Unless explicitly permitted otherwise, contact between each Respondent and the Port Authority (including questions and responses to questions) must only be via email to the Contact Person.

(c) Any contact by a Respondent determined to be improper may result in disqualification of the Respondent.

(d) Neither (1) any oral communication, or (2) any other information or contact that occurs outside the official communication process specified in this RFQ will modify the terms of this RFQ, unless confirmed in writing by the Contact Person.

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(e) Neither a Respondent nor its agents may contact any Federal, State or local official regarding the Project. Stakeholders include any Federal, state or local agency involved with the Project, or otherwise having jurisdiction over the Project, as well as any additional Stakeholders. If during the RFQ phase a Respondent wishes to communicate with a Stakeholder, they may only do so through the Contact Person.

2.3 Questions on the RFQ

Respondents may make inquiries regarding this RFQ only by submitting questions or requests for clarification to the Contact Person by email no later than the date and time set out in the Procurement Schedule. Questions submitted to anyone other than the Contact Person or by any means other than email will not be answered. Any Respondent that has questions as to the meaning of any part of this RFQ or the Project or who believes that the RFQ contains any error, inconsistency, ambiguity, or omission, must submit its concern, in writing, to the Contact Person.

All questions or requests for clarification submitted by potential Respondents may be provided, without expressly identifying the originator, along with answers, through the Procurement Website. Any oral or written response we provide in connection with this RFQ will neither be binding on us nor will it change, modify, amend or waive the requirements of this RFQ in any way. Potential Respondents must not rely on any response provided other than an Addendum.

2.4 Amendments to the RFQ

If necessary, Addenda will be issued to amend conditions or requirements of this RFQ. Addenda will be disseminated to those firms who have expressed their intent to respond to this RFQ and by posting on the Procurement Website. Respondents are advised to visit the website regularly to check for Addenda. The final Addendum will be posted on the Procurement Website no later than seven calendar days prior to the SOQ Due Date. If an Addendum is issued within seven days of the SOQ Due Date, and the Addendum modifies any of the submittal requirements under this RFQ, the SOQ Due Date will be revised to allow for additional time for Respondents to consider the Addendum and submit their SOQs.

The Procurement Website will be used to present general market-related inquiries and to receive replies to these inquiries from industry practitioners. These general questions and answers will not form part of the SOQ process for the Project, and any replies will not be included within the SOQ evaluation for any Respondent.

2.5 SOQ Due Date

SOQs must be received no later than the date and time set forth in the Procurement Schedule (“SOQ Due Date”). Respondents must submit their SOQs to the SOQ submission location identified in RFQ Section 2.6. It is the sole responsibility of each Respondent to make sure that their SOQ is delivered no later than the SOQ Due Date. SOQs received after the SOQ Due Date may be rejected.

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The SOQ Due Date may be extended for any period deemed appropriate to ensure a competitive and fair procurement process.

2.6 SOQ Submittal Location

The Port Authority has transitioned to an entirely digital submission process for the receipt of proposals and SOQs in response to RFQs and will allow for the digital submission of certain procurement submittals using the Bonfire platform, accessible via the link:

https://panynj.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

Respondents must register to download the solicitation documents and associated information regarding the referenced solicitation and to upload bid submissions.

Registration on the Bonfire platform requires a separate and distinct registration from all other Port Authority platforms. SOQs for the referenced solicitation will be received by the Port Authority any time up to but not later than the due date and time indicated in the solicitation document. The Port Authority will accept only those SOQs in electronic format, and in the same readable Adobe PDF or in the format as provided by the Port Authority. SOQs will be accepted by upload only at https://panynj.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=login and must be uploaded timely so as to be received by the Port Authority by the deadline to be considered. Hand deliveries and mailed deliveries (e.g., UPS, USPS) will not be accepted. The Port Authority may request an original, signed paper submission at any time following the SOQ Due Date.

2.7 Conflict of Interest

Unless the Port Authority has provided otherwise, any entity or individual who has been previously engaged by the Port Authority to perform any work related to the Project is considered to have de facto a conflict of interest that the firm must address with the Port Authority prior to participating in the procurement process.

Further, if the Respondent or any employee, agent, or subcontractor of the Respondent may have, or may give the appearance of a possible conflict of interest, the Respondent must notify the Contact Person as soon as possible. The Port Authority will review any information provided by the Respondent to determine whether the conflict can be mitigated or not, or otherwise, in its sole discretion, disallow any Respondent, employee, subcontractor or agent of the Respondent, subcontractor or agent, from participating in the procurement process. The Port Authority’s determination regarding any conflict of interest issue shall be final.

https://panynj.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

8 Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

3. THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS

3.1 Summary of the Procurement Process

The overall procurement strategy for the Project includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

• Issuance of the RFQ

• Receipt of Respondents’ Statement of Qualifications (SOQs)

• Port Authority evaluation of SOQs

• Shortlisting of the most qualified Respondents

• RFP issued to Shortlisted Respondents

• PATH Station Site Tour

• Confidential collaborative dialogue meetings (CDMs) with Proposers

• Proposers’ submittal of Proposals

3.2 Procurement Schedule

The anticipated “Procurement Schedule” for the Project, which is subject to change by the Port Authority in its discretion, is as follows:

Activity Estimated Date - Timeframe

RFQ Phase

RFQ Documents Posted February 3, 2026 SOQ Due Date March 31, 2026 Qualified Respondents Notified April-May 2026

RFP Phase

RFP Issued to Qualified Shortlist Q2 2026 Proposal Due Date Q3 2026 Selection Q3 – Q4 2026 Agreement Date – Notice to Proceed Q4 2026

Design & Construction Phase

Design and Production 2027 – 2028 Testing and Installation 2028 – 2029

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4. SOQ REQUIREMENTS

4.1 General

Firms that wish to participate in this first phase of the Project procurement process must submit their complete SOQ by the SOQ Due Date.

The minimum Technical Requirements for the Fare Gates are identified in RFQ Section 5 (Technical Requirements for Fare Gates) of this RFQ. The Port Authority reserves the right to amend (via addendum) this RFQ to modify the Technical Requirements and any other requirements of this RFQ to otherwise add, delete, revise, clarify, or change any requirement.

4.2 SOQ Submittal Format

Respondents must submit their SOQs in the chronology and format listed in the below Table 1. SOQs must be drafted using Arial font, size 11 or larger, on 8.5 x 11-inch single-sided pages and must comply with the stated maximum page limits.

Respondents may combine more than one Section on a page (i.e., each Section and response does not need to be on separate pages). For SOQ Section 3 (Concept Design), the Respondent may append the SOQ (and refer in SOQ Section 3) with fare gate designs, illustrations, product cut sheets or tables.

Table 1: SOQ Format and Requirements Cover Letter (1 page maximum)

In its Cover Letter, the Respondent must include the Respondent’s legal name, address, and the Respondent’s primary point of contact (POC), along with the POC’s email and phone number. The Respondent should also provide a full description of the company, including its operating history, office locations, key personnel, and a summary of where the Respondent’s fare gates are currently (or will

be) in use.

Section 1 – Project Goals (3 pages maximum)

In this section, the Respondent must demonstrate their understanding of the Fare Gate Design and Functionality Goals (see RFQ Section 5.2). Respondents should articulate their understanding of the Project Goals and summarize how they propose to achieve them.

Section 2 – Project Understanding (2 pages maximum)

In this section, the Respondent must demonstrate their understanding of PATH’s specific operating environment, project risks, 10 Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and compliance with the Technical Requirements listed in RFQ Section 5.

Section 3 – Conceptual Design (15 pages maximum)

In this section, the Respondent must include:

(i) An overall concept and product design(s), illustrated with appropriate images, drawings and or renderings, including proposed equipment and product components and features, (ii) ability to ensure fare compliance and inhibit fare evasion, (iii) ability to be integrated with PATH’s TAPP fare payment system, (iv) ability to integrate with PATH’s station architecture, (v) interoperability of components, and (vi) system hosting and availability.

Section 4 - Experience (10 pages maximum)

In this section, the Respondent must include the Respondent’s firm and key personnel experience, qualifications, and technical competence in the design, manufacture, and delivery of Fare Gates. Further, the Respondent must demonstrate its ability to design, manufacture, deliver, and provide technical support for fare gates for a large transit property (including descriptions for at least 3 other transit agencies who have the Respondent’s fare gates in use today).

Section 5 – Resource Availability (1/2 page maximum)

In this section, the Respondent must demonstrate availability of, and its ability to secure relevant resources that would be committed to the Project.

Section 6 – Scalability (1 page maximum)

In this section, the Respondent must describe the degree of scalability, including the manufacturing capability and capacity (and raw material) including location for its fare gate production. The Respondent should note any potential supply chain or customs issues that may impact its ability to manufacture and deliver its proposed fare gates in the next two years.

Section 7 – Financial Capacity (2 pages maximum)

In this section, the Respondent must demonstrate its financial robustness and capacity to provide the fare gate system. The Respondent should include (on company

11 Request for Qualifications (RFQ) letterhead) of its Chief Financial Officer (or equivalent) or outside financial advisor/accountant attesting to the financial health of the Respondent. The Respondent should include any information pertaining to any material changes to the Respondent’s financial position over the past two years.

Section 8 – Test Plan (2 pages maximum)

In this section, the Respondent must generally outline its proposed approach to testing, including integration testing of the Cubic validator within the Respondent’s fare gate equipment. Additionally, the Respondent must provide its proposed approach to testing during development prior to implementation and testing performed as part of system operations and maintenance.

Section 9 – Rough Order Magnitude Pricing (1 page maximum)

In this section, the Respondent must include itemized, rough order of magnitude (ROM) pricing for implementing the proposed fare gate system, and ROM pricing for annual operation and maintenance of the system (for informational purposes only – the Port Authority will not use the Respondent’s ROM for SOQ evaluation purposes).

Section 10 – Schedule (2 pages maximum)

In this section, the Respondent shall present their high-level schedule and assumptions from Notice to Proceed (NTP) to Final System Acceptance (FSA).

Section 11 – Technical Requirements (10 pages maximum)

In this section, the Respondent must describe how the Respondent’s proposed fare gate product can meet the technical requirements set forth in RFQ Section 5.3 (Design Criteria and Technical Requirements for Fare Gates).

The Respondent shall respond in SOQ Section 11 by providing a summary table whereby the first column states the Technical Requirement, and second column provides the Respondent’s explanation of how it meets the Technical Requirement (or if not, explains how it can meet it in the future or provide alternative technical solution to meet the requirement).

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4.3 Evaluation of SOQs

The objective of this RFQ process is to identify a list of Respondents who meet the Project’s technical and general requirements and can thereby advance to the RFP Phase of the procurement process. As such, PATH’s evaluation will be a document-based review of Respondents’ written SOQs to determine a Respondent’s ability to meet the stated technical and general requirements of this RFQ. The Port Authority’s evaluation of SOQs will be on a pass-fail basis; the Port Authority will not score SOQs.

PATH will evaluate SOQs based on the following evaluation criteria (“SOQ Evaluation Criteria”) to determine if a Respondent can advance (pass) to the RFP phase.

(a) Respondent has sufficiently demonstrated that it can meet the minimum Technical Requirements identified in RFQ Section 5 (Technical Requirements for Fare Gates).

(b) Respondent has demonstrated a thorough understanding of the PATH’s specific situation, project goals, and an awareness of the complexity of the services and products to be provided.

(c) Respondent’s proven approach to and demonstrated success with preventing fare evasion.

(d) Respondent’s prior relevant experience with delivering fare gate systems to other transit agencies.

(e) Respondent’s relevant experience with integrating third-party fare payment validators into their fare gate equipment.

(f) Respondent’s proven ability to design, manufacture, and deliver fare gate equipment and software in a timely, cost-effective manner.

(g) Respondent’s demonstrated ability for its product to conform to a variety of station architectures and infrastructures.

(h) Respondent’s ability to commit the necessary resources including key personnel and system components to successfully deliver the specified fare gate system.

(i) Respondent’s proposed test plan, including whether such plan reflects best practices and established industry practices for testing hardware and system integration.

(j) Respondent’s high-level schedule with stated assumptions is reasonable and is commensurate with the complexity of the project.

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5. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FARE GATES

5.1 Current System Overview at PATH

The PATH system, operated by the Port Authority, is a vital rapid transit network connecting major urban centers in New Jersey and New York City. Spanning approximately 13.8 miles, PATH operates 24/7 across four primary lines: Newark– World Trade Center, Journal Square–33rd Street, Hoboken–World Trade Center, and Hoboken–33rd Street. The system includes thirteen (13) stations—seven (7) in New Jersey and six (6) in New York—and serves as a key transportation corridor for daily commuters and regional travelers.

PATH current uses tripod turnstile fare gates throughout its system. Standard and ADA-compliant fare gate cabinets are approximately 62 inches (L) x 7” inches (W) x 40 inches (H), with aisle widths ranging from 20 inches for standard aisles, and up to 40 inches for ADA-accessible aisles. PATH has a total of 341 fare gates distributed across 13 stations. These include 318 regular gates and 23 ADA-accessible gates.

PATH system currently utilizes a fare policy centered around a flat-rate structure, with a standard one-way fare of $3.00. PATH has transitioned to the TAPP system as its primary future-facing fare payment method. Customers must present/tap a valid form of payment to enter the system and exit the system without tapping. The current TAPP system supports both open- and closed-loop transactions and is built on an account-based architecture where all account details including transaction history are stored in the TAPP back-office. The system, including fare vending machines, is developed around a proprietary fare-collection system provided by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc.

5.2 Fare Gate Design and Functionality Goals

The overall design and functionality goals for the new fare gate system are as follows:

A fare gate system that:

(a) Minimizes the opportunity for fare evasion.

(b) Provides a modern, safe, efficient, and customer-friendly experience when entering/exiting the PATH system.

(c) Integrates with PATH’s TAPP fare payment system to enable seamless, secure, and hassle-free paid entry.

(d) Is adaptable to the wide array of PATH station architectures and infrastructure.

(e) Withstands in-system conditions including vandalism, steel dust, shock and vibration, and weather exposure.

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(f) Is highly reliable and easy to maintain.

(g) Provides safe, independent system access to all customers and code-compliant egress for all emergency exit scenarios.

(h) Leverages real-time monitoring and analytics to manage customer flow including counts of customers entering/exiting the station, detect fare evasion, and optimize assets.

5.3 Design Criteria and Technical Requirements for Fare Gates

a) Fare Gate Equipment

The Respondent’s proposed fare gate must meet the following general hardware, software and configuration design requirements:

i) Standard and ADA-compliant fare gate cabinets will be sized the same or smaller than the existing fare gate cabinets that measure approximately 62 inches (L) x 7 inches (W) x 40 inches (H). The physical footprint of the fare gate equipment must be compatible with existing station infrastructure, including but not limited to electrical and communication stub-ups, conduit locations, floor penetrations, and adjacent gate alignment.

ii) The fare gate cabinet will be constructed to provide protection against vandalism and unauthorized access to internal components, and will be resistant to corrosion, abrasion, scratching, impacts, and withstand standard cleaning/disinfecting materials.

iii) Fare gates must have a minimum headroom clearance of six (6)-foot, eight (8)-inches.

iv) The standard-aisle fare gate shall meet NFPA 130 standards, and ADA-width (36 inches) fare gates must accommodate customers in wheelchairs and other mobility assist devices as well as customers with luggage, strollers, and other ancillary items.

v) The fare gate cabinet shall be designed to integrate a PATH-provided validator (approximately 7.0 in (L) × 5.0 in (W) × 2.0 in (D)) on the entry end of the fare gate and accommodate the future integration of a PATH-provided validator on the paid end of the fare gate.

vi) The fare gate barriers will be robust and designed to prevent fare evasion. The barriers will provide an unobstructed aisle when in the open position and minimize the opportunity for fare evasion when closed.

vii) Upon valid fare being presented, fare barriers will open and remain in the open position for a configurable time. Sensors will detect the passage of the customer(s) and close when the customer(s) has exited the aisle.

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viii) Fare gate aisle sensors will be used to detect the presence and movement of customers and objects within the aisle for purposes of fare gate functionality and fare evasion detection. Aisles sensors will exist on each side (paid side and free side) of the fare gate barrier.

ix) In addition to the PATH provided validator, the fare gate shall be designed to have configurable directional displays, fare indicators and audible tones.

x) The fare gates shall be designed with local and remote fare gate controls such as to place the fare gates in and out of revenue service, fare gate reboot, adjust the directional configuration of the fare gate aisles, and adjust volume control.

xi) The fare gate will provide a throughput of at least 35 passengers per minute (PPM) on entry, including media validation, updating the display, and opening the barrier and 50 PPM on exit. The fare gates will be designed to maximize passenger throughput in bi-directional mode and will allow at least the same throughput as the current tripod turnstile gates.

xii) The fare gates shall be designed to have configurable single tap, free entry, emergency, ride banking and bi-directional modes.

b) System Design

The fare gate system will be designed and implemented using an open architecture approach to provide flexibility as technology and PATH needs change.

The fare gate must be capable of system integration with the PATH’s third-party TAPP validator provided by Cubic for fare media validation, customer prompt, and fare gate operation and back-office fare payment processing. Specifically, Respondents to this RFQ must be able to demonstrate willingness and capability for successful third-party integration with TAPP.

At minimum, the Respondent’s proposed fare gate will conform to the following:

i) The system design will be service-proven. As service-proven, or derived from a service-proven design, the system design will have been deployed in a transit environment and operated for at least 1 year while meeting established performance criteria.

ii) The Respondent shall use Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) and non-proprietary components in support of open architecture design where possible.

iii) The fare gate equipment and fare gate back-office will receive daily and near continuous use over a minimum expected life of 20 years. The Respondent shall design and construct each component of the system to a level of quality that is highly reliable and allows PATH to maximize system useful life.

iv) The Respondent shall design the system to be compliant with relevant standards, laws, and regulations to ensure that the system satisfies federal, 16 Request for Qualifications (RFQ) state, and other requirements for ergonomics and usability. Applicable codes, laws, ordinances, statutes, standards, rules, and regulations include, but are not limited to:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG)

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 130

• PANYNJ Supplemental Accessibility Requirements

• New York State Building Code

• New Jersey Building Code

• PANYNJ Information Security Handbook Requirement

• PCI-DSS 4.0 or later

v) The Respondent shall demonstrate the ability to seamlessly integrate the PATH-provided validator with the proposed fare gate physically and logically.

vi) Can receive and respond accurately to the signals sent from the PATH validator to correctly allow or deny entry of the customer.

vii) Accepts software, firmware, and configuration downloads and updates from the TAPP Backend as provided by the current system integrator.

viii) Connects to the TAPP Backend and Respondent-provided fare gate back-office to allow remote operations and device monitoring and maintenance.

ix) Allows for local operation and service maintenance of the fare gate equipment.

x) All hardware and software as part of the fare gate system design are PCI-DSS and EMV-compliant and provide the appropriate PCI and EMV testing and certification of the fare gate system.

xi) Employ modern cybersecurity tools to ensure the system is protected against cyberattacks, ransomware, AI-generated malware and deepfakes, and other unauthorized access to the system.

c) Fare Gate Back-office

The Respondent shall propose a fare gate back-office solution that provides secure web-based tool(s) enabling PATH to manage the fleet of fare gates. At a minimum, the proposed fare gate back-office solution will conform to the following:

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i) The fare gate back-office shall be hosted in the cloud using hosting services.

The hosting provider will be one of several industry hyperscalers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud.

ii) The fare gate back-office shall include a Device Configuration and Management Application to provision, configure and manage device settings and basic user interface parameters. The Device Configuration and Management Application will support the real-time issuance of device commands and device configuration using the contractor-provided device management API.

iii) The fare gate back-office will allow modification of all text messages, audio tones, and information displayed on the fare gates (excluding the Cubic validator). All such messages will be configured in the fare gate back-office and will be downloaded to the fare gate via the real-time secure network connection.

iv) The fare gate back-office shall deploy an industry standard System Configuration and Change Management Application to be used for the implementation and operation and maintenance (O&M) support phases of the project. The application will be COTS, with the appropriate level of controls for development, change control, software version control, and environment management.

v) The fare gate back-office will provide real-time reporting of all equipment and back-office application statuses, events, and alarms through a Monitoring and Management Application (MMA) that will be web-based and accessible through a browser.

vi) The fare gate back-office will provide and utilize a fare gate Data Repository to store all data. The fare gate Data Repository will consist of both a fare gate Operational Data Store (ODS) and a fare gate Reporting Data Store (RDS).

vii) The fare gate back-office will deploy a user-friendly reporting system for the generation of predefined and custom reports. The reports should run off the

RDS.

viii) The fare gate back-office will provide a centrally managed Identity and Access Management (IAM) system to manage and control users access to the equipment and systems and their roles.

d) Implementation Services

i) The Respondent shall be responsible for system implementation including testing, pilot testing, and installation of equipment in a manner that does not impact transit operations.

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ii) The Respondent shall provide training and all special tools that will enable PATH personnel to perform all preventative maintenance and corrective repair of the fare gate equipment.

e) Operations and Maintenance

The Respondent’s proposed fare gate must meet the following operations and maintenance parameters:

i) The fare gates will be designed as low‐maintenance, high availability devices in a design that provides required functionality. The fare gates will be modular providing ease of maintenance.

ii) Fare gate maintenance and corrective repair must be able to be performed by PATH personnel with training and special tools provided by the Respondent.

There will be few, if any, corrective repairs that can only be performed by the Respondent or OEM.

iii) Fare gate system software maintenance and fare gate back-office hosting will be the responsibility of the Respondent as a component of the awarded DBOM agreement.

iv) Fare gate operations and configuration must be able to be performed remotely and locally by PATH personnel.

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6. RETAINED RIGHTS

The issuance of this RFQ constitutes only an invitation to Respondents to present their qualifications. This RFQ is not a tender or an offer nor a request for proposals, and the Port Authority has no intention of making an offer by issuing this RFQ. The rights reserved by the Port Authority, which may be exercised in the sole and absolute discretion of the Port Authority, include without limitation the right to:

(a) Require one or more Respondents to clarify the SOQ submitted, or require additional information from the Respondent in which case the Respondent must provide that information within the time frame required by the Port Authority, or if no time is specified by the Port Authority, within a reasonable time from the date of the request.

(b) Conduct investigations with respect to the qualifications and experience of the Respondent.

(c) Visit and examine the Respondent’s projects at other venues referenced by the Respondent in their SOQ (and even others not referenced) to observe and inspect the operations of these projects.

(d) Waive any defect or technicality in any SOQ.

(e) Determine which Respondents are qualified to be shortlisted to receive the RFP and submit Proposals in response to the RFP.

(f) Refuse to consider or evaluate, and ultimately eliminate, any Respondent which submits an incomplete or inadequate response or is not responsive to the requirements of this RFQ or which either directly or through any Respondent fails to meet any directions or requirements under this RFQ or which are otherwise provided by the Port Authority.

(g) Supplement, amend, or otherwise modify this RFQ, prior to the SOQ Due Date.

(h) Issue one or more addenda or other amendments to this RFQ extending the SOQ Due Date.

(i) Receive questions concerning this RFQ from Respondents and provide these questions, and Port Authority responses, to all Respondents.

(j) Cancel this RFQ in whole or in part with or without substitution of another

RFQ.

(k) Change any Evaluation Criteria upon giving reasonable notice to Respondents.

(l) In selecting the Shortlist, take into consideration during the evaluation of SOQs, the Port Authority’s knowledge and previous experience and

20 Request for Qualifications (RFQ) dealings with the Respondent, any member (including personnel) of the Respondent.

(m) Without limiting clause (l) above, investigate and obtain information (including opinions, representations, advice) about the past and current performance of the Respondent or any member (including people).

(n) Investigate and obtain information concerning the Respondent which is in the public domain, or which is obtained through Port Authority investigations or howsoever.

(o) Remove or add a Shortlisted Respondent.

(p) Discuss with the Respondent any matter arising out of this RFQ, or their

SOQ.

(q) Publish the names of the Respondent, its members and people.

(r) Waive any requirement or obligation under this RFQ.

(s) Reject any or all SOQs.

(t) Take any action affecting the RFQ process or the Project, including, without limitation, cancel, suspend, or change the Project, the procurement method for the Project, or any aspect of the procurement process, or to take any other action which the Port Authority may consider, in its sole and absolute discretion of the Port Authority, appropriate in relation to the procurement process for the Project.