1-Shuttle Attendant Services RFP.pdf

Request for Proposals Shuttle Attendant Services Visitor Information & Congestion Management — Arches National Park

Issued By Grand County, Utah

Solicitation Shuttle Attendant Services

Procurement Portal Bonfire — all questions, addenda, and proposals submitted through Bonfire

Issue Date Monday, July 20, 2026

Proposals Due Monday, August 10, 2026

Anticipated Award Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Service Commencement September 1, 2026

1. Purpose

Grand County, Utah (the “County”) seeks proposals from qualified firms or organizations (each, a “Proposer”) to provide Shuttle Attendant (“SA”) services at Arches National Park. SAs provide visitor information and help facilitate shuttle services at shuttle-serviced parking lots, working as part of the broader Moab–to-Arches shuttle system providing a fare-free shuttle service. The service is intended to enhance the safety, efficiency, and experience of park visitors and shuttle riders by helping riders orient themselves, ensure the shuttle parking area remains clear, supporting decisions about when overflow areas and adjusted service levels are warranted, and providing a direct, reliable conduit to the National Park Service (“NPS”) for emergencies and incidents. This is a Request for Proposals (“RFP”); and the County will use responses to establish qualifications and a price basis for the service.

2. Governance & Coordination

The County and NPS anticipate entering into an agreement for SA services. Under that structure:

● Grand County is the contracting party and administers the agreement.

● The Proposer employs, manages, and supervises the Shuttle Attendants including staffing, scheduling, training, directing daily assignments, and reassigning Attendants between locations as conditions warrant.

● The National Park Service does not manage or supervise the Attendants. NPS provides radios for communications, maintains ongoing communication with the Attendants, serving as the point of contact for emergencies, incidents, and Law Enforcement response, and integrating Attendants into NPS dispatch protocols for those purposes.

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● The Shuttle Operator operates the fare-free shuttle service. The County has already selected its

Pilot Shuttle Operator through a separate solicitation.

Shuttle Attendants must maintain communication with dispatch and NPS so that parking lot, shuttle service, and incident response operate as one coordinated system. Because of this requirement, there is a preference for and additional evaluation points awarded to the selected Pilot Shuttle Operator, however, this is not a requirement for selection.

3. Scope of Service

3.1 Role of the Shuttle Attendant

SAs provide visitor information and help facilitate shuttle operations at shuttle serviced lots, including the Delicate Arch Trailhead, the Windows Viewpoint parking area, and Panorama Point (which serves as optional overflow parking and a shuttle stop when the primary lots reach capacity). Operators may reassign SAs to a different parking area than originally scheduled based on conditions. Core duties include:

● Greeting and orienting visitors; providing wayfinding, parking guidance to ensure shuttle parking areas remain clear, and information about the shuttle and trails.

● Monitoring parking and shuttle capacity and helping direct vehicles to available spaces or overflow locations to ensure the path and parking for shuttles remains clear.

● Helping identify when overflow shuttle areas should be used and when shuttle service should be increased or decreased based on ridership and conditions, and relaying that information to NPS and the Shuttle Operator.

● Serving as a direct conduit to NPS for visitors reporting emergencies, using an NPS-issued two-way radio.

● Supporting a welcoming, helpful, and safety-focused visitor experience throughout the assignment.

3.2 Authority Limits — “Report, Do Not Engage”

SAs are visitor-information and shuttle facilitation staff. They are not law enforcement and hold no enforcement authority. The following limits are mandatory:

● Non-compliant motorists. SAs are not authorized to attempt to stop a motorist. If a motorist drives in a prohibited manner, or is non-compliant after being asked to move a vehicle from an authorized shuttle parking area, the SA reports to NPS Law Enforcement or Glen Canyon Dispatch with a vehicle and driver description, and NPS Law Enforcement responds. The SA does not engage.

● Accidents. It is not the place of SAs to investigate, determine fault, or advise motorists. Any accident involving potential injury, or damage to visitor or government property or natural resources, is reported to NPS Law Enforcement as soon as possible.

3.3 Equipment & Reporting

• SAs will be equipped with an NPS-issued two-way radio and operate within NPS dispatch protocols.

• The Proposer will provide appropriately trained, uniformed, and identifiable staff, with supervision and scheduling support coordinated with NPS.

• The Proposer will maintain basic activity and incident records as directed and coordinate with the County and NPS on reporting.

• The Proposer will provide sun protection and heat safety gear to appropriately protect SAs.

4. Qualifications Sought

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The County seeks Proposers able to field a capable, hospitable, safety-minded team that integrates smoothly into a national-park visitor-services environment. Desired qualifications and capabilities include:

● Capacity to recruit, train, schedule, and supervise staff or trained volunteers who work outdoors in high-density, high-temperature conditions, including coverage across multiple locations and reassignment on short notice.

● The ability to field up to four Shuttle Attendants on duty at one time when traffic is high and conditions warrant, in addition to routine coverage levels.

● Experience working alongside agencies and within dispatch and safety protocols.

● Established connection to the Moab and Arches community that supports recruitment, retention, and a credible, trusted visitor-facing presence.

5. Pricing

Pricing should be presented so the SA service can be scaled to the funding available and necessary conditions. Respondents should provide:

● A fully loaded hourly rate per Shuttle Attendant (covering wages, benefits, training, uniforms, supervision, insurance, reimbursement for use of personal vehicles, and overhead) for 2,780 hours of SA staff time not to exceed $114,000.

● A separate cost for any one-time onboarding, training, or equipment costs like shade structures, chairs, etc. (excluding NPS-provided radios), stated separately.

● A staffing and cost basis that reflects the ability to field up to four (4) Shuttle Attendants at one time during peak conditions, so the County can understand the cost of surge coverage as well as routine coverage.

● Scalable staffing tiers above 2,780 hours so coverage can be upwardly adjusted by location, days, and hours.

The County invites Proposers to submit their best, most competitive pricing. Service dates will be approximately six months (Sep 1–Oct 31, 2026 and Mar 1–Jun 30, 2027), and will be adjustable by agreement between NPS and the County. The service will run seven days per week and staffing levels will be established by the County and NPS and may be confirmed closer to the service period. Respondents should price flexibly so coverage can be scaled by location, day, and hour without renegotiating unit rates.

6. Submission Requirements

6.1 Format & Page Limit

Responses shall be submitted through Bonfire and are limited to six pages maximum, inclusive of all narrative, resumes, and attachments. Use 11-point or larger type on standard letter-size pages.

6.2 Required Content

1. Firm/organization profile and relevant experience (Sections 3 and 4).

2. Approach to staffing, training, scheduling, and supervision that incorporates NPS direction and collaboration.

3. Pricing (Section 5), including the fully loaded per SA hourly rate and an illustrative cost build-up.

4. Key personnel and references.

6.3 Questions & Addenda

All questions shall be submitted through Bonfire and may be submitted at any time during the open period.

Answers and any addenda will be posted on Bonfire and are deemed received by all Proposers. No oral interpretation is binding.

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7. General Conditions

This RFP requests qualifications and pricing only and does not commit the County to award an agreement, to a specific service period, or to any minimum level of service. The County may request clarifications, decline to proceed, or modify or reissue this RFP. Any resulting agreement will be administered by Grand County, with the service managed by the Proposer in coordination with the Shuttle Operator, and consistent with applicable County, state, and federal requirements.

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7. General Conditions