Request for Proposal (RFP) 256-26

Ride Gunbarrel & Ride SouthEast On-Demand Transit Services

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background

B. Goals

C. Minimum Qualifications and Key Personnel

D. Schedule of Events

II. SCOPE OF WORK

A. Description of Services

B. Performance Expectations

C. Ride Gunbarrel Service Hours

D. Ride Gunbarrel Service Area

E. Ride SouthEast Service Hours

F. Ride SouthEast Service Area

III. GENERAL PROVISIONS

A. Data Gathering and Reporting Requirements

B. Safety

C. Substance Abuse Prevention Policy

D. Marketing And Public Relations

E. ADA Compliance

F. Contractual Relationship

G. Solicitation Transparency Policy

H. Vehicle Requirements

I. Vehicle Maintenance

J. Contractor Personnel

IV. PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

A. Euna (formerly Bonfire) Online Procurement Portal

B. Inquiries

C. Changes to RFP (Addenda)

D. Proposal Submissions

E. Contents

F. Selection Process

G. Protests

V. GLOSSARY OF TERMS

VI. ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT B: PROPOSAL CHECKLIST TO BE INCLUDED IN PROPOSAL

PACKAGE

ATTACHMENT C-1: COST PROPOSAL FORM

ATTACHMENT C-2: VEHICLE WRAP COST ESTIMATE

ATTACHMENT D-1: LOBBYING CERTIFICATION FORM

ATTACHMENT D-2: DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES

ATTACHMENT D-3: INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION OF SF-LLL DISCLOSURE

OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES

ATTACHMENT E: VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION FORM

ATTACHMENT F: SAMPLE CONTRACT

ATTACHMENT G: FTA CLAUSES

I. INTRODUCTION

Boulder County, Colorado (the “County") is accepting proposals from qualified entities to provide all services associated with the operations of two demand responsive transit services (the "Service"), combined for bidding purposes within this RFP.

The County will enter into a Contract with the successful proposer (“Contractor”) to operate the Service for up to five (5) years.

The Service is funded in part by the Federal Transit Administration (“FTA”) and will therefore contain contractual requirements imposed by the FTA on the County and its contractors.

A. Background

Boulder County is soliciting an operator to provide turnkey demand responsive transit service in two portions of the county: Gunbarrel and Southeast Boulder County, to be branded as Ride Gunbarrel and Ride SouthEast, respectively.

Ride Gunbarrel is included in Boulder County’s FTA American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) Program of Projects (“POP”) to address pandemic-era cuts to the Regional Transportation District (“RTD”) fixed route service (routes 205, 205T, and J) in the Gunbarrel and Heatherwood neighborhoods, and to provide a better connection to regional transit service and future Bus Rapid Transit service on Colorado State Highway 119 (“CO 119”).

Ride SouthEast is included in the DRCOG Transportation Improvement Program (“TIP”) for FY 2024-2027 and FY 2026-2029, funded with Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (“CMAQ”) funding flexed to the FTA, and FTA ARPA funding to address the pandemic-era cuts to RTD fixed route service in Southeast Boulder County. The existing demand-responsive services in Southeast Boulder County provide trips within municipalities; Ride SouthEast is intended to complement these services by providing connections between municipalities in Southeast Boulder County, specifically – Erie, Lafayette, Louisville, and Superior.

B. Goals

It is the aim of the County to provide effective and efficient public transportation. This goal will allow the County to enhance overall transportation capacity, reduce traffic congestion as well as air pollution and the use of petroleum fuels, and improve the quality of urban development.

The County’s goals for this Service are to:

• Provide a high quality, safe and secure public transportation system.

• Operate a system that is sensitive to the needs of seniors and people with disabilities.

• Operate as efficiently and economically as possible to provide service at lowest cost

• Provide improved mobility throughout the region by connecting to public facilities and local and regional destinations.

• Avoid use of private automobiles for as many trips as possible, thus minimizing congestion and air pollution.

C. Minimum Qualifications and Key Personnel

The County is seeking a firm with five or more years of recent and relevant experience (within the past seven years) in providing demand responsive transit service similar in size, scope and complexity to the services described in this RFP. Key personnel contributing significant aspects of that experience shall be described in the proposal along with a staffing plan for all key positions.

D. Schedule of Events

The schedule outlines the tentative schedule of major activities of the RFP process. The County reserves the right to amend this schedule if necessary.

Date Event

Friday, Feb 27, 2026

Notice of RFP posted at Euna (formerly Bonfire) https://bouldercounty.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab= openOpportunities, and Boulder County Website https://bouldercounty.gov/government/budget-and-finance/procurement/bid-opportunities/

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 Optional Virtual Pre-Bid meeting being held at 1:00 P.M.

MST, link and call-in number provided in document “Non- Mandatory Virtual Pre-Bid Meeting”

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 Last date for submission of written inquiries 2:00 P.M, MST

Friday, March 13, 2026

Response to inquiries by formal Addendum

Friday, March 27, 2026

Proposal package submission deadline 2:00 P.M. MST

Week of April 13-17 2026

Tentative interviews

Week of May 4, 2026

Notice of award recommendation https://bouldercounty.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities, https://bouldercounty.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities, https://bouldercounty.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities, https://bouldercounty.gov/government/budget-and-https://bouldercounty.gov/government/budget-and-finance/procurement/bid-opportunities/

Service start date will be agreed upon by Contractor and Boulder County after contract execution.

II. SCOPE OF WORK

A. Description of Services The Contractor will operate demand-responsive transit service for the general public.

Ride Gunbarrel will operate with a daily span of up to 13.0 hours 7 (seven) days per week in the Gunbarrel area identified in Section C. Ride Gunbarrel Service Area below.

Ride SouthEast will operate with a daily span of up to 14.0 hours 7 (seven) days per week in the area identified in Section F. Ride SouthEast Service Area below. There are four demand-responsive services operating within the boundary for the Ride SouthEast service:

FlexRide Superior (operated by RTD), FlexRide Louisville (operated by RTD), Ride Free Lafayette (operated by Boulder County) and the Erie Bee (operated by the Town of Erie).

For the first year of service, Ride SouthEast shall only fulfill trip requests for trips that do not begin and end within a single aforementioned service area, i.e. trips that will cross service area boundaries. After one year of service, County and Contractor shall evaluate the possibility of Ride SouthEast fulfilling local trips when this service is not fulfilling cross-jurisdictional trips.

No service will be provided on the following eight (8) Holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. This will be a fare-free service, with no fares, passes, transfers or tickets required for any passengers to ride.

Curb-to-curb service is the baseline service level for all customers. Contractor shall provide door-to-door service for passengers with disabilities or mobility limitations upon request.

Customers 13 years of age and older should be able to request rides via a mobile app, online portal and call center in both English and Spanish. Children under the age of 13 will not be allowed to ride unaccompanied without an adult guardian. The Contractor will provide service pickups within a 30-minute window of a scheduled pickup, call, mobile or online request. An online resource shall provide real time tracking information for vehicles.

Contractor must provide a fully-tested mobile application for passengers that is publicly available to both iPhone and Android users and meets Colorado standards for ADA accessibility. The application interface must allow passengers to book and schedule micro-transit trips in both English and Spanish. The passenger-facing mobile application must allow:

• Passengers to see the micro-transit service zone and available vehicles on a map interface.

• Passengers to see information on the requested vehicle and driver prior to booking a trip or pick up.

• Passengers to see estimated time of pick up, estimated time of arrival at requested destination, and selected travel route.

• Passengers to indicate number of riders for each trip.

• A passenger profile to be created that identifies special needs of the rider in terms of vehicle type and accessibility.

• Technology upgrades over time for current and future app users.

• Branding with the service name and logo.

• Ability to show address and name of business when booking.

• Ability to provide easy passenger directions to a virtual stop or pickup point (for example, nearby cross street).

The Contractor must have scheduling software that aggregates and tracks back-end data and provide Boulder County access to that scheduling software. Contractor’s scheduling software must allow ability to pool trips where feasible without adversely impacting response times or passenger travel times. Contractor’s scheduling software must allow ability to reject trips and suggest alternate available times when a passenger’s requested trip cannot be fulfilled within the target response time. Contractor must also provide a mobile application or otherwise web-based platform for drivers, providing them with real time passenger location and turn by turn directions.

Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) G-16 Transactional Data Specification Requirement

As the service area will overlap with existing and planned demand-responsive transit services, residents will benefit from the ability to interact with other demand-responsive transit services in Boulder and Weld Counties.

To facilitate this interaction, Boulder County is adopting the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) G-16 transactional data specification for demand-responsive transportation service trip reservations, scheduling, and dispatching. This will enable the County to use the data in a variety of technology applications and to readily share data https://www.nationalacademies.org/publications/25800 https://www.nationalacademies.org/publications/25800 between our agency and the selected service contractor and with other agencies such as grant or funding partners, coordination partners, and other demand-responsive transportation service providers in the area. Over the term of the agreement resulting from this RFP, Boulder County may begin reporting such data to the state or may use a mobile app to support first or last mile trips.

The trip data in the TCRP G-16 transactional data specification includes all data elements needed for a provider to successfully schedule and dispatch a trip (e.g., rider name, scheduled pickup/drop-off times and locations, fare to be collected, vehicle type needed, notes, phone number). The scheduling system proposed must be capable of sharing such data electronically via an export file (e.g.,.xls or.csv format) or through an application programming interface (API).

Proposers are strongly encouraged to present solutions that use the TCRP G-16 transactional data specification to enable integrated trip data sharing. This integrated trip data sharing using TCRP-16 must be enabled and operational by the beginning of the second year of transit service operations.

Boulder County also requires (1) proposers to retain independent trip records for backup and auditing purposes and (2) for the successful proposer to use terminology consistent with the TCRP G-16 transactional data specification data descriptions in all reporting and forms.

A validator for transactional data communications using the TCRP G-16 transactional data specification can be found here: https://tripexchange.demandtrans-apis.com/swagger-ui/index.html#/trip-ticket-controller/activeClaimedTrips . https://tcrp.demandtrans.com/

B. Performance Expectations

On-Demand Response Time These services have an expectation of an average response time of between 15 and 30 minutes from when a ride is requested.

Contractor must be able to share data with the service’s project manager including without limitation:

o Passenger counts (per day, per hour, per month, per vehicle).

o Vehicle miles traveled.

o Average trip length.

o Unique new passenger numbers and statistics on rider retention over time.

o User types and ride purpose o Cancellation rates and how they may relate to other factors such as wait time or destination outside of service area (controlling for weather).

https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/8PjzCR6K5rH8gWNjtPiLC18wQf?domain=tripexchange.demandtrans-apis.com https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/8PjzCR6K5rH8gWNjtPiLC18wQf?domain=tripexchange.demandtrans-apis.com https://tcrp.demandtrans.com/ o Rejection or trip denied rates, reasons provided, if applicable.

o On-time performance.

o Trip fulfillment response time (time from when a passenger makes a trip request to when they are picked up).

o Trip origin and destination pairs, including in map format.

o Service utilization (passengers per hour) by time of day and day of week.

Key Performance Indicators to be reviewed are as follows:

1. Passengers/boardings per hour, with a goal of 2.5 PPVH

2. On Time Performance metric, with a goal of 50% of trips wait time less than 30 minutes

3. 100% daily service provided (relief vehicle to be in service no longer than 30 minutes after a breakdown occurs)

C. Ride Gunbarrel Service Hours

Future phases may include adding an additional vehicle into service during peak demand periods and expanded weeknights as warranted by demand and financially feasible.

Please provide pricing for the following options:

Baseline Service

Option 1:

Expanded Weekday Evening Service

Option 2:

A Second Vehicle During Weekday Peak Hours

Option 3:

Expanded Weekday Evening Service

AND A

Second Vehicle During Weekday Peak Hours

Annual

Hours Weekdays

3,315

1,530

2,423

Saturdays

Sundays

Total

4,641

Baseline + Option Total

5,534

6,171

7,064

Percentage Increase from Baseline Service NA 19% 33% 52%

Schedule

Weekdays 1 Vehicle: 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.

1 Vehicle 7 - 10 p.m.

Second Vehicle from 6:30

- 9:30 a.m.;

3:30 - 6:30 p.m.

1 Vehicle 7 - 10 p.m.;

Second Vehicle from 6:30

- 9:30 a.m.; 3:30

- 6:30 p.m.

Saturdays

Vehicle:

6 a.m. - 7 p.m. NA NA NA

Sundays

Vehicle:

6 a.m. - 7 p.m. NA NA NA

D. Ride Gunbarrel Service Area

The service area for the Ride Gunbarrel service will be bounded by CO 119 “The Diagonal Hwy” to the west, including the Bus Rapid Transit station in the median of CO 119 at 63rd St., Jay Rd to the south, the developed area of Gunbarrel east of N. 75th St to the east and the developed area of Gunbarrel north of Lookout Rd to the north. The service area is approximately 4.4 square miles. The Gunbarrel service area includes areas within the City of Boulder and areas within unincorporated Boulder County.

Figure 1: Proposed Service Area for the Gunbarrel Demand-Responsive Transit Service

E. Ride SouthEast Service Hours

Ride SouthEast will provide service 357 days per year (no service on the eight listed holidays). Revenue Service Hours by year are estimated to be as follows:

Weekdays Saturdays Sundays

Annual Revenue Service Hours Service description

Year 1 3,570 714 714

4,998

1 vehicle 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Mon - Sun

Year 2 5,100 714 714

6,528

1 vehicle 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Mon - Sun, A Second Vehicle 6:30 - 9:30 a.m.

and 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. Mon

- Fri

Year 3 6,630 1,326 714

8,670

1 vehicle 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Mon - Sun, A Second Vehicle 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Mon - Sat

Year 4 6,630 1,326 714

8,670

1 vehicle 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Mon - Sun, A Second Vehicle 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Mon - Sat

Year 5 6,630 1,326 714

8,670

1 vehicle 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Mon - Sun, A Second Vehicle 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Mon - Sat

F. Ride SouthEast Service Area

The proposed service area for the Ride SouthEast Demand-Responsive Transit Service includes portions of unincorporated Boulder County, the Town of Superior, the City of Louisville, the City of Lafayette, the portion of the town of Erie within Boulder County as well as Erie’s historical downtown area and community center in Weld County, and the US 36 & Flatirons Station Park and Ride parking lot in the City and County of Broomfield. The exact boundary of the service area will be negotiated between the County and Contractor prior to the commencement of service.

Figure 2: Proposed Service Area for the Ride SouthEast Demand-Responsive Transit

III. GENERAL PROVISIONS

A. Data Gathering and Reporting Requirements

The operator will be required to submit several types of reports at various frequencies. In addition, the FTA has specific reporting and record-keeping requirements (Attachment G: FTA Clauses) that the operator will need to comply with, as additions to the Sample Contract (Attachment F).

In general, reporting will follow the following schedule:

Report Description Frequency Invoice Monthly Operations Report Monthly Monthly Management Report Monthly Vehicle Accident Summary Report Monthly Safety and Security Incident Reports (NTD) Monthly Wheelchair Rescue Report Monthly Road Call Report Monthly Vehicle Mileage Report Monthly Ridership Reports Monthly Wheelchair Lift Status Monthly Mobile Radio Failure Status Monthly GPS/Software System Failure Status Report Monthly Mobile Dispatching Terminal or Tablet Status Monthly Safety Inspection Report Monthly On Time Performance Report Monthly Demand Response Performance Report Monthly Drug & Alcohol Testing Report Monthly Passenger Comment Report Monthly New Driver Report Monthly Monthly Driver Safety Meeting Report Monthly Language Access Report Quarterly Required Training Update Report Quarterly National Transit Database Reports Monthly & Annually Audited Financial Report Annually

Substance Abuse Prevention Policy Due Within 60 Days of Startup Continuity of Operations Plan Due Within 60 Days of Startup Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Plan

Due Within 60 Days of Startup

Risk Control and Safety Plan Due Within 60 Days of Startup Bus Operator Training Plan and Program Due Within 60 Days of Startup ADA Training Plan and Curriculum Due Within 60 Days of Startup ADA and Title VI Complaint Resolution Plan Due Within 60 Days of Startup Vehicle Idling Policy Due Within 60 Days of Startup

B. Safety

Safety for the public and the operator’s staff is of paramount importance. The Contract will specify safety obligations, which will include review of hazards involving vehicles, equipment, machines, the environment, and people, and actions to avoid hazards. In addition to implementing safe operational practices, the operator will develop and maintain an emergency operations plan. (see Sample Contract at Attachment F for further information). The operator will be required to provide services if requested by the County in the event of a County-declared emergency to the extent possible.

C. Substance Abuse Prevention Policy

The Contractor shall establish and implement a drug and alcohol testing program that complies with 49 CFR Parts 40, and 655, produce any documentation necessary to establish its compliance with Part 40 and Part 655 and 49 CFR Part 29 and permit any authorized representative of the United States Department of Transportation or the County, to inspect the facilities and records associated with the implementation of the drug and alcohol testing program as required under Part 40, and 655 and 49 CFR Part 29 and review the testing process. The contractor’s drug and alcohol policy must include compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act (DFWA) with an ongoing drug free awareness program.

The Contractor shall further submit the Management Information System (MIS) reports on or before March 1st, annually, to the County.

The drug and alcohol policy must include zero tolerance for positive results. Employees with a confirmed positive drug or alcohol test may not be used to perform work under the Contract. Purchasing or consuming illegal substances or alcoholic beverages while in uniform shall not be allowed. It shall be the Contractor’s responsibility to terminate involvement with the County bus service any employee observed doing so.

The contractor agrees further to certify annually its compliance with Part 655 before March 1st and to submit the Management Information System (MIS) reports annually before March 1st to the County. To certify compliance, Contractor shall use the "Substance Abuse Certifications" in the "Annual List of Certifications and Assurances for Federal Transit Administration Grants and Cooperative Agreements," which is published annually in the Federal Register.

D. Marketing And Public Relations

The operator will assist in the County’s marketing and promotion efforts by distributing, installing, or displaying materials issued by the County on board the vehicles and participating in marketing, and public education programs undertaken by the County.

These may include various “pop up events” in collaboration with other county agencies promoting mobility and seasonal initiatives such as food and toy drives.

E. ADA Compliance

The operator’s vehicles, staff, and procedures must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended. This includes an effective rescue system for passengers who use a wheelchair or authorized mobility device are stranded due to an inoperable lift, ramp or vehicle.

F. Contractual Relationship

This RFP does not completely define the proposed contractual relationship to be entered into by the County and the operator. Proposers are advised to carefully read the Sample Contract (Attachment F) and FTA-required contract clauses (Attachment G) included within this RFP.

The County reserves the right to change the terms of the Sample Contract and FTA-required clauses prior to finalization by signing.

G. Solicitation Transparency Policy

To ensure an open and fair process for evaluation of proposals, no person or firm responding to this RFP, or their employees, agents, representatives, partner(s), subcontractor(s), joint venturer(s), member(s), lobbyists or attorneys may have direct or indirect contact with any person (other than the designated Procurement Staff) who may play a part in the selection process. This includes members of the evaluation panel, the County Administrator, Department heads, and the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners. All non-RFP business between the County and proposers may continue as usual.

H. Vehicle Requirements

Contractor shall provide all vehicles necessary to operate the Service. Vehicles operating on route should be able to communicate with one another while operating the service in event of service impact or emergency.

The following specifications shall apply:

• All vehicles and vehicle equipment required by this RFP shall be provided and maintained by the Contractor in good repair and in a condition satisfactory to the County.

• The Contractor shall assume all responsibility for the proper maintenance of the vehicles.

• The Contractor must comply with all applicable federal and other statutes and regulations governing their use.

• Attachment E shall identify vehicles used for revenue service for the Contract the Contract.

Vehicles must meet the following minimum or maximum standards:

Capacity: Minimum 7 seated passengers with wheelchair securement locations in use.

• Emissions: Must provide proof of current emission standards tests.

• Condition: Interior should be free of any major defects and flaws.

• Heat/Air: Working heating and air conditioning units.

• Lifts: Fully operable ADA-compliant wheelchair lift or ramp.

• Wheelchair Securement Locations: 1 or 2, depending on vehicle length.

• Bike Racks: External rack with capacity to hold at least two bicycles.

• Have a working front and interior view event capturing camera system.

Bidders must include a detailed description of the vehicles to be utilized for the project including spares, by completing the provided Vehicle Identification Form. The County will provide the required Logo and Branding.

• Exterior Branding:

o Ability to place signage/decals/graphics on all sides of the vehicle. Boulder

County and Contractor shall work together to finalize artwork and branding.

Contractor shall factor the cost of printing, fabricating and installing graphics into the hourly service rate. It will be determined if branding will be signs and decals, half or entire wrap or a combination.

o The Contractor shall not place any external third-party advertising on the vehicles unless written authorization is first obtained from the County.

Company names and logos for Contractor are acceptable. The terms and conditions of any approved advertising shall be subject to County approval, with all County decisions being final.

I. Vehicle Maintenance

The Contractor shall have use of an operations and maintenance facility sufficient to enable the Contractor to effectively manage and operate service. Contractor must identify the location and description of the proposed facility.

Contractor shall be responsible for the maintenance of all vehicles, communication systems and other equipment required in connection with its operation of the Gunbarrel Service. Equipment shall be maintained in a safe and operable condition at all times and in accordance with manufacturer’s recommended maintenance procedures, including following service intervals as well as with applicable Federal and State regulations.

The Contractor shall maintain vehicles in a clean and neat condition at all times. The interior of all vehicles shall be kept free of litter and debris to the maximum practicable extent throughout the operating day.

J. Contractor Personnel

The Contractor shall be solely responsible for the satisfactory work performance of all employees and for meeting any reasonable performance standards describe in the RFP or established by the County.

The Contractor shall be solely responsible for payment of all its employees’ and/or sub- Contractor’s wages and benefits, in accordance with the payment schedules established for this project. Contractors’ personnel wages and work hours shall be in accordance with the local, county, and State regulations affecting such personnel. Without any expense to the County, the Contractor shall comply with the requirements of employee liability, worker’s compensation, employment insurance, and Social Security.

The Contractor Project Manager will provide both in-service supervision and the management of the project’s accounts and operating records. Contractor shall describe the entire local project team and years of experience to be used to provide the Shuttle services required in this RFP. After submission of the RFP, Project Manager must be available to answer questions from the County regarding their experience and capabilities pursuant to the services requested in this RFP.

IV. PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

A. Euna (formerly Bonfire) Online Procurement Portal

Questions and proposals shall be submitted through the County’s online procurement portal. This site offers free registration that allows for full access of the County’s documents and for electronic submission of proposals. To assist with registration and submission of responses, learn how to get started with Euna, please reach out to Boulder County's Vendor Outreach Specialist at vendoroutreach@bouldercounty.gov.

B. Inquiries

Questions must be submitted through the Euna online procurement portal on or before 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time on March 10, 2026. Responses to all inquiries will be posted to Euna no later than March 13, 2026, and be available to the public. Only written responses provided via Euna will be official and binding on the County. Proposers may not rely on oral communications with County employees, and no oral communication is binding on the County.

C. Changes to RFP (Addenda)

All changes to the RFP will be in the form of written addenda, which will be available on the Euna online procurement portal. Proposers will Acknowledge the Addenda in the requested information section in Euna Online Portal.

D. Proposal Submissions

Each proposal shall be submitted in electronic format only, through the Euna online procurement portal.

Submissions must be received by 2:00 P.M. Mountain Time on Friday, March 27, 2026. Late proposals will not be considered.

E. Contents

The proposal should not exceed 100 single-sided pages or 50 double-sided pages, exclusive of cost proposal, financial information, and other required forms. The cover letter is included in the maximum page limit.

Each proposal package submitted must contain:

https://bouldercounty.bonfirehub.com/ https://bouldercounty.bonfirehub.com/ https://bouldercounty.bonfirehub.com/ https://bouldercounty.bonfirehub.com/ https://bouldercounty.bonfirehub.com/

• Basic information o Name and address of the company o Name, title, and contact information for the contact person o Relevant experience and key personnel o Compliance with terms and conditions contained in this RFP, the Sample

Contract (Attachment F), and the FTA-required clauses (Attachment G). List and provide justification for any deviation or exceptions o Contact information for at least three references for similar services the company has provided within the last three years.

o Description of Safety and Maintenance policy and procedures o Contractor should advise the amount of time they will need to begin service operations.

• Technical proposal addressing the Scope of Work described in Section 2

• Attachments:

o Exhibit A: Insurance Requirements Certificate o Attachment B: Proposal Checklist o Attachment C-1: Cost Proposal Form o Attachment C-2: Vehicle Wrap Cost Estimate o Attachment D-1 Lobbying Certification o Attachment D-2 Disclosure of Lobbying Activities o Attachment D-3: Instructions for Completion of SF-LLL Disclosure of

Lobbying Activities o Attachment E: Vehicle Identification Form

F. Selection Process

The County will appoint an Evaluation Committee, which will evaluate and rate proposals for responsiveness and completeness and select the proposer to be awarded the contract.

If needed, the County may appoint a Technical Advisory Team to assist the Evaluation Committee, the members of which will have experience in the services requested in this

RFP.

Selection criteria include:

1. Experience on similar projects and proposed approach: 40 pts (40% of total) This includes, as applicable to the scope of services included in the proposal, experience successfully operating transit services similar to this service, including with dispatching and scheduling as defined in the RFP, and experience implementing a reservation/booking system for customers. Emphasis will be placed on the Project Team, and in particular, the Project Manager, understanding of project requirements and goals, adequacy of training programs, ability to adequately staff the project and demonstrated safety record. This section also includes experience with accounting, invoicing and providing monthly reporting, and references.

2. Cost: 40 pts (40% of total) The evaluation of cost will be based on the information submitted in the Cost Proposal Form. Boulder County has conducted an Independent Cost Estimate (ICE). Cost Proposals will be evaluated and compared to the ICE.

3. Vehicle fleet appropriateness, condition and location: 20 pts (20% of total) This includes the appropriateness and condition of the primary and backup vehicles proposed to be used for the transit services, the proximity of the proposed bus maintenance and operations facility(ies) and Contractor’s ability to dispatch vehicles in a timely manner to address service disruptions.

County staff may contact proposers in writing with questions or requests for clarification or to discuss any proposer exceptions to the requirements stated in the Scope of Work or attachments to the RFP.

The successful proposal will provide the optimal combination of the above criteria to meet the County’s needs.

G. Protests Any bidder, submitter of a proposal, or contractor who is aggrieved in connection with the solicitation or award of a contract may protest. Protestors shall initially seek resolution of their complaints with the Office of Financial Management. A protest with respect to an IFB, RFP or RFQ shall be submitted in writing prior to the opening of solicitations or the closing date of solicitations, unless the aggrieved person did not know and should not have known of the facts giving rise to such protest prior to bid opening or the closing date of proposals.

The protest shall be submitted in writing to the Office of Financial Management within seven

(7) business days after such aggrieved person knows or should have known of the facts giving rise thereto. In the event of a timely protest, the Office of Financial Management shall call the matter to the County Administrator’s and the BOCC’s attention immediately and ask for a determination in writing of whether it is necessary to delay or to go forward on the project despite the objection. The decision of the BOCC is final.

If prior to or after the bid opening or the closing date for receipt of proposals, the Office of Financial Management and/or CP&P Director determines that a solicitation is in violation of state or federal law, the solicitation or proposed award shall be canceled or revised to comply with applicable law.

If after an award the Office of Financial Management and/or CP&P Director determines that a solicitation or award of a contract was in violation of applicable law, the contract is void.

If for any reason collusion or other anticompetitive practices are suspected among bidders or submitters of proposals, a notice of the relevant facts shall be transmitted to the Boulder County Attorney’s Office, which then may be transmitted to the Colorado Attorney General and/or the Boulder County District Attorney.

The protest procedures will be documented on the Boulder County Procurement website.

V. GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Listed below are definitions of commonly used terms and acronyms that are used throughout this document:

• ADA: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and guarantees equal opportunities in employment, public services, and access to public accommodations.

• CDOT. Colorado Department of Transportation is the state agency responsible for transportation.

• DRCOG. Denver Regional Council of Governments is the metropolitan planning organization for the Denver – Boulder region.

• FTA: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency within the U.S.

Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transportation systems, ensuring safe and efficient transit services across the nation.

• Revenue Service The period of time that a revenue vehicle is available to carry passengers, calculated from the first time point on the run to the last time point on the run.

• Revenue Service Hour: The unit of measure to record service hours, which does not include deadhead—the time it takes for a service vehicle to travel between terminal and service area.

• Revenue Vehicle: A vehicle used to provide service while carrying passengers.

• Road Call. A revenue service interruption caused by the failure of the mechanical element of a revenue vehicle.

• Service Start Date: Date agreed upon by the parties for the beginning of the period of performance, or the first day that the transportation service is open to the public.

• Title VI: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people from discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

• Door to Door: Refers to a type of mobility service that includes the driver helping the passenger get in and out of the vehicle.

• Curb to Curb: Refers to a type of mobility service that picks up and delivers passengers at the curb or roadside, as distinguished from door-to-door service.

Passenger assistance is generally not rendered other than for actual boarding and alighting.

• Demand Responsive/ On-demand transit: On-demand transit refers to highly-flexible shared transport where vehicles alter their routes and/or schedules based on rider demand, rather than using a fixed route or timetable.

• Fixed route transit service: Fixed-route transit systems operate vehicles along predetermined routes according to a predetermined schedule, picking up and dropping off passengers at designated stops along the route.

• Regional Transportation District: The Regional Transportation District, more commonly referred to as RTD, is the regional agency operating public transit services in all or a portion of eight counties of the state of Colorado.

• FlexRide: RTD FlexRide provides extended bus service in specific metro Denver areas, connecting to Park-n-Rides, stations, work, medical centers, business parks, and other local destinations.

• Access-a-Ride: Access-a-Ride is RTD’s ADA-compliant paratransit service for individuals with disabilities who cannot use regular bus or rail service independently.

• Ride Free Lafayette: Ride Free Lafayette is a free, on-demand, door-to-door bus service provided by Boulder County that connects people to places within the City of Lafayette.

• Erie Bee: Erie Bee is an on-demand, door-to-door bus service provided by the Town of Erie that connects people to places within the Town of Erie.

• Diagonal Flyer: A Bus Rapid Transit service between Boulder and Longmont provided by RTD.

• BOLT (Bolt) bus route: The BOLT bus route, provided by RTD, operates between Boulder and Longmont.

• ARPA: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) includes significant funding for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to support public transportation systems.

The ARP allocates $30.5 billion in federal funding to assist transit and rail agencies, aiming to alleviate hardships due to reduced ridership during the pandemic.

• TIP: Transportation Improvement Program (TIP): This is a prioritized listing of transportation projects developed and formally adopted by a metropolitan planning organization as part of the metropolitan planning process and is subject to federal regulations. It includes all regionally significant projects receiving FHWA or FTA funds, as well as non-federally funded projects consistent with the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP).

• CMAQ: The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program (CMAQ) is a federal program that funds transportation projects and programs to reduce mobile source emissions and improve air quality.

• Colorado's ADA Accessibility Standards: Colorado's accessibility standards are aligned with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, level AA criteria. These guidelines are designed to ensure that technology is accessible to users with sensory, cognitive, and mobility disabilities, as well as to all users regardless of ability.

VI. ATTACHMENTS

The following are included with this RFP and will be completed by proposers and included in the proposal package as described in Section IV.

Exhibit A: Insurance Requirements Attachment B: Proposal Checklist Attachment C-1: Cost Proposal Form Attachment C-2: Vehicle Wrap Cost Estimate Attachment D-1: Lobbying Certification Attachment D-2: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Attachment D-3: Instructions for Completion of SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Attachment E: Vehicle Identification Form Attachment F: Sample Contract Attachment G: FTA-required Contract Clauses

ATTACHMENT B: PROPOSAL CHECKLIST TO BE INCLUDED IN PROPOSAL PACKAGE

Included Checklist Item Any requested redlines to Exhibit A: Insurance Requirements

Certification of Insurance

Attachment B: Proposal Checklist

Proposal, including:

o Name and address of the company o Name, title, and contact information for the contact person o Relevant experience and key personnel o Compliance with terms and conditions contained in this RFP, the

Sample Contract (Attachment F), and the FTA-required clauses (Attachment G). List and provide justification for any deviation or exceptions o Contact information for at least three references for similar services the company has provided within the last three years.

o Description of Safety and Maintenance policy and procedures o Timeline to initiate (each) service

Attachment C-1: Cost Proposal Form

Attachment C-2: Vehicle Wrap Cost Estimate

Attachment D-1: Lobbying Certification

Attachment D-2: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Attachment E: Vehicle Identification Form

Any requested redlines to Attachment F: Sample Contract

W-9

SAM Registration

ATTACHMENT C-1: COST PROPOSAL FORM

The service contract between the County and the Contractor will be for five years per the terms outlined in this RFP. The County has full funding for both services through mid 2029, and partial funding through mid 2031. The County is working to secure additional funding for the last two years of these services.

Contractors shall complete this table as part of their proposal package, listing a single, all-inclusive* rate per revenue service hour for each year for each range of annual revenue service hours. Rates shall be inclusive of all expenses including staffing, maintenance, fuel*, dead-heading between the service the contractors base of operations and the service hour, etc.

The ranges listed below reflect Boulder County’s anticipated combined annual revenue service hours for the options for the two services described in this RRP. If the Contractor wishes to propose rates for ranges of annual revenue service hours outside of the ranges listed in this table, please add and complete additional rows as necessary.

On January 1st of each year, the invoiced rate will be adjusted according to this Cost Proposal Form. The County will utilize this fee schedule to compensate the Contractor for revenue service hours provided.

Annual Revenue Service Hours

2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031

8,500 or fewer 8,501 – 9,500 9,501 – 10,500 10,501 – 11,500 11,501 – 12,500 12,501 – 13,500 13,501 – 14,500 14,501 – 15,500 15,501 – 16,500 16,501 or more

*If Contractor is proposing a fuel adjustor that would modify the listed revenue service hour rate based on changes in the price of fuel, please describe in full, attaching or adding additional pages or tables as necessary:

ATTACHMENT C-2: VEHICLE WRAP COST ESTIMATE

To build brand awareness, provide a highly visible service, and improve the public’s confidence in the services provided, Boulder County desires to partially or fully wrap the Contractor’s revenue vehicles used to provide service as part of this contract. Boulder County and/or its partners will develop the branding and artwork to be used.

Please estimate the one-time cost of wrapping each vehicle. Wrapping costs shall be passed on directly to Boulder County by the Contractor, at cost, and will not play a significant role in the County’s selection of a contractor for this project

Estimated cost to fully wrap each vehicle: $: __________

Estimated cost to partially wrap each vehicle: $: __________

For a partial wrap, please include photos or describe the extents of the vehicle that could be wrapped.

Additional Comments:

ATTACHMENT D-1: LOBBYING CERTIFICATION FORM

The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, 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 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 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 this Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, "Disclosure of Lobbying Activities," in accordance with its instructions. (3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents of all sub-awards at all tiers (including subcontracts, sub-grants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly. This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, United States Code. Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure.

Organization: ____________________

Street address: ___________________

City, State, Zip: _______________________________

CERTIFIED BY: ____________________ __________

Print Name Date

Print Title Signature

ATTACHMENT D-2: DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES

Complete this form to disclose lobbying activities pursuant to 31 U.S.C.1352 OMB Number: 4040-0013

Expiration Date: 06/30/2028

1. * Type of Federal

Action:

a. contract

b. grant

c. cooperative agreement

d. loan

e. loan guarantee

f. loan insurance

2. * Status of Federal Action:

a. bid/offer/app lication

b. initial award

c. post-award

3. * Report Type:

a. initial filing

b. material change

4. Name and Address of Reporting Entity:

_________Prime _______SubAwardee

* Name

Boulder County Community Planning and Permitting

* Street 1Street 2

* City Boulder State CO Zip

Congressional District, if known:

5. If Reporting Entity in No.4 is Subawardee, Enter Name and Address of Prime:

6. * Federal Department/Agency:

Federal Transit Administration

7. * Federal Program Name/Description:

Assistance Listing Number, if applicable:

8. Federal Action Number, if known: 9. Award Amount, if known:

10. a. Name and Address of Lobbying Registrant:

Prefix* First Name Middle Name

* Last NameSuffix

* Street 1 Street 2

* CityStateZip

b. Individual Performing Services (including address if different from No.

10a) Prefix* First N Middle Name

* Street 1Street 2

* CityStateZip

11. Information requested through this form is authorized by title 31 U.S.C. section

1352. This disclosure of lobbying activities is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed by the tier above when the transaction was made or entered into. This disclosure is required pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1352. This information will be reported to the Congress semi-annually and will be available for public inspection. Any person who fails to file the required disclosure shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure.

* Signature: Completed on submission to Grants.gov

*Name:Prefix* First Name Middle Name

Title:Telephone No.:Date: Completed on submission to Grants.gov

Federal Use Only: Authorized for Local Reproduction Standard Form - LLL (Rev. 7-97)

ATTACHMENT D-3: INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION OF SF-LLL DISCLOSURE OF

LOBBYING ACTIVITIES

This disclosure form shall be completed by the reporting entity, whether subawardee or prime Federal recipient, at the initiation or receipt of a covered Federal action, or a material change to a previous filing pursuant to title 31 U.S.C. section 1352. The filing of a form is required for each payment or agreement to make payment to any lobbying entity 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 a covered Federal action. Complete all items that apply for both the initial filing and material change report. Refer to the implementing guidance published by the Office of Management and Budget for additional information.

1. Identify the type of covered Federal action for which lobbying activity is and/or has been secured to influence the outcome of a covered Federal action.

2. Identify the status of the covered Federal action.

3. Identify the appropriate classification of this report. If this a followup report caused by a material change to the information previously reported, enter the year and quarter in which the change occurred, Enter the date of the last previously submitted report by this reporting entity for this covered Federal action.

4. Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the reporting entity. Include Congressional District, if known. Check the appropriate classification of the reporting entity that designates if it is, or expects to be a prime or subaward receipt.

Identify the tier of the subawardee, e.g., the first subawardee of the prime is the 1st tier. Subawards include but are not limited to subcontracts, subgrants and contract awards under grants.

5. If the organization filing the report in item 4 checks :Subawardee," then enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the prime Federal recipient. Include Congressional District, if known.

6. Enter the name of the Federal agency making the award or loan commitment.

Include at least one organizational level below agency name, if known. For example, Department of Transportation, United States Coast Guard.

7. Enter the Federal program name or description for the covered Federal action (Item 1). If known, enter the full Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for grants, cooperative agreements, loans and loan commitments.

8. Enter the most appropriate Federal identifying number available for the Federal action identified in Item 1 (e.g., Request for Proposal…