16-Amendment 001 - RFP 20237 Final.pdf

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA, VA

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA, VA CODE TITLE 3, CHAPTER 3

AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION

1. SOLICITATION NAME

Transportation Services for the DOT Paratransit Program and City Programs

PAGE

OF PAGES

2. AMENDMENT NO.

3. EFFECTIVE DATE

October 1, 2026

4. REQUISITION/PURCHASE REQ. NO.

N/A

5. PROJECT NO. (If applicable) N/A

6. ISSUED BY

PURCHASING DIVISION

100 N. PITT ST., SUITE 301

ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314

7. ADMINISTERED BY (If other than item 6)

8. NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONTRACTOR (No., Town, County, State and ZIP Code)

ALL BIDDERS/PROPOSERS

9A. AMENDMENT OF SOLICITATION NO.

RFP 2037

X 9B. DATED (SEE ITEM 11)

September 3, 2026

10A. MODIFICATION OF CONTRACT/ORDER NO.

10B. DATED (SEE ITEM 13)

11. THIS ITEM ONLY APPLIES TO AMENDMENTS OF SOLICITATIONS

The above numbered solicitation is amended as set forth in Item 14. The hour and date specified for receipt of offers is extended is not extended.

Offers must acknowledge receipts of this amendment prior to the hour and date specified in the solicitation or as amended by one of the following methods:

a.) by completing Items 8 and 15 and returning one (1) copy of the amendment: or b.) By acknowledging receipt of this amendment on each copy of the offer submitted:

FAILURE OF YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BE RECEIVED AT THE PLACE DESIGNATED FOR THE RECEIPT OF OFFERS PRIOR TO THE HOUR AND DATE SPECIFIED MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER. If by virtue of this amendment you desire to change an offer already submitted such change may be made by the process identified in the solicitation.

12. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA (If required)

13. THIS ITEM APPLIES ONLY TO MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTS/ORDERS,

IT MODIFIES THE CONTRACT/ORDER NO. AS DESCRIBED IN ITEM 14.

(X) A. THIS CHANGE IS ISSUED PURSUANT TO: (Specify authority) THE CHANGES SET FORTH IN ITEM 14 ARE MADE IN THE CONTRACT ORDER NO. IN ITEM 10A.

B. THE ABOVE NUMBERED CONTRACT/ORDER IS MODIFIED TO REFLECT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES (such as changes in paying office, appropriation date, etc.) SET FORTH IN ITEM 14.

C. THIS SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT IS ENTERED INTO PURSUANT TO AUTHORITY OF:

D. OTHER (Specify type of modification and authority)

E. IMPORTANT: Contractor is not, is required to sign this document and return 1 copy to the issuing office.

14. DESCRIPTION OF AMENDMENT:

Amendment 001 is issued to:

• Answer questions received by the deadline for receipt of vendor questions.

• Extend the solicitation response due date to October 15, 2026 4PM, prevailing local time.

• Provide the list of attends for the pre-proposal conference.

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged.

15A. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (type or print) 16A. NAME AND TITLE OF CONTRACTNG OFFICER (Type or print)

Jordan Howar, Contract Specialist III

15B. BIDDER/PROPOSER

(Signature of person authorized to sign)

15C. DATE SIGNED 16B. CITY OF ALEXANDRIA, VA BY

(Signature of Contracting Officer)

16C. DATE SIGNED

10/1/26

Solicitation# RFP 2037 Amendment

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Q1 Section 10.8.4 requires personnel to complete required background checks, drug and alcohol testing, and City-required certifications prior to service. Please confirm: is enrollment in a 49 CFR Part 655 DOT random testing pool mandatory for all drivers providing service under this contract, or may Offerors satisfy this requirement through an exempt-provider model (e.g., taxicab exemption) consistent with FTA guidance for non-safety-sensitive or exempt operating models?

A1 The current operating model for paratransit service, does not allow residents to select a vendor to operate their trip. The vendor selection is performed by the software, and trips may be pushed from one vendor to another without the customer’s knowledge prior to dispatch. Because the customer does not have a choice in vendor, the taxicab exemption cannot apply. FTA compliant drug testing is likely required by law for all service lines expect service line 5, Emergency Transportation for City Personnel.

Q2

Please confirm whether the background check requirement in Section 10.8.4 may be satisfied for subcontracted or network/platform-dispatched drivers through documented third-party screening and certification programs administered by the subcontractor or platform (i.e. TNC Uber/Lyft), rather than requiring City-administered or Contractor-administered checks of each individual driver.

A2 Yes, background checks or security screenings that meet all federal requirements for employees providing public transit services are allowed. Proof of compliance will be required.

Q3 Part B, Section 3 requires the vendor to supply tablets, tablet mounts, and computers to operate the Spare Labs Inc. platform. For trips dispatched through a TNC/network platform under Section 10.10.6, please confirm whether the described third-party integration satisfies the technology integration requirement without requiring dedicated in-vehicle hardware for each network-dispatched vehicle.

A3 TNCs and other shared fleets whose operation and dispatching system is integrated with the Spare Labs Inc. platform and meet the data sharing requirements of the integration, shall meet the technology requirements for this section.

Q4 Section 10.8.1 requires the GM, OM, and SM positions at minimum 40% FTE dedication. For Offerors proposing on a single service line or a single service type within Service Line 1 (e.g., Ambulatory only), please confirm whether the 40% FTE minimum applies at that reduced scope, or whether staffing dedication may be proposed proportional to awarded scope.

A4 Staffing levels required in 10.8.1 are for a single vendor providing 100% of Service Line 1. Awards for a portion of Service Line 1 are allowed to propose proportional staffing.

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Q5 Trips will be assigned by the City to the appropriate vendor when multiple vendors are awarded for a service type. Please describe the methodology or criteria the City will use to allocate trips among multiple awarded vendors for Service Line 1, and whether Offerors can expect a minimum allocation share.

A5 As part of the solicitation review process the City may select more than 1 vendor to provide services under Service Line 1. The City may choose to assign trips to vendors based on trip cost, past performance, service quality or capabilities. For example, if a vendor is the lowest bidder for ambulatory only services, a second bidder will need to be awarded to provide non-ambulatory services. If a vendor is no longer capable of delivering trip volumes as demonstrated by poor on time performance, or missed trips, the City will shift trips away from the vendor in order to meet ADA requirements. The City cannot guarantee a minimum number of trips to any one vendor. If a minimum allocation is required for the cost proposal please indicate. Alternatively, a tiered cost proposal could also been provided.

Q6 Will the City post the presentation, meeting notes, sign-in sheet, and any verbal questions and answers from the September 15, 2026 pre-proposal conference as an addendum?

A6 The attendance record for the pre-proposal conference is posted alongside this amendment.

Q7 Has the City made a determination on whether it will provide an operating facility and/or vehicles under this contract? If not, will the City issue those terms by addendum before the proposal due date, or should Offerors price both scenarios (with and without City-provided facility and vehicles)?

A7 The City will not be able to provide facility space at award of contract. Please submit a cost proposal which provides details on the change in price should a facility be provided at some point during the contract term or at contract renewal.

One proposed cost structure is to include a facility line item on your proposed monthly invoice which would then be removed should the City provide a facility in the future. Should a City provided facility become available, a contract amendment will be required to adjust pricing and introduce facility use clauses.

Q8 For vehicles to be acquired or leased for this contract, what documentation should

Offerors include to demonstrate the fleet will be in service by the contract start date (for example, dealer or lessor commitment letters, delivery schedules, or financing confirmation)? Will the City allow a transition period between award and full service start?

A8 Offerors should include a dealer or lessor commitment letters and delivery schedules. The City will work with any awarded vendor to ensure an appropriate

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P a g e | 4 start date. A tapered approach for vehicle operations is not preferred but any newly awarded vendor will be provided time for software, staffing, training, and the like to occur before trips are moved over to a new vendor. The schedule to begin operations will be considered during the review of proposals with a goal to implement the service as soon as possible.

Q9 The RFP anticipates approximately 13–15 vehicles based on current service levels, while Attachment H reflects up to 17 active vehicles. Please clarify which figure Offerors should use for planning. If Service Line 1 is awarded to more than one contractor, is the 13–15 vehicle expectation for the program as a whole or for each contractor, how will trips be allocated among contractors, and is any minimum trip share guaranteed?

A9 The current operating model includes a dedicated fleet and a TNC subcontractor.

Trip data provided in attachment H includes all trips on both fleets. Because TNCs and dedicated fleets work on very different operational models, 13-15 dedicated vehicles is our best estimate of how trip volume could be best accommodated.

Offerors should use the detailed trip data provided to make their best estimate of how they would run service given the trip volume provided in attachment H.

Q10 Attachment H (3,217 sample trips) does not distinguish Ambulatory from Non-

Ambulatory trips, while the RFP estimates approximately 80% Ambulatory and 20% Non-Ambulatory. Should Offerors apply the 80/20 estimate when preparing the sample invoice, or will the City provide the actual breakdown for the sample trips?

A10 Please use the 80/20 split provided in the Scope of Work

Q11 If an Offeror proposes hourly or mileage-based pricing, which Attachment H fields should be used for the sample invoice: actual vehicle hours/miles, or vehicle revenue hours/miles?

A11 Offerors are free to choose. These two metrics denote different data points. If you wish to bill based on when the vehicle had a passenger in it, then bill by revenue hours/miles. If you wish to bill based on when the vehicle was staffed and on the clock including deadhead mileage, then bill based on actual vehicle hours/miles

Q12 Please provide any available historical or estimated annual trip volumes, service hours, typical passenger counts per trip, and expected vehicle requirements for Service Lines 2, 3, and 4.

A12 Service hours, passenger count per trip, and vehicle requirements are provided in the scope of work for service line 2. Vehicle requirements are provided in the scope of work for Service line 3 and 4.

Annual trip volume for Service line 2 for FY 2026 was 2,233 completed trips.

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Summer season trip volume for Service line 3 was 65 completed trips with passenger volume ranging from 14 to 50 passengers per trip. We expect trip volume for this service line to change year over year as departmental programs see changes in funding. Service hours for Service Line 3 are 7am to 7pm weekdays.

The City has not operated service line 4 and does not have historical data. At this time, we have minimal requests for this service with a few trips expected each month to neighboring jurisdictions. We have senior center programing that wishes to travel 1 to 4 times per month for day trips with passenger counts up to 14 per trip. These requests come from one of eleven rec centers that may request these types of trips in the future. Service hours for this service line are 7am to 7pm weekdays and 8am to 5pm weekends. Based on City programing scheduling, most field trips are likely to occur between 10am and 4pm weekdays. If pricing for different times of day is expected, please call this out in your proposal.

Q13 Please provide any available historical or estimated annual trip volumes, service hours, typical passenger counts per trip, and expected vehicle requirements for Service Lines 2, 3, and 4.

A13 Please see question 12 above.

Q14 The RFP requires School Buses or School Activity Buses accommodating at least two wheelchairs for Service Line 3, and also states that vehicles under 10 seats may be approved for lower passenger volumes or specific operational needs. Under what circumstances may smaller accessible vehicles be used, and may an Offeror propose a mixed fleet for this Service Line?

A14 The City has set a standard that whenever children under the age of 18 are transported for a City sponsored program, they will be transported in a vehicle that meets Virginia Pupil Transportation vehicle safety standards as outlined by state law. A smaller vehicle that is not a school bus or activity bus may transport children only when its maximum passenger capacity is 10 or fewer. A vendor may use a smaller vehicle to transport children when a trip request is for 9 or fewer passengers. To date, very few trip requests as part of Service Line 3 have had 9 or less passengers. An offeror is free to propose a mixed fleet or alternate operation procedure as part of their proposal. Proposals will be evaluated on their ability to perform the work as described in the scope of work and expounded on in these Q and As.

Q15 The RFP states that most Service Line 4 trips will use ADA-compliant vehicles with approximately 14-passenger capacity. Is this a mandatory minimum capacity, or may smaller ADA-accessible vehicles be used when passenger counts are lower?

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A15 Smaller ADA-accessible vehicles may be used when passenger counts are lower.

Q16 Would the City accept ADA-compliant rear-entry wheelchair-accessible vehicles for any portion of the fleet or for specific Service Lines, or is side-entry required for all wheelchair-accessible vehicles under this contract?

A16 All vehicles designed or equipped to transport passengers who use wheelchairs shall be configured with side-entry wheelchair access only. Rear-entry ramps and rear-entry wheelchair lifts are prohibited. The Contractor shall not deploy any rear-entry configured vehicle for passenger service under this contract, regardless of ADA certification status.

Q17 Part D requires Cyber Liability coverage of $5,000,000 aggregate and $2,000,000 per occurrence. Does this requirement apply in full to a transportation contractor that only accesses the City-provided Spare Labs platform and does not host or provide software? Also, must this coverage be in place at proposal submission or at contract execution?.

A17 Yes, the cyber liability coverage will be applied to transportation contractors.

Coverage is not required at time of proposal submission but will be required at contract execution.

Q18 What is the anticipated timeline for the City’s determination regarding the availability of a City-owned facility, and if a facility becomes available mid-term, what process or timeline will be used to negotiate a cost adjustment?

A18 The City will not be able to provide a facility at contract award. The City is working to make a facility of appropriate size available within the next one to two years.

As part of your proposal, please provide an explanation and expected change in contracted price as part of your proposal. One option is to include a facilities fee as a line item on your proposed invoice. This line item would then be removed when the facility is provided by the City. Once a facility becomes available, the City will inform the current vendor. It is expected that as part of the contract modification to provide the facility, the cost adjustment as outlined in the proposal would go into effect. An appropriate turn over timeline will be negotiated with the vendor.

Q19 If the City determines that a facility becomes available, and service lines are awarded to multiple contractors, how will a determination be made as to space distribution assuming that multiple contractors enter the facility?

A19 The City holds full discretion as to which vendors may use the City facility.

Determining factors the City may use in deciding which vendors will be able to use the City provided facility include but are not limited to, expected cost savings, required square footage to meet operational need, and prioritization of service based on trip volume performed by the vendor.

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Q20 If the City determines that a facility becomes available, and service lines are awarded to multiple contractors, how will a determination be made as to how cost adjustments are shared amongst the contractors, assuming that multiple contractors enter the facility?

A20 The City expects offerors to provide a clear outline of how a City provided facility will result in cost savings. If multiple vendors are able to be hosted at the City facility, it is expected that the cost savings as outlined in each offeror’s proposal would go into effect.

Q21 For Service Line 1, if multiple contractors are awarded for the same service type (e.g., Ambulatory), how will trip distribution among vendors be managed?

A21 Vendor capacity and cost will play a major role in determining the distribution of trips amongst multiple vendors of the same service type. Vendor capacity will be determined by a mix of existing fleet size, driver capacity, and past performance. If a vendor proves through poor on time performance and missed trips, that they do not have the capacity to meet the demand of delegated trips, their trip delegation will be adjusted in future months. If proposed pricing has a minimum monthly trip amount, or a tiered pricing schedule is proposed based on trip volume, please outline these details in your proposal.

Q22 Will any awarded contractor be designated as the primary provider for a service line or service type, or should every contractor assume that trip assignments may fluctuate without a guaranteed base volume?

A22 Through the Spare Labs Inc. Software, the City has the ability to assign a primary and secondary fleet. We also have the ability to assign trip distribution requirements like maximum trips per hour or a monthly budget for vendors using the open fleets integration like TNC providers. The City will make decisions throughout the contract term to maximize user experience and FTA and ADA compliance. Vendors should not assume a guaranteed base volume. If proposed pricing has a minimum monthly trip amount, or a tiered pricing schedule is proposed based on trip volume, please outline these details in your proposal.

Q23 Does the City require vehicles to be dedicated exclusively to this contract, or may the contractor use the vehicles for other services when they are not assigned to City work?

A23 A dedicated fleet is not required for this contract as long as the vehicles meet the requirements outlined in the Scope of Work. The City would prefer some dedicated vehicles as part of Service Line 1 to allow for fleet branding but fleet branding is not required.

Q24 What events may be excluded from on-time performance calculations, and what documentation is required?

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A24 The City has not had to excuse events from OTP calculations in the past. Some events that may influence OTP that are outside of the contractors control include significant software outages, acts of terrorism, acts of war, and extended severe weather or unexpected severe weather may be grounds for excusing specific trips from OTP calculations. The City will evaluate requests for exclusions on a case-by-case basis and dependent on the reason, will require backup documentation like software outage reports, written reports stating how weather, terrorism, war, etc.

impacted service, and a list of the specific trips impacted.

Vendors are expected to take the necessary precautions and implement operational practices that make their operation resilient to seasonal extreme weather. The City was able to provide required paratransit services during this past year’s extreme weather events in January. Paratransit service can only be canceled when fixed route service is canceled and a vendor is expected to provide service during states of emergency and extreme weather.

Q25 If the service area or operating hours expand after award, will the City negotiate corresponding changes to fleet, staffing, facility, and pricing requirements?

A25 Yes, changes to the scope of work including changes to service area, and service hours will allow for pricing negotiations.

Q26 Please confirm how the new 20-minute pickup window will be applied. Specifically, will the scheduled pickup time represent the beginning, midpoint, or another point within the window?

A26 The Spare Labs Platform will provide each dedicated fleet vendor with the manifest and optimize trips and runs to maximize on time performance. The Call Center will negotiate trips with customers. Trip windows are provided to customers and customers confirm the window while booking. Customers may book trips with a requested pickup window or a requested drop-off window. For pickup windows, if a customer requests a 9 a.m. trip, they will be provided with a 9:00-9:20 a.m.

window. If a customer requests a 10:30 a.m. drop-off, they are provided with a 10:10-10:30 a.m. drop-off window.

Q27 Please specify the amount or formula for the financial deduction that applies when on-time performance falls below 90% for two consecutive months.

A27

For OTP Between 90.5% and 92.9% the LD rate is:

𝑳𝑳𝑳𝑳 = (𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗.𝟎𝟎 − 𝑷𝑷𝑶𝑶𝑶𝑶𝑶𝑶 𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨) ∗ 𝟎𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 ∗ 𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂

For OTP between 88% and 90.5% the LD rate is:

𝑳𝑳𝑳𝑳 = (𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗.𝟎𝟎 − 𝑷𝑷𝑶𝑶𝑶𝑶𝑶𝑶 𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨𝑨) ∗ 𝟎𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 ∗ 𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂

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For an on-time performance (OTP) between 88% and 90.5%, there is not a consecutive month escalation.

For OTP of 88.0% and below, the LD rate is:

𝑳𝑳𝑳𝑳 = 𝟎𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 ∗ 𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂

With an escalation of 0.5% each consecutive month at 88.0% or below to a max value of:

𝑳𝑳𝑳𝑳 = 𝟎𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟎 ∗ 𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰𝑰 𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂𝒂

Q28 Please specify whether any consideration will be given to a reduction or waiver of financial deductions if on time performance deterioration is due to material changes in ridership.

A28 Historic trends have not dictated the need for such a waiver. The City reserves the right to assess liquidated damages at its discretion and may work with a vendor if significant changes outside their control occur.

Q29 Before a financial deduction is imposed, will the contractor receive the underlying trip-level data and an opportunity to validate or dispute exclusions, timestamps, and causation?

A29 The vendor will be required to submit monthly trip data as part of the monthly invoice. This data set shall include details related to possible liquidated damages.

The vendor may submit documentation at this time related to disputing proposed liquidated damages. The City will verify data provided and discuss possible disputes before assessing liquidated damages or approving the invoice. The vendor has access to the same data and data analysis tools the City uses in assessing liquidated damages and may review the data at any time.

Q30 The RFP anticipates a December 15, 2026 commencement date. Please provide the anticipated award and notice-to-proceed dates.

A30 The December 15, 2026 commencement is an estimate and subject to change.

There are no anticipated award and notice to proceed dates as it will be determined based on how long the evaluation and negotiation process takes.

Proposals should include a schedule for when the service can be implemented, which will be considered in the review of the proposals.

Q31 Please confirm how vehicle age will be calculated as of the December 15, 2026 commencement date, including whether a 2021 model-year vehicle will be considered within the five-model-year limit. May Offerors submit proposed age or mileage waiver requests with their proposals, and will the City issue waiver decisions before award or notice to proceed?

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A31 For the purposes of this solicitation, vehicles of model year 2021 shall be considered compliant with the maximum individual vehicle age at contract inception.

Offerors may submit proposed age and mileage waiver requests with the proposal and the City will make determinations on such requests prior to notice to proceed.

The goal of this solicitation is to maintain the high-quality service residents deserve and have been receiving. The intent of the vehicle standards is to ensure residents maintain access to well-kept, comfortable, clean, and functional vehicles. If vehicle standards are prohibitive and high-quality service can be maintained with vehicles outside the standards set out in the scope of work, the City may grant a waiver to these standards. Please provide details in your submission as to the cost savings resulting from a waiver and what alterative measure will be in place to ensure clean, comfortable, and well-maintained vehicles.

Q32 Does the City currently anticipate purchasing or providing vehicles during the base contract year? If so, please provide the anticipated quantity, vehicle types, and timing, and clarify how and when the resulting pricing adjustment will be implemented.

A32 The City anticipates providing up to 1 vehicle during the contract base year. This vehicle is a 22-passenger body on chassis bus with wheelchair lift. During contract negotiation, the City will work with a selected vendor to determine if said vehicle will meet the program and operational need and work with the vendor to determine an amenable cost savings structure. Please provide details in your proposal on cost savings if the City provides vehicles.

Q33 Please provide available historical or estimated annual volumes for Service Lines 2–5, including ADSC trips, Youth and Other Departmental vehicle-service hours, and the anticipated frequency and duration of Emergency Transportation activations. If forecasts are unavailable, please provide the planning assumptions Offerors should use for pricing.

A33 Annual trip volume for Service line 2 for FY 2026 was 2,233 completed trips.

Summer season trip volume for Service line 3 was 65 completed trips with passenger volume ranging from 14 to 50 passengers per trip. We expect trip volume for this service line to change year over year as departmental programs see changes in funding. Service hours for Service Line 3 are 7am to 7pm weekdays.

The City has not operated service line 4 and does not have historical data. At this time, we have minimal requests for this service with a few trips expected each month to neighboring jurisdictions. We have senior center programing that wishes to travel 1 to 4 times per month for day trips with passenger counts up to 14 per trip. These requests come from one of eleven rec centers that may request these

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P a g e | 11 types of trips in the future. Service hours for this service line are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. Based on City programing scheduling, most field trips are likely to occur between 10am and 4pm weekdays. If pricing for different times of day is expected, please call this out in your proposal.

Emergency transportation service activation is expected to occur during major weather incidents and emergencies. When City staff are activated for 24-hour coverage to support and manage snow and ice, this service line will be used. This past snow season we saw one activation for the snow/ice event from January 24 to January 29.

Q34 Please confirm whether Offerors may identify proposed exceptions or deviations to

Parts C and D in a separately labeled section of the Proposal for consideration during negotiations without rendering the Proposal nonresponsive or conditional. If permitted, please specify where the exceptions should be included and whether they count toward the 80-page proposal limit.

A34 Any exceptions should be listed in Part E, Section 9.9 of the proposal and will not be considered non-responsive or conditional. It will count towards the 80-page proposal limit.

Q35 Please confirm whether the 80-page limit applies only to the Technical Proposal or also includes the cover letter, resumes, table of contents, Cost Proposal, and required Part G attachments. Please identify any items excluded from the page limit.

A35 The 80-page limit applies only to the Technical Proposal and is inclusive of all pages uploaded within the technical proposal. As the Cost proposal and Part G attachments are to be uploaded separately, they are excluded from the page limit.

Q36 Please confirm the required file organization for the electronic submission. Should

Offerors upload one Technical Proposal PDF, one Cost Proposal PDF, and one combined PDF containing Attachments A, C, D, E, and F, or should each required attachment be uploaded as a separate file? Are there any file-naming conventions or maximum file-size limitations?

A36 Each attachment and proposal has a separate designated file upload. There are no file naming conventions required and no file size limitations.

Q37 Part E, Section 13.2 states that unsigned Solicitation documents and Addenda may be considered nonresponsive. Please clarify whether Offerors must upload signed copies of each Addendum or whether acknowledgment in the signed cover letter is sufficient. Please also confirm that Offerors are not required to return a signed copy of the entire RFP.

A37 Offerors must upload sign copies of each Addendum. A signed copy of the entire RFP is not required.

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Q38 Please confirm that Attachments A, C, D, E, and F are the only Part G attachments that must be completed and returned with a Proposal. Please also confirm that the omission of Attachment B is intentional and that Attachment G, the No Response Form, and Attachment H, the City-provided trip data, should not be returned by Offerors submitting a Proposal.

A38 Yes, Attachments A, C, D, E, and F are the only Part G attachments required.

Omission of Attachment B is intentional and Attachment G, the No Response Form, and Attachment H, the City-provided trip data, should not be returned by Offerors submitting a Proposal.

Q39 Please clarify the required procedure for identifying proprietary or confidential information. Is a separate redacted public-copy Proposal required, or should protected information only be clearly marked within the submitted Proposal?

A39 Protected information only should be clearly marked within the submitted Proposal.

Q40 Section 12 provides that the City does not guarantee any minimum quantity, hours, level of effort, or volume and may increase, decrease, or eliminate services. If actual service levels materially increase or decrease from the assumptions used in the Contractor's proposal (e.g., ±10%), will the Contractor be permitted to request an equitable adjustment to pricing?

A40 Yes

Q41 Please confirm that a material change in service hours, trip volume, service area, required fleet, staffing levels, or other operating assumptions will constitute a Contract Modification for which the parties may negotiate an appropriate adjustment to pricing and other affected terms.

A41 Yes

Q42 If the City materially reduces or suspends service such that the Contractor's fixed costs cannot reasonably be recovered through the remaining service, will the City permit recovery of reasonable fixed, non-cancelable, or wind-down costs?

A42 If such an event were to occur, the City is willing to negotiate with the vendor to ensure service is closed out appropriately.

Q43 The current contract contemplated different pricing where service hours were shortened or lengthened or the service area changed. Will the City permit similar pricing adjustments under the new Contract?

A43 If the City changes service hours and service area, parties may negotiate an appropriate adjustment to pricing and other affected terms.

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Q44 Section 3 permits the City to suspend, delay, or interrupt performance for its convenience for a period determined by the City. During a City-directed suspension, will the Contractor be compensated for reasonable fixed and unavoidable costs necessary to maintain personnel, vehicles, facilities, insurance, and other resources required to resume service?

A44 Yes

Q45 If a suspension continues for an extended period, will the Contractor have the right to request an equitable adjustment or terminate the affected services without penalty?

A45 Yes

Q46 Please confirm that liquidated damages will apply only where the applicable service failure is directly attributable to the Contractor and will exclude circumstances outside the Contractor's reasonable control, including traffic, weather, emergencies, rider actions, City systems, third-party technology, call center/reservation errors, or other contractors.

A46 Traffic and weather are not excusable circumstances for adjusting liquidated damages. Operators shall be familiar with regional weather and traffic patterns and be prepared to provide reliable service. That being said, acts of terrorism, acts of war, significant software outages, and extreme weather events may be reasons for excusing liquidated damages. Errors on the part of other vendors like call center or scheduling errors will not be attributed to the operations vendor and resulting issues may be excused by the City.

Q47 Please confirm that the same occurrence will not result in multiple or duplicative liquidated damages under both the trip-level and monthly performance provisions.

A47 If multiple liquidated damages could be assessed related to an incident, the City will assess the greater value of the two.

Q48 Will the City agree to an aggregate monthly cap on liquidated damages, such as a percentage of the monthly invoice?

A48 No

Q49 Please clarify the methodology and data source that will control calculation of OTP, missed trips, and other performance measures and whether the Contractor will have access to the underlying data used to assess LDs.

A49 All data will live on the City’s Spare Labs Inc platform. The vendor will have data and data analysis access to the Spare Labs Inc platform and be able to pull the same data used by the City in determining LDs.

Q50 Section 7.8 states that the City has sole authority to determine whether a deficiency occurred or is excusable. Will the City establish a defined appeal process and

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P a g e | 14 deadline under which the Contractor may provide supporting documentation before an LD becomes final?

A50 The City will notify the contractor of LD and if there is a dispute, The vendor has until the next invoice they submit to resolve with the City.

Q51 Will the City provide a reasonable cure/corrective-action opportunity before assessing LDs for systemic staffing, fleet, technology, reporting, or similar deficiencies that are capable of cure?

A51 No, it is the vendor’s responsibility to remain proactive and prevent such instances from occurring before a pattern or practice results in a liquidated damage threshold from being reached.

Q52 Please confirm that LDs are the City's exclusive monetary remedy for the particular performance failure giving rise to the LD and will not be imposed cumulatively with consequential damages or replacement-service costs arising from the same event.

A52 Liquidated damages are the primary monetary remedy but not exclusive, i.e. Part C Section 8.3.

Q53 Will the City permit pricing adjustments outside the annual CPI-U mechanism where

Contractor costs materially increase because of changes in law, wage requirements, insurance costs, fuel costs, vehicle requirements, or other circumstances outside the Contractor's reasonable control?

A53 Yes

Q54 If CPI-U does not reasonably reflect increases in transportation-specific labor, insurance, vehicle, maintenance, or fuel costs, will the City permit the Contractor to submit supporting documentation and negotiate an equitable adjustment?

A54 Yes

Q55 Please confirm that the CPI limitation applies only to ordinary annual escalation and does not limit adjustments resulting from changes in scope, service levels, law, City requirements, or other Contract Modifications.

A55 Yes, the CPI limitation only applies to ordinary annual escalation does not limit adjustments resulting from changes in scope, service levels, law, City requirements, or other Contract Modifications

Q56 If a new or amended federal, state, or local law, regulation, ordinance, governmental mandate, wage requirement, or regulatory interpretation materially increases the cost of providing the Services, will the Contractor be entitled to an equitable price adjustment?

A56 Yes

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Q57 If the parties cannot agree upon an equitable adjustment for a material Change in

Law within a defined period, will the Contractor have the right to terminate the affected services without penalty?

A57 Current termination policy is stated in Part D, Section 44. Any exceptions to the terms and conditions should be noted in your proposal.

Q58 The Contractor may be required to make significant upfront investments in new vehicles and other fleet assets specifically to perform the Contract. Will the City agree to include appropriate IFRIC-related contractual protections supporting the Contractor's accounting treatment of such vehicle investments, including provisions addressing the Contractor's contractual right to payment/recovery of qualifying vehicle investment costs over the Contract term and, where applicable, compensation for the unrecovered portion of such investment if the City terminates, materially reduces, or does not continue the applicable Services before those costs have been fully recovered?

A58 In the event that service is terminated or materially reduced before contract term, the City will work with the vendor to ensure appropriate contract close out.

Q59 Will the City permit the Contractor to identify vehicle acquisition costs separately in its pricing proposal and establish an agreed amortization/recovery schedule for vehicles purchased specifically for this Contract?

A59 Vendors may propose any cost structure for service line 1. Vendors will be assessed by the cost assessment process outlined in the RFP.

The goal of this solicitation is to maintain the high-quality service residents deserve and have been receiving while realizing cost savings. The intent of the vehicle standards is to ensure residents maintain access to well-kept, comfortable, clean, and functional vehicles. If vehicle standards are prohibitive and high-quality service can be maintained with vehicles outside the standards set out in the scope of work, the City may grant a waiver to these standards. Please provide details in your submission as to the cost savings resulting from a waiver and what alterative measure will be in place to ensure clean, comfortable, and well-maintained vehicles.

Q60 If the City requires replacement, additional, or upgraded vehicles after award, will the resulting capital costs be treated as a Contract Modification and reflected through an equitable adjustment?

A60 The vendor is required to maintain a fleet that meets the required age and mileage standards as outlined in the scope of work. If vehicle replacement is required to meet these standards, an adjustment is not allowed, and vendors should propose a pricing structure that builds in these standards and replacement costs. If the City changes these standards during the contract term, then yes, a contract

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P a g e | 16 modification reflecting an equitable adjustment is allowed.

The goal of this solicitation is to maintain the high-quality service residents deserve and have been receiving. The intent of the vehicle standards is to ensure residents maintain access to well-kept, comfortable, clean, and functional vehicles. If vehicle standards are prohibitive and high-quality service can be maintained with vehicles outside the standards set out in the scope of work, the City may grant a waiver to these standards. Please provide details in your submission as to the cost savings resulting from a waiver and what alterative measure will be in place to ensure clean, comfortable, and well-maintained vehicles.

Q61 If the City terminates for convenience or materially reduces the service before the end of the anticipated vehicle recovery period, will the City reimburse the Contractor for reasonably documented and unrecovered vehicle acquisition/financing costs, net of reasonable resale or redeployment value?

Q62 In the event that service is terminated or materially reduced before contract term, the City will work with the vendor to ensure appropriate contract close out.

Q63 Please confirm that the Contract will contain a force majeure provision excusing performance and protecting the Contractor from liquidated damages during events beyond its reasonable control.

A63 Yes, a force majeure provision is in Part D, Section 23.

Q64 Please confirm that force majeure includes severe weather, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, labor strikes (including third-party strikes), epidemics/pandemics, public health emergencies, governmental shutdowns/restrictions, widespread utility or technology failures, and other events beyond the Contractor's reasonable control.

A64 Force majeure provisions are outlined in Part D, Section 23.

Q65 During a force majeure event or City-directed suspension resulting from such event, will the parties equitably address unavoidable fixed costs and the requirements for maintaining service readiness?

A65 Yes

Q66 Will the City permit the Contractor to add or substitute qualified subcontractors during the Contract term with approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed?

A66 Yes

Q67 Please confirm that subcontracting may be used to manage fluctuations in trip volume, peak demand, vehicle availability, and other operational requirements, subject to applicable Contract requirements.

A67 Yes

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Q68 Section 8.2 permits the City to withhold payment for nonconforming or incomplete services. Please confirm that any withholding will be limited to the reasonable value of the specifically disputed services and that undisputed invoice amounts will remain payable when due.

A69 Correct

Q70 Will the Contractor receive written notice identifying the basis and amount of any withholding and a reasonable opportunity to dispute or cure the issue?

A70 Yes

Q71 Please confirm that the City may not offset disputed LDs or other claims against unrelated, undisputed invoice amounts until the applicable dispute process has been completed.

A71 Yes

Q72 Because the Contractor may be making multi-year investments in vehicles, personnel, facilities, and technology, please clarify the anticipated initial Contract term and number of renewal periods.

A72 Please reference the provided RFP documents.

Q73 If renewal options are solely at the City's discretion, will the City provide sufficient advance notice of its decision regarding renewal to allow the Contractor to manage vehicle, facility, personnel, and third-party commitments?

A73 Yes, the City will provide 60-day notice.

Q74 Will the City consider a longer initial term or minimum commitment period where necessary to support competitive pricing and amortization of new vehicle investments?

A74 Yes

Q75 What are the anticipated operating dates, daily hours, estimated number of trips, average trip duration, and average passenger count for the Summer Youth Program?

A75 This past summer service ran from June through August with a total of 65 completed trips. Trip requests contained 14 to 50 passengers. Trips occurred weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Many trips were within City limits and had a travel time under 20 minutes excluding loading and unloading. There were multiple trips each week that traveled to locations outside of city limits to destinations as far as Fredericksburg VA. Longer distance trips departed in the morning and returned mid-afternoon with the vehicle staying in close proximity to the destination. Short distance trips within the city saw the vehicles return to paratransit service or other city sponsored service between trips.

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Q76 Does every School Bus or School Activity Bus proposed have to accommodate at least two wheelchairs, or is it acceptable for the contractor's overall fleet to include enough two-wheelchair-capable vehicles to meet accessible trip demand?

A76 For Service Line 3, the contractor's fleet must have at least 1 vehicle that can transport at least 2 wheelchairs. The vendor’s fleet must be able to meet accessible trip demand.

Q77 How much advance notice will typically be provided for youth field trips and longer-distance Mid-Atlantic trips?

A77 Many youth field trips occur within city limits. Notice the Friday the week before for trips within the City will be provided. For longer distance trips within the mid- Atlantic region, notice will be provided at least seven calendar days before the requested trip.

Q78 What is the anticipated annual number of trips or service hours for Service Line 4, and what has the historical usage been?

A78 The City has not operated service line 4 and does not have historical data. At this time, we have minimal requests for this service with a few trips expected each month to neighboring jurisdictions. We have senior center programing that could potentially travel 1 to 4 times per month for day trips with passenger counts up to 14 per trip. These requests come from one of eleven rec centers that may request these types of trips in the future. Service hours for this service line are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. Based on City programing scheduling, most field trips are likely to occur between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

weekdays. If pricing for different times of day is expected, please call this out in your proposal.

Q79 What does the City consider 'advance notice' when requesting a larger vehicle, and what is the largest vehicle capacity the City anticipates requesting?

A79 The City is willing to work with the awarded vendor for these line items to determine the amount of advanced notice required for larger vehicles. The City could request vehicles up to full size buses seating 45 passengers.

Q80 Can the City clarify what service line items the Call Center operates?

A80 The call center operates service lines 1 and 2. City staff coordinate directly with other departments for Service Lines 3 and 4 with possible admin support from the call center when needed. Service Line 5 is not supported by the call center.

Q81 How often has emergency transportation been activated historically, and what is the typical duration of an activation?

A81 The City has not awarded this line item in the past. Based on the 2025-2026 winter, the City would have activated this service for the late January snow event for 5

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P a g e | 19 days between January 24 and January 29. The intent of this line item is to shuttle employees between provided hotel accommodations and workstations during city emergencies where reasonable travel from employees’ homes cannot be expected.

Q82 Does the City expect contractors to maintain four vehicles and drivers exclusively on standby, or only demonstrate that four can be mobilized when an emergency is declared?

A82 The City expects a vendor to demonstrate that four vehicles can be mobilized when an emergency is declared.

Q83 May vendors include a standby/availability charge or minimum activation period, or must all compensation be based strictly on actual service hours?

A83 Vendors may include a minimum activation period.

Q84 Does the City currently anticipate providing vehicles for Service Lines 3, 4, or 5? If so, how many, what types, and when would they become available?

A84 The City does not currently have any plans to provide vehicles for service line 3 or

4.

The City is willing to work with vendors on vehicle allocation for service line 5.

During the January 2026 snow and ice event, the city used pickup trucks and other 4-wheel drive vehicles pulled from the City fleet to transport employees. It is possible the City will be able to provide vehicles from our existing fleet during an emergency event.

Q85 Does the City expect to make an operating facility available to the successful contractor? If so, what would the facility include, such as parking, dispatch space, vehicle storage, charging, maintenance space, or utilities?

A85 The City is in the planning and evaluation stages of scoping out a facility for this program’s use. The preliminary plan is to scope a space that includes an office suite, access to shared conference rooms, bathrooms, and muster rooms within the departments building, a fenced yard of up to 65 standard parking spaces to accommodate fleet vehicles, and some street parking for office staff. The City does not currently have plans to provide electric vehicle charging facilities or maintenance space on site. Utilities associated with the office space include electricity and internet. This space would not be available when the contract is awarded but could be made available during the contract term.

Q86 Will the City provide training and technical support for Spare Labs, and are there required device specifications for contractor-provided tablets or computers?

A86 The City will work with Spare Labs Inc to ensure appropriate training is provided to any staff.

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The Spare Driver App Requirements:

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