27-12-TAP Addendum 1.pdf

ADDENDUM #1

CITY OF SALEM IFB 27-12-TAP

ON DEMAND RIDESHARE SERVICE

AUGUST 26, 2026

New Attachment New Attachment A: Federal contract supplement New Attachment B: Service Operation New Attachment C: Rider Growth New Attachment D: Rider Experience New Attachment E: Service Operation Visualization

Vendor Q&A

1. Can we request at least a two-week extension to the proposal submission deadline for the referenced

RFP?

No, due to the expiration of the current contract and the timing of funding opportunities, extensions are impossible.

2. Award occurs within 45 days of August 31, 2026, targeting an October 1, 2026 launch. Assuming the contract execution occurs during the latter half of September, will the City accommodate a phased operational ramp-up period to ensure full vehicle acquisition, C.O.R.I. checks, and driver sensitivity training prior to full service launch?

The City will work with the selected vendor on a reasonable launch window given the constraints of award time, new vendor onboarding, etc.. However, continuity of operation is important to the City and an October 1 launch date is our goal and expectation.

3. The price proposal calculates the initial contract as nine monthly payments, while page 17 states that the $1 million budget covers eight months through June 2027. Please confirm the initial contract length and the maximum available compensation.

The initial contract length will depend on the winning price proposal and available funding, but the City anticipates it covering nine months (October 2026-June 2027). The reference to “eight months” is a typographical error.

4. Please provide the current Via contract, including its pricing schedule, amendments, extensions, and current operating plan.

The files may be viewed here:

https://cityofsalem1-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/adelaney_salem_com/IgD- SWzvDnCWS4rjvOrZPNQSAWQShGXQDocKlLAn0q3oOac?e=3lJikT

5. Please provide the current fleet composition, including vehicle types, passenger capacities, fuel types, and the number of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

Currently, the Skipper uses six conventional five-passenger vans, including two accessible vehicles. Fuel type is not specified in the current contract.

6. Please provide monthly operational data for the most recent 12 months.

Please see new attachment B through E for all data currently available for the previous 12 months.

answer

7. Are rider fares retained by the contractor, remitted to the City, or credited against the City’s monthly payment? Please also provide monthly fare revenue for the most recent 12 months.

Fares are retained by the contractor.

8. Should proposers maintain the current fare structure, or may they recommend different fares based on rider type, time of day, residency, or other factors?

The vendor may propose different fares.

https://cityofsalem1-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/adelaney_salem_com/IgD-SWzvDnCWS4rjvOrZPNQSAWQShGXQDocKlLAn0q3oOac?e=3lJikT https://cityofsalem1-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/adelaney_salem_com/IgD-SWzvDnCWS4rjvOrZPNQSAWQShGXQDocKlLAn0q3oOac?e=3lJikT

9. Does the City own the Salem Skipper name, branding, telephone number, rider accounts, trip history, service-node information, and other data currently maintained by Via? What information will be transferred to an incoming contractor? Are there minimum required marketing spend thresholds?

The Salem Skipper name and branding are owned by the City. The phone number is owned by the current vendor. Rider account information is transferrable. There is no minimum required marketing spend.

10. May the selected contractor use its own booking and dispatch platform under the Salem Skipper brand, and will the City assist with transitioning existing riders to a new application and customer-service number?

The selected vendor is expected to use its own booking and dispatch platform. Vendor should specify what assistance they require from the City as part of starting up their service.

11. Please provide the current service-area map and list of virtual stops or nodes, including the percentage of trips currently provided door-to-door rather than node-to-node. How many zones does the service operate currently?

The current service area is the entire City of Salem. There is only one zone.

12. Please confirm the required supplier-diversity percentage and identify which subcontracted expenses -such as fuel, maintenance, customer service, translation, technology, or vehicle procurement - may count toward that commitment.

Vendor shall make a commitment to a certain supplier diversity spend percentage. Please consult federal rules or your own legal counsel for eligibility requirements.

13. May proposers include clearly defined operating assumptions and optional unit pricing for additional vehicles, vehicle-hours, extended hours, or other service expansions? Please also clarify whether the proposed monthly price must remain fixed through June 2028 because the price form does not provide a July 2027 escalation line.

Your proposal should identify any operating assumptions, but the City cannot accept any conditional bids.

Pricing for services outside the defined scope of work will and must be disregarded under the law. The first price increase allowed under the contract is in July 2028.

14. Would the City of Salem consider a rideshare model using non-dedicated Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Lyft or Uber if it delivers 25-50% savings in cost per trip?

The question is unclear. The evaluation of proposals under this RFP will take into account numerous criteria as well as price.

15. May the wheelchair-accessible/WAVE portion of the service be subcontracted to a qualified wheelchair transportation provider?

Yes. Proposals should identify any proposed subcontracting partners.

16. Does the City have a fixed rate reimbursement schedule, or compensation method for wheelchair-accessible trips, or whether MFT would submit its own rate to the prime contractor?

This question seems to misunderstand the RFP. There are no filed sub-contractor opportunities in this

RFP.

17. Is wheelchair service paid per trip, per mile, hourly, by availability/standby fee, or through some other method?

The wheelchair service is not separately paid from non-wheelchair service. Your price proposal should be comprehensive of all services required in the RFP.

18. Must the wheelchair subcontractor keep a dedicated vehicle and driver physically positioned in Salem during service hours, and what response-time requirement applies when a wheelchair trip is requested?

Vendor shall ensure a percentage of wheelchair accessible vehicles is operating during our service hours to meet demand.

19. Is there any requirement that the wheelchair driver live in Salem or Massachusetts?

There is no residency requirement for any driver.

20. Is more than one wheelchair-accessible vehicle or driver expected to be available at the same time?

WAV ride demand is about one percent (1%) of all ride requests; 1 to 2 WAV per shift is required.

21. Are there any specific licensing, insurance, vehicle, driver-training, background-check, ADA/WAVE, or local-registration requirements that would apply to a wheelchair transportation subcontractor?

The same requirements apply to all drivers and vehicles.

22. Is there a separate federal contract supplement or other required attachment that a subcontractor should review?

Please see new attachment A.

23. What is the current cost per trip?

The current cost is $2/ride ($1 for students, seniors, and accessible rides) before 7pm and $3 after.

24. The RFP states a recommendation for locations to service, are there proposed or a list of locations Salem has identified?

No. The City asks that the vendor propose such a list in its technical proposal.

25. Do you require interconnectivity to fixed routes in the area, such as first mile, last mile?

This is not a requirement of the RFP.

26. Will Salem conduct in-person interviews/shortlist presentations prior to awarding?

No.

27. Why is Salem looking to replace Via? Are there features/functionality you are looking for in the new system, or is it more based on a contract end date?

This question misunderstands Massachusetts procurement regulations. The previous contract is expiring.

A new procurement must be conducted.

All other terms and conditions are unchanged at this time.