5-06. APPENDIX A- Proposal Questions.docx

APPENDIX A – PROPOSAL APPLICATION QUESTIONS

Instructions to Offerors:

Offerors are required to complete all six parts and attach all mandatory documentation listed. Failure to do so will result in the proposal being rejected.

· Format: Please submit each part in the format provided below. (i.e. Part 1, #1).

· Route Worksheets: Submit a separate copy of Worksheet 6A and Appendix B for each proposed route (Blanding Route and/or Vernal Route).

· Cost Inclusions: All marketing, advertising, timetable printing, and GTFS data feed maintenance expenses must be fully included in the gross cost-per-mile bid rate submitted on Appendix B.

PART 1: OFFEROR INFORMATION and KEY PERSONNEL

· Lead Agency’s/Organization/Firm Name:

· Contact person’s name & title:

· Business Address (Street, City, State, Zip:

· Phone:

· Fax:

· Email:

· Website address:

· Federal Employee ID No.:

· USDOT Registration Number:

· In-Kind Match Partner Carrier (if Applicable):

1. Please check if you are a new or current Offeror with UDOT

· New Offeror

· Current Offeror

2. Provide a brief description of your firm’s or organization’s primary business or mission.

3. Please provide a general description of the current services you provide, including the types of routes operated, e.g. fixed-route, local, intercity, commuter, rural, tourism, and so forth.

4. Please describe the proposed project team structure and internal lines of authority for the personnel involved in the performance of this project. Indicate who within the firm will have primary responsibility and final authority for the services in this proposal. Include key personnel past performance or experience relevant to the projected success of this project.

5. List any potential subcontractors that will be assigned to this project. Provide detailed information on the tasks they would perform, the Offeror’s history with each subcontractor, and the subcontractor’s experience performing the proposed role.

PART 2. EXPERIENCE & PAST PERFORMANCE

1. Firm Experience and Service History: Please describe the experience of your firm or organization in providing passenger transportation services. How many years has your organization provided passenger transportation services? What types of services have been provided—fixed-route, fixed-schedule (local, regional, or intercity), charter, tour, demand-response, limousine, or taxi? Where have you provided these services (service area, routes, etc.) and what are the general service area boundaries? What aspects of these services have been provided by your firm—operation of vehicles, marketing, reservations and ticketing, vehicle maintenance, tour guides, terminal operations, etc.

Please describe the Offeror’s experience in managing programs that include federal and/or state funding and the related requirements.

2. Past and Present Service Contracts: Have any of these services involved coordination with other providers or organizations (such as interline ticketing, use of shared facilities, airport access, terminals, participation in web-based or other shared information systems)? What type of markets does your firm have experience in serving (such as particular charter markets, airport services, commuters, human service trips, regular-route intercity riders, etc.)?

3. Include a list of contracts or grants that the Offeror has managed during the past five years that demonstrate the Offeror’s ability to provide the services requested in the RFP.

4. References: Please provide information on any other relevant experience that demonstrates the Offeror’s qualifications to perform the services requested in the RFP. This could include relevant contract transportation experience, staff experience, or other applicable experience. Please include applicable contract or grant numbers, periods of performance, and client or customer names and contact information. Offeror must include in the response to this section “[Offeror Name] grants permission to UDOT to independently contact these references at UDOT’s convenience”.

5. Please provide information regarding your firm’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) operating authority for interstate passenger transportation

PART 3: FINANCIAL STATUS AND INSURANCE

Offerors must demonstrate the financial capacity to meet UDOT program guidelines. It is imperative that the organization has the ability to absorb costs and continue operations while awaiting UDOT reimbursements and interline revenues, and while managing seasonal variations in revenue. While UDOT processes invoices in a timely manner, incorrect or insufficient documentation can extend this process. UDOT will work with the chosen operator to ensure a clear understanding of invoicing requirements.

In addition, the Offeror who is awarded the contract must be able to obtain and maintain the required insurance. UDOT requires that the services provided in response to this proposal be fully interlined with the national intercity bus network to facilitate the ability of passengers to make trips involving more than one carrier on a single ticket.

Consequently, the selected Offeror will have to provide liability insurance at the levels required by FMCSA for interstate trips (as the contractor will be selling and accepting tickets for interstate trips). The standards vary by size of vehicle: $5 million for vehicles with passenger capacities equal to or exceeding 16 passengers, and $1.5 million for vehicles with passenger capacities between nine and 15 passengers.

Connecting interline carriers may also have additional or different insurance requirements, and the Offeror should contact its potential interline partners or terminal operators to determine their insurance requirements. The Offeror must indicate in the proposal that as a condition of contract award, they will provide proof of insurance from their insurance carrier explicitly identifying the extent of the Offeror’s liability coverage.

1. Financial Statements: Offeror must provide the most recent two (2) years of comparative financial statements or annual reports. Offeror must also provide the name, address, and telephone number of a contact at the Offeror’s principal financing or banking organization.

2. Insurance Coverage: In this section, the Offeror should describe its current insurance coverage levels, and if those do not meet the requirements described above, provide evidence that it has the ability to obtain and keep in force the required insurance. Offeror must provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI) demonstrating coverage, or a signed letter from your insurance underwriter committing to issue required coverage upon contract award.

3. Financial Stability & Accounting System: Provide any other pertinent information that would enable proposal evaluators to determine the stability and financial strength of the organization. Describe the internal accounting system of the Offeror and how it accumulates and summarizes project costs and revenues as it would apply to this project. Would mileage costs be determined based on the firm's or organization’s average costs, and then applied to the miles operated for the project, or would the Offeror accumulate costs specifically for the project in separate accounts? How would revenues from these services be accounted for?

PART 4: MAINTENANCE, SAFETY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS

In this section, Offerors are asked to provide information as requested regarding the maintenance, safety, emergency response and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) practices as they would be applied to the proposed services.

1. Vehicle Maintenance Plan: Describe the Offeror’s vehicle maintenance plan. How often is preventive maintenance performed (i.e., transmission servicing, oil changes, tune-ups, etc.)?

a. What maintenance services are provided in-house and what is outsourced? Are there contracts with local maintenance shops? What are the contract arrangements? How are charges assessed?

b. How does the Offeror keep track of vehicles’ maintenance history? Who reviews repair and expense records? Where are maintenance files kept?

c. Does the Offeror require a pre-trip vehicle inspection? Who performs the inspection? Are the inspection forms kept on file, and if so, where? What procedure is followed if the inspection identifies a problem, and how does the procedure vary with the nature of the problem?

d. Are there established policies or guidelines regarding use of vehicles, loan of vehicles, sign-out of vehicles, accident reporting, etc.? If so, what are they?

2. En-Route Breakdown & Emergency Contingency Plan: Explain, in detail, how the Offeror intends to address service disruptions, such as a vehicle breakdown en route. Describe how passengers will be transferred or otherwise accommodated so they can reach their intended destination or connection safely and in a timely manner, with the least inconvenience possible. Detail protocols for backup replacement vehicles within reasonable timeframes and mandatory passenger care (including food vouchers and overnight lodging for extended delays caused by equipment failure.

a. Describe how the Offeror will provide passenger alerts to communicate significant schedule delays or cancellations due to inclement weather, unexpected high traffic volume, or other unforeseeable emergency situations to customers.

3. Driver Safety and Drug and Alcohol Program: Please describe the Offeror’s driver safety program. Include information about any driver training courses that are required for new drivers, as well as ongoing training. Please also describe how the training is provided, e.g. through consultants or in-house certified trainers

a. Please describe the Offeror’s Drug and Alcohol safety program. Please note if you currently report under FTA or FMCSA offeror must include a copy of your Drug and Alcohol policy and confirm commitment to transition to FTA Part 655 rules.

b. Describe the Offeror’s risk management policy in case of an accident, liability claim, or legal action.

c. Describe the Offeror’s accident history during the past year. List the number and type of accidents, whether there were injuries or property damage, and whether each accident was determined to be preventable or non-preventable. For any preventable accidents, describe the action that was taken? Offeror must also attach certified 2-year safety/accident history record.

4. USDOT Title VI Plan & Civil Rights Acknowledgement: Confirm that Offeror will adhere to UDOT’s Title VI Plan, display UDOT-supplied Title VI passenger notices in all vehicles, and maintain non-discrimination procedures across all operations. Offeror must attach acknowledgement.

5. ADA Accessibility & Reasonable Accommodation: Please describe how the Offeror will meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements applicable to the scheduled intercity service called for in this application. Note that a condition of the contract is that all vehicles used in the service funded with Section 5311(f) must be fully wheelchair accessible, and that operators must be trained to proficiency to operate accessibility features.

The ADA rule is available at https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/civil-rights-ada/part-37- transportation-services-individuals-disabilities.

For additional ADA guidance, view the latest ADA circular here: https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/fta-circulars/americans-disabilities-act-guidance-pdf.

a. Describe Offeror’s driver training on wheelchair lift operation and securement and stop announcements.

b. Describe the Offeror’s policy and/or procedure for the reasonable accommodation of passengers that may not be able to access the on-board restroom in the event that the restroom is not ADA compliant.

PART 5: PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

Answer these questions for each route being submitted.

1. Ridership Projections (Years 1 & 2): Provide initial ridership estimates for both year 1 and year 2 for each route being submitted. Please describe the methodology and reasoning for the estimates. Reference historical baseline study figures (6,373 boardings for Blanding; 2,899 for Vernal).

2. Ability to Meet Performance Standards/Benchmarks: Describe how your organization will manage service operations, route performance, and marketing to achieve or exceed UDOT’s baseline performance benchmarks established in the RFP Scope:

· Minimum 10% Farebox Recovery Ratio

· Maximum $250 Net State Subsidy per Passenger Boarding

· Minimum 0.5 Passenger Boardings per Revenue Hour

· Minimum 90% Monthly On-Time Performance (within 15 minutes of schedule)

a. Detail specific operational tactics, farebox management strategies, and ridership promotion efforts your firm will deploy to increase farebox revenues and control net operating costs over the 2-year contract term.

Note on Performance Benchmarks: The performance benchmarks derived from the 2024 Utah Intercity Bus Study represent annual program evaluation targets used by UDOT to monitor overall corridor health and guide multi-year service planning UDOT recognizes that passenger ridership requires time to develop over the 2-year contract term Failure to meet these specific ridership benchmarks will not result in immediate financial penalties, provided the contractor operates all scheduled service reliably, maintains active marketing outreach, and fulfills all operational and reporting obligations.

3. Proposed Fleet & Vehicle Selection: Provide information on the type of vehicle proposed for each route and explain why the vehicle was selected.

a. Outline the threshold for when additional service may be needed or when an alternative vehicle type may be required.

4. Marketing, Outreach & GTFS Realtime Plan: Detail your pre-service and ongoing marketing strategy. Address: (a) corridor media channels and newspaper/radio/social advertising; (b) physical timetable distribution to universities (BYU, UVU, USU Eastern), medical centers, and transit hubs; (c) digital accessibility compliance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA; (d) commitment to publish and maintain GTFS Realtime schedule feeds; and (e) explicit confirmation that all marketing costs are built into the Appendix B rate. Local Transit Coordination & Shared Terminals: Coordination and partnerships with local public transit providers are strongly encouraged. Please describe any current or proposed efforts to coordinate or partner with providers or carriers on the route(s), including shared stops, intermodal connections, and joint ticketing, etc.

5. Minority, Low-Income & LEP Demographic Outreach: Explain how the Offeror will inform minority individuals, low-income families, and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) populations, and persons with disabilities about the availability of the proposed service in the communities?

a. How will the Offeror provide translation services and bilingual customer support?

6. Public Comment & Complaint Procedures: Describe procedures for collecting public feedback. How does the Offeror provide an opportunity for the public to comment on services? How will members of the public be able to submit comments? How will complaints be addressed?

a. Has the Offeror received any complaints regarding the accessibility of the system in the past year (lifts not working, drivers not announcing stops, etc.). Summarize any accessibility complaints within the past 12 months and their resolution.

7. Information Distribution: How will the Offeror distribute information to riders and the general public about proposed service or fare changes?

8. Communications: Explain how customers can access real-time service information (for example, find out if their trip is delayed or cancelled) or obtain answers to a general customer service question (schedule information, ticket reservations, baggage policy, etc.).

a. Describe the process the Offeror will use to monitor ticket sales and vehicle capacity and how the Offeror plans to add capacity in the event that a trip sells out. How much advance notice will the Offeror require from UDOT regarding a decision to add capacity?

b. Describe the Offeror’s communication plan with UDOT.

Part 6: DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES-PROPOSED PROJECTS In this part of the application, the Offeror should provide additional detail on how it proposes to operate the specified services should it be selected in response to this proposal. As noted in the description above, UDOT is seeking proposals to provide intercity bus services on two separate routes, the Blanding Route and the Vernal Route. The Offeror may elect to propose alternative stops or schedules—but it must make clear in the proposal the parameters of the service that is the basis for its proposal.

In this section, the responses should address the specific route(s) and service that is proposed. Schedules should be entered into for the route in the attached worksheets. If an Offeror submits proposals for both routes, a separate copy of the worksheet should be submitted for each route.

1. Detailed Route Itinerary & Stop Inventory: Route(s) -Although UDOT is requesting applications for particular corridors, please describe in detail the routing that the Offeror plans to use. If the Offeror intends to propose alternative routes, please describe the alternatives.

a. Identify stops by type (bus stop sign at roadside, public transit agency stop, existing local transit provider, or intercity bus provider terminal). To the extent possible, list addresses or intersections where stops are proposed. Note that UDOT will assist the Contractor in identifying exact stop locations and in obtaining the necessary agreements for access and use.

b. Please provide the physical location of connecting points (bus stop, terminal, or station), including proximity of stops of connecting services, to demonstrate that passengers will be able to make a usable and convenient connection to the national intercity bus network.

c. Describe connecting intercity bus services, specifically identifying those that are unsubsidized and may be used in in-kind match calculation., Identify any attached letters of support from the providers of unsubsidized connecting services.

2. Operating Timetables (Worksheet 6A): Using Worksheet 6A (making a separate copy for each proposed route the proposer is submitting), provide the anticipated schedules for the services, including days of the week service will be provided, holiday services (or exceptions), and times at stops for each direction (recognizing need for fine-tuning when operations commence). List the one-way route-miles (revenue-miles) for the proposed service, along with the weekly and annual bus-miles for that route.

a. List other transportation and public transportation providers, including rail, air, or other bus services to which the proposed route will connect. Provide schedules of connecting intercity bus services, demonstrating connection times. Note whether the proposed services will have interline ticketing with connecting intercity bus services, or will require separate fares. If separate fares will apply, attach a copy of the applicable fare schedule information.

3. Sample Passenger Fare Schedule: Please attach and describe the proposed fare structure and the method(s) customers may use to purchase fares. Submit a complete proposed origin-destination fare matrix showing one-way adult fares between all city pairs along the route, along with reduced fare policies (seniors/disabled) and interline ticketing procedures.

a. Describe ticketing procedures, use of the National Bus Ticketing System (NBTS) or other carrier ticketing systems, forms of payment, use of agents/agencies for ticket sales, and how passengers boarding en route (not at staffed stations) will be able to purchase a ticket or pay for transportation.

Scoring Summary

APPENDIX A – PROPOSAL APPLICATION QUESTIONS Page 1 of 2

Worksheet 6A: Route and Schedule

FILL OUT THIS WORKSHEET FOR EACH ROUTE THAT IS BEING SUBMITTED.

Identify all local and national transit connections

Please enter AM or PM

Total One-Way Miles

Total One-Way Miles

Total Route-Trip Miles

Annual Revenue Miles

MANDATORY SUBMITTAL ATTACHMENT CHECKLIST

To ensure proposal responsiveness, Offerors must upload certified PDF copies of all items listed below in their proposal submittal. Omission of any required attachment may result in immediate proposal disqualification.

Item # Mandatory Submittal Document Verification/ File Format

ALSO APPENDIX A, PART 4: MAINTENANCE, SAFETY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS

ALSO APPENDIX A, PART 4: MAINTENANCE, SAFETY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS

(if applicable)