Amendment 1 2024-11025.pdf

February 14, 2025

SPOKANE TRANSIT AUTHORITY

ADDENDUM TO

RFP 2024-11025 – DATA FEED & CUSTOMER INFORMATION IMPROVEMENTS

AMENDMENT NO. 1

Amendment 1 consists of this cover page and one (1) attachment:

- Responses to Questions and Requests for Approved Equals, Clarifications, or Changes This Addendum is hereby made a part of the RFP document to the same extent as though it were originally included therein. All Proposers shall acknowledge receipt and understanding of this addendum by completing the information required on Attachment A, Proposal Response Form, and returning the signed page with their proposal on or before the proposal due date.

Jennifer Anderson Procurement Coordinator

RFP 2024-11025

Amendment 1 - Questions and Answers

Question

Document Section

Page Number Question STA Response

1 NA NA

We understand that the deadline for written inquiries is 2/17/2025. However, could you kindly confirm if there is a specific cut-off time for submitting these inquiries?

Written inquiries will be accepted as long as they are dated 2/17/2025 (electronically).

2 NA NA

Would it be possible to get a recording of the meeting and a list of attendees?

In order of fairness to all interested parties, the recording and list of attendees will not be made public. Answers to all questions received prior to the cut-off (2/17/2025) will be answered through an Amendment.

3 1.3 5 What's the best process for us to submit questions related to the RFP? And is there a deadline for asking questions (is this the Feb 17th date) and/or for us to receive answers?

STA is committed to providing all prospective Proposers with accurate and consistent information in order to ensure that no Proposer obtains an undue competitive advantage. To this end, from the date this RFP is released through the date of award of a Contract, all communications, questions and inquiries concerning this RFP shall be addressed to janderson@spokanetransit.com. The deadline to submit requests for approved equals, clarifications or changes (including red lines to the Sample Agreement in Independent Word Document) is 2/17/2025. Answers to questions will be provided through an Amendment.

4 NA NA

Was the pre-proposal conference call from 2/6 recorded?

Is it possible for us to watch or get a transcript?

In order of fairness to all interested parties, the transcript will not be made public. Answers to all questions received prior to the cut-off (2/17/2025) will be answered through an Amendment.

5 NA NA

When will questions from vendors be available or published for review?

Upon issuance of an Amendment, prior to bid due date.

6 NA NA

If we send our written questions by EOD Monday, when could they be answered?

Questions and requests for clarification received prior to the cut-off will be addressed through an Amendment.

7 NA NA Is there an incumbent vendor? No

8 NA NA

Does STA already have an overall systems architecture and list of 3rd party technologies that is preferred? If so, may we get a list of such technologies?

STA utlizes systems from Trapeze for route, runcutting, and operations. We utilize a CAD/AVL system from Vontas that produces our GTFS-R file. We also utilize Cradlepoint routers for mobile data transmission from our vehicles. We make GTFS-R available via URL from our website Spokanetransit.com which is hosted in AWS. We have no preference regarding on-premise/cloud/SaaS for the solution hosting as we buy functionality first and hosting models based on cost/benefit.

Question

Document Section

Page Number Question STA Response

9 SOW NA

Can some of the systems integration work be done outside of the US? In other words, will offshore and/or nearshore resources be allowed to work on the project?

STA requires domestic support.

10 SOW NA

Are all 5 previous project references required to be in Transportation? Could some of them rather be focused on complex system integrations and customer experience improvements, etc.?

We would prefer the majority be in transportation since our primary focus is the use of the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) feed and improved data reliability to customers bus arrival time, which requires a deep understanding of GTFS data

11 NA NA

Can you clarify when questions will be answered if they're submitted after the 14th but ahead of the 17th deadline?

Questions and requests for clarification received after Amendment 1 is published but meeting the cut-off of 2/17/2025, will be answered through Amendment 2.

12 NA NA

Please clarify what you're using currently for publishing service alerts feeds.

We cause all cancellations and detours to occur in our Vontas On-Route CAD/AVL system that passes them to the GTFS-R feeds. We have also mined On-Route data directly for customer notifications systems. We prefer your solutions obtain service alerts via GTFS-R.

13 NA NA

a) Do you have a tool that publishes a GTFS real time service alert speed like what Google Maps or transit app would consume? Or do you currently have a tool that dispatchers or service planners or communications or someone uses to create alerts like in that data standard or if you do not currently one.

b) Is any change to that part of your scope currently?

a) We cause all cancellations and detours to occur in our Vontas On-Route CAD/AVL system that passes them to the GTFS-R feeds. We have also mined On-Route data directly for customer notifications systems. We prefer your solutions obtain service alerts via GTFS-R.

b) It states in the RFP that we're looking for someone who can integrate in with our current system.

14 SOW NA

a) Please clarify is meant in the RFP by "translation" regarding wanting things available in passengers' preferred languages.

b) Do you want those translations to be only in the app of the selected proposer or would you want those also in any other apps where your alerts appear, for example, if you choose someone other than Google Maps through this process, would you want translated alerts in Google Maps and out via your text and emails on all channels?

a) We're looking for translation of accessibility for various languages. For Title 6, it's preferred (not required) that we want to be able to translate the alerts into different languages, particularly our six safe harbor languages:

Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Tagalog, Arabic, and Vietnamese.

b) Yes, all channels. Our preference is that when an alert is generated it is generated in the language that the customer is accessing, and also generating an SMS text string also in that language. Same thing with the detours and cancellations. We want to be able to post that on our website already translated into those languages.

Question

Document Section

Page Number Question STA Response

15 NA NA

It looks like from the scope that there's no intention to change the methodology like that the in house built system for sending out texts and emails, but that system doesn't currently have that capability to let writers subscribe based on their language preference, correct?

Currently, the expectation is that we would still be using our in house built system to be sending out those SMS text strings, with the desire to have a mobile application that would have those push notifications within it so we wouldn't need to do that piece anymore. We're putting out this solicitation to see what options are available out there.

16 SOW NA Please clarify "string" vs "feed."

In reviewing the SOW, we inadvertently used the word "data string" instead of "text string." We are asking for a "text string" to use in our system.

17 NA NA

It appears your ideal solution would leverage a SAS platform or an existing application that's already in production and sort of tried and true versus a full custom build.

We believe there's something out there that would fit our needs that is already in existence and wouldn't have to be a fully customized solution, but we're not excluding any options at this point.

18 NA NA

Is this a full CAD AVL procurement or are you parting out certain aspects of what would normally be seen as belonging to a CAD AVL function?

It's not an intent to procure new CAD AVL software, but the intent is to utilize our existing CAD AVL software or potentially enhance the CAD AVL feed as part of the trip planning function to have some predictive analysis as part of it.

19 NA NA

Have you considered just using SMS to do the whole planning as the super micro easy app instead of building this a full-fledged Android or iOS application and then maintaining that?

We're looking for a mobile application knowing that's been a desire from our customers with various options.

20 NA NA

Would you be willing to award pieces of the solicitation to multiple vendors?

Our preference would be that in the end, we get all that we requested, and that if your company could only provide part of the proposal, we would hope that you would partner with someone that could provide the other parts and submit a proposal together.

21 NA NA Is there a specific budget for this project?

We are looking to get a solution that meets the needs of our customers, and while price is a factor and is part of our consideration, we don't want to constrain ourselves in regards to price.

22 NA NA Is there a timeframe for this project?

We're hoping to have a contract in place by May and implement as soon as possible after that. That's why we're looking for something that's already built so we can deliver and and get it out as soon as possible.