ATL 026_002 RFP.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

To Provide

TRANSIT OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES

For ATLANTA-REGION TRANSIT LINK AUTHORITY and GWINNETT

COUNTY

ATL SOLICITATION # 26-002

TECHNICAL AND PRICE PROPOSALS DUE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2025 AT 2:00 P.M.

Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority

245 Peachtree Center Avenue, Suite 2300 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 ii

Schedule of Events The schedule of events is provided below. Please note the schedule may be amended at any time at the discretion of ATL. The times contained throughout this solicitation represent local Atlanta, Georgia Eastern Standard (EST) time.

Solicitation Event Date Time

Issuance of RFP Friday, September 19, 2025

Virtual Pre-Bid Meeting Tuesday, September 30, 2025 10:00 A.M.

Round 1 Deadline for Submitting Questions Thursday, October 9, 2025 2:00 P.M.

Posting Official Answers Friday, October 17, 2025 2:00 P.M.

South Facility Site Visit Saturday, October 18, 2025 10:00 A.M.

North Facility Site Visit Saturday, October 18, 2025 2:00 P.M.

Round 2 Deadline for Submitting Questions Friday, October 24, 2025 2:00 P.M.

Posting Official Answers Friday, October 31, 2025 2:00 P.M.

Technical and Price Proposal Due Date Wednesday, November 19, 2025 2:00 P.M.

Oral Presentations/Interviews (Optional) Monday, December 1, 2025 - Friday, December 5, 2025 TBD

Anticipated Notice of Intent to Award (NOIA) Friday, December 19, 2025

Anticipated Contract Award January/February 2026

Anticipated Service Start Date Wednesday, July 1, 2026 iii

Table of Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations

Definitions

1 General Information

1.1 Purpose of Procurement

1.2 Cooperative Clause

1.3 Scope of Services Organization

1.4 Type and Term of Contract

1.5 Federal Participation in Contract

1.6 Restrictions on Communications with ATL and the County

1.7 Contact Information

1.8 Virtual Pre-Bid Meeting

2 Solicitation Terms and Conditions/Instructions to Proposers

2.1 Deadline for Submission of Proposals/Late Proposals

2.2 Format of Proposals

2.3 Location for Submission of Proposals/Methods of Delivery

2.4 Questions

2.5 Amendments to the Solicitation (Addenda)

2.6 Single Response to the Solicitation

2.7 Confidential/Proprietary Information

2.8 Reserved Rights

2.9 Protest Procedures

2.10 Minority Business Participation

2.11 Small Business Participation

iv

2.12 Ethical Standards

2.13 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Guidelines

2.14 Mandatory FTA Clauses

2.14.1 Access to Records and Reports

2.14.2 ADA

2.14.3 Charter Service

2.14.4 Changes to Federal Requirements

2.14.5 Civil Rights Laws and Regulations

2.14.6 Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act

2.14.7 Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act

2.14.8 Debarment And Suspension

2.14.9 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)

2.14.10 Energy Conservation

2.14.11 Fly America

2.14.12 Incorporation Of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Terms

2.14.13 No Government Obligation to Third Parties

2.14.14 Notice To FTA and U.S. DOT Inspector General of Information Related to Fraud, Waste, Abuse, Or Other Legal Matters

2.14.15 Program Fraud and False or Fraudulent Statements and Related Acts

2.14.16 Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment

2.14.17 Public Transportation Employee Protective Arrangements

2.14.18 Prompt Payment

2.14.19 Restrictions on Lobbying

2.14.20 Safe Operation of Motor Vehicles

2.14.21 School Bus Operations

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2.14.22 Simplified Acquisition Threshold

2.14.23 Solid Wastes (Recovered Materials)

2.14.24 Special Notification Requirements for States

2.14.25 Substance Abuse Requirements

2.14.26 Termination

2.14.27 Violation and Breach of Contract

2.14.28 Conformance with its National Architecture

2.14.29 Federal Tax Liability and Recent Felony Convictions

2.14.30 Severability

2.14.31 Trafficking in Persons

2.15 Contractual Relationships

2.16 Proposal Withdrawal and/or Revision Following Submission

2.17 Proposer Conflicts of Interest

2.18 Contractual Provisions

2.19 Registered Lobbyists

2.20 Responsibility for Compliance with Legal Requirements

2.21 Conditional Proposals

2.22 Period that Proposals Remain Valid

2.23 ATL and the County’s Right to Request Additional Information-Contractor Responsibility .

2.24 Sales and Use Taxes

2.25 Proposal Preparation Costs

2.26 Placeholders

2.27 No Geographic Preference

2.28 Modification of Proposals

3 Contents of a Complete Proposal vi

3.1 Complete Proposal Checklist

3.2 Proposal Letter

3.3 Acknowledgement of Addenda to RFP

3.4 Proposer Information Form

3.5 Proposer Certifications

3.6 Technical Proposal (60 pages)

3.6.1 Cover Letter (1 Page)

3.6.2 Company Overview (2 Pages)

3.6.3 Qualifications and Key Personnel (Up to 25 Pages)

3.6.4 Approach to Providing Services (Up to 32 Pages)

3.6.5 Price Proposal (Not included in page limit)

3.6.6 Appendices (Not included in page limit)

3.7 Contractor Affidavit under O.C.G.A. § 13-10-91(b)(1)

3.8 Sub-Contractor Affidavit

3.9 Sub Subcontractor Affidavit

3.10 Subcontractor and DBE Listing Form

3.11 Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension

3.12 Certification Regarding Lobbying

3.13 Non-Collusion Affidavit

3.14 Anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Against Israel Certification

3.15 Statement of Responsibility Certification

3.16 Sales and Use Tax Compliance Form

3.17 Bid Bonds

3.18 Performance Bond

3.19 Payment Bond

3.20 Task Order Proposals

vii

4 Proposal Evaluation and Contract Award

4.1 Determination of Responsiveness

4.2 Evaluation of Proposals

4.3 Proposal Evaluation Criteria

4.4 Contract Negotiations and Award

5 ATL Xpress

5.1 Service Summary

5.2 Contractor/Client Service Responsibilities

5.2.1 Contractor Responsibilities

5.2.2 Client (ATL) Responsibilities

5.3 Operations

5.3.1 Commuter Service

5.3.2 Use of Vehicles/ATL Assets

5.3.3 Modifications and Service Changes

5.3.4 Charter Exempt Service

5.3.5 Facilities

5.3.6 Use of Vehicles/ATL Assets

5.3.7 ADA Requirements

5.4 Maintenance

5.4.1 Maintenance Records

5.4.2 Vehicles

5.4.3 ATL Technology Systems

5.4.4 Maintenance Liabilities

5.5 Safety

5.5.1 Security and Emergency Management

5.5.2 Safety Risk Management Process

viii

5.5.3 Employee Assault Reduction Program

5.5.4 Internal Safety Assurance Process

5.5.5 Safety Performance Targets and KPIs

5.5.6 Safety Event Investigation and Management Program

5.5.7 Compliance with Regulations and Standards

5.5.8 Standard Operating Procedures

5.6 Wages and Policies

5.7 Passenger Information

5.7.1 Surveys

5.8 Quality Management Plan

5.8.1 Standard Operating Procedures

5.8.2 Performance Standards

6 Ride Gwinnett

6.1 Service Summary

6.2 Contractor/Client Responsibilities

6.2.1 Contractor Responsibilities

6.2.2 Client (the County) Responsibilities

6.3 Operations

6.3.1 Use of Vehicles/the County Assets

6.3.2 Fixed Route

6.3.3 On Demand

6.3.4 Modifications and Service Changes

6.3.5 Special Event Service

6.4 Maintenance

6.4.1 Maintenance Records

6.4.2 Maintenance Database

ix

6.4.3 Vehicle

6.4.4 County Technology Systems

6.4.5 Maintenance Equipment Responsibilities

6.4.6 Warranty

6.4.7 Sub-Contracting

6.5 Safety

6.5.1 Security and Emergency Management

6.5.2 Safety Risk Management Process

6.5.3 Employee Assault Reduction Program

6.5.4 Internal Safety Assurance Process

6.5.5 Safety Performance Targets and KPIs

6.5.6 Safety Event Investigation and Management Program

6.5.7 Accident Preventability Determination

6.5.8 Fatigue Management/Hours of Service

6.5.9 Drug and Alcohol Program

6.5.10 Safety Rules

6.6 Wages and Policies

6.7 Passenger Information

6.7.1 Surveys

6.8 Quality Management System

6.8.1 Standard Operating Procedures

6.8.2 Performance Standards

ATL and Gwinnett County Joint Scope

7 Personnel

7.1 Key Personnel

7.2 Other Personnel

x

7.3 49 USC Section 5333(b) Agreement (Formerly Section 13 (c))

7.4 Training

7.5 Uniforms

7.5.1 ATL

7.5.2 Ride Gwinnett

7.6 Employment Opportunity (EEO) Affirmative Action

7.7 Progressive Disciplinary Policy

7.8 ADA Requirements

7.9 Drug and Alcohol Testing

7.10 Maintenance Staff Availability

8 North Facility

8.1 Facilities and Equipment

8.1.1 Equipment Maintenance

8.1.2 Fuel

8.1.3 Facility Operations & Maintenance

9 Reporting

9.1 Initial Required Plans and Documents

9.2 On-Going Reporting Requirements

9.3 Financial Records

9.4 Scheduled Reports

9.4.1 Daily Reporting

9.4.2 Weekly Reporting

9.4.3 Monthly Reporting

9.4.4 Quarterly Reporting

9.4.5 Other Reports

9.4.6 Sub-Contractor Reporting

xi

9.5 Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports

9.6 Vehicle Records and Reports

9.7 Accident/Incident Reports

9.8 National Transit Database Reporting

9.9 Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Report

9.10 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Affirmative Action Report

10 Revenue Collection, Reconciliation, and Deposit

10.1 Cash and Automatic Fare Collection Systems (AFC) Maintenance (ATL)

10.2 Process

11 Turnover/Contract Completion

11.1 General

11.1.1 Pre-Transfer Meeting (Contract Expiration, Termination, or Fleet Adjustment)

11.1.2 Contractor Pre-Initial Turnover Inspection Requirements

11.1.3 Final Turnover Inspection

11.1.4 Final Walk-Through Inspection

11.1.5 Contract Expiration Transfer Schedule

11.1.6 Contract Termination Transfer Schedule

11.1.7 Final Payments

11.1.8 Access

11.1.9 Data

11.1.10 Documents

11.1.11 Substance Testing

11.1.12 Maintenance

11.1.13 Record Retention

11.2 Vehicles

11.3 Facilities and Equipment

xii

12 Turnover/Contract Start

12.1 General

12.1.1 Contract Signing

12.1.2 Pre-Transfer Meeting (Contract Award)

12.1.3 Initial Turnover Meeting (Contract Award)

12.1.4 Intermediate Turnover Meeting (Contract Award)

12.1.5 Final Turnover Inspection (Contract Award)

12.1.6 Final Walk-Through Inspection

12.1.7 Service Start (Contract Award)

12.1.8 Contract Award Transfer Schedule

13 Vehicle Condition at Turnover

13.1 General

14 Price Proposal Forms

15 Attachments

Acronyms and Abbreviations ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act

AFC - Automated Fare Collection

APC - Automatic Passenger Counter

ASE - National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence

ASQ - American Society for Quality

ATL - Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority

AVL - Automated Vehicle Location

AVM - Automatic Vehicle Health Monitoring

BAFO - Best and Final Offer

°C - Degrees Celsius

CAD - Computer Aided Dispatch

CDL - Commercial Driver/Operator’s License

CFR - Code of Federal Regulations

COOP - Continuity of Operation Plan

CM - Corrective Maintenance

CMMS - Computerized Maintenance Management System

CNG - Compressed Natural Gas

CVSA - Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance

DBE - Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

DCC - Driver’s Control Console

DCU - Driver’s Control Unit

DEF - Diesel Exhaust Fluid

DOC Diagnostic Optimized Connection

DPF - Diesel Particulate Filter

DPIM - Dual Power Inverter Module

DVIR - Driver Vehicle Inspection Report

DVR - Digital Video Recorder

EAM - Enterprise Asset Management

EEO - Equal Employment Opportunity

EPA- US Environmental Protection

ESS - Energy Storage System

FBX - Farebox

FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Administration

FRP - Facility Response Plan

FTA - Federal Transit Administration

GCT - Gwinnett County Transit

GCR - Garage Computer System

GDOT - Georgia Department of Transportation

GPS - Global Positioning System

HVAC - Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning

ICS - Incident Command System

ITAM - IT Asset Management

KPI - Key Performance Indicator

LTD - Life to Date

LV - Light Validator

MARTA - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

MDT - Mobile Data Terminal

MPH - Miles Per Hour

MMBF - Mean Miles Between Failures

NIGP - National Institute of Government Purchasing

NTD - National Transit Database

NTP - Notice to Proceed

O.C.G.A. - Official Code of Georgia Annotated

OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer

OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration

PA - Passenger Announcements

PDF - Portable Document Format

PM - Preventive Maintenance

PMI - Preventive Maintenance Inspection

PPE - Personal Protective Equipment

QA - Quality Assurance

RFID - Radio Frequency Identification

RFP- Request for Proposal

SGR - State of Good Repair

SMS - Safety Management System

SOP - Standard Operating Procedure

TPMS Tire Pressure Monitoring System

UCP- Uniform Certification Program

USB - Universal Serial Bus

USDOT - United State Department of Transportation

VIN - Vehicle Identification Number

Definitions Agreement or Contract - the binding Transit System Operations and Maintenance Services Contract entered into with the firm selected as a result of this RFP between ATL and Contractor or County and Contractor, as applicable.

Approved Equal - an alternative component or process that meets or exceeds OEM standards submitted by the Contractor and approved by ATL and/or County.

Business Day - Monday through Friday excluding State or County-recognized holidays as applicable.

Contractor -is the company that undertakes the Contract to perform Services for the County and

ATL.

County or Ride Gwinnett -Gwinnett County, Georgia, a political subdivision of the State of Georgia and is also referred to in this document as the County.

Day(s) - calendar days unless otherwise specified in the Contract as a Business Day.

Deadhead or Deadhead Hours - the hours that a Revenue Vehicle travels when out of Revenue Service and shall include leaving or returning to a maintenance facility or changing routes when there is no expectation of carrying revenue passengers. It shall not include charter service, Operator training or maintenance training.

Fixed Route Local - the County’s local fixed route transit service operating in Gwinnett County.

Hazard – The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) defines a hazard in 49 C.F.R. Part 673.5 as “any real or potential condition that can cause injury, illness, or death; damage to or loss of the facilities, equipment, rolling stock, or infrastructure of a public transportation system; or damage to the environment.” There are many sources within a transit agency to support hazard identification, including the very important reporting of safety concerns by employees. A hazard holds potential that, when triggered, results in a consequence(s) that may cause harm or damage.

The severity of the potential consequence(s) may range from negligible to catastrophic, depending on the nature of the hazard and the operational conditions.

Key Personnel - the personnel that are listed in Section 7.1 of the RFP.

Liquidated Damages - the damages as may accrue and be due and payable by Contractor to ATL or County under their respective Contract for failure to meet the Performance Standards.

Major Service Change - shall have the meaning assigned to it in the applicable in ATL or County Title VI/Service Standards.

Microtransit - the County’s form of demand-response and/or zone-based transit service that offers flexible routing and/or flexible scheduling.

Non-revenue Vehicle - vehicles other than Revenues Vehicles that are used by Contractor to perform the Services.

North Facility - the operations and maintenance facility currently located at 2880 Remington Park Court, Norcross, GA 30071 to be utilized for providing Services to both the County’s and ATL in the Northeast Atlanta-metro area as set forth in this RFP.

North and South Facilities - both the North Facility and the South Facility.

Operator - a person who drives vehicles professionally for the Contractor.

Paratransit - the County’s specialized transportation service providing curb-to-curb shared ride service for eligible persons with disabilities. This service is complementary to the Fixed Route Local service in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Performance Standards - the performance criteria that the Contractor is required to meet as set forth in Sections 5.8.2 and 6.8.2 of the RFP.

Preceding Contractor - the contractor providing transit operations and maintenance services for the ATL and County before the Contractor.

Request for Proposal - Transit System Operations and Maintenance RFP and any addenda thereto.

Road Call – occurs when maintenance or repairs are required for a revenue vehicle that experiences a mechanical failure at a location outside of an operations or maintenance facility.

Revenue Service - when a Revenue Vehicle is available to the general public and there is an expectation of carrying passengers.

Revenue Vehicle - vehicles used by the Contractor to provide Revenue Service.

Services - all labor, materials, equipment, and expertise needed to successfully provide those deliverables described in the RFP.

South Facility - the operations and maintenance facility located at 5250 Frontage Road, Forest Park, GA 30297 to be utilized for providing Services to ATL in the South Atlanta-metro area as set forth in this RFP.

Succeeding Contractor - the contractor chosen to provide transit operations and maintenance services to ATL and the County after the Contractor.

Trip - the complete route for a Revenue Vehicle from starting time to end time as indicated on the corresponding schedule.

Vehicle Revenue Hour - the amount of time a transit vehicle is operating in service to the general public, including time spent carrying passengers as set forth in the current Xpress or County schedules, as applicable, or any revisions thereto, plus or minus adjustments for schedule deviations, trippers or other service level changes as specifically authorized by ATL or County under the applicable Contract.

Xpress -ATL’s commuter (mode) bus service.

Wherever the word including, include, or include is used in the RFP, it shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”.

1 General Information

1.1 Purpose of Procurement

The Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (ATL) and Gwinnett County (the County) are jointly issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to invite competitive sealed bids from qualified and experienced firms to provide comprehensive Transit System Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Services for each entity.

For this contract, ATL operates the Xpress regional commuter bus service, which includes 6 commuter routes out of a shared North Facility with Gwinnett County and 7 commuter routes out of the South Facility. The County’s transit services, offered under Ride Gwinnett, consist of 10 local fixed routes, 3 microtransit zones, and complementary ADA paratransit services operating out of the same North Facility as the ATL, designed to address the mobility needs of Gwinnett County residents.

ATL and the County aim to retain one qualified contractor to operate, maintain, and manage all specified services and related functions outlined in the Scope of Work through this procurement.

The chosen contractor will be responsible for providing all necessary labor, equipment, supplies, tools, safety measures, and any incidental services needed to operate the transit system safely, reliably, and in full compliance with all performance standards, utilizing existing ATL or County-owned revenue vehicles and equipment as specified.

While ATL and the County will each sign separate contracts with the successful Offeror (one for Xpress commuter services and one for Ride Gwinnett’s local bus, microtransit, and paratransit services), both agencies are dedicated to working collaboratively to optimize operational efficiency and cost savings. This team approach aims to leverage shared resources across both systems, including but not limited to shared maintenance and operations facilities, cross-utilized staff and drivers, integrated recruitment and training programs, unified safety and supervision resources, joint procurement of fuel, and coordinated administrative and overhead functions.

ATL and the County encourage Offerors to show how they will implement this unique arrangement to provide seamless service, minimize duplication of effort, and maximize value for the region’s transit riders and taxpayers.

The Services to be performed correspond to the following National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) Operations Control Center #86465, Maintenance and Repair, Industrial Building #90960, Maintenance and Repair, Non-Residential Building #90961, Maintenance and Repair Services, Building (Not Otherwise Classified) #91052, Buses, School and Mass Transit Maintenance and Repair #92824, and Transit Management Services #95891.

A complete copy of the RFP document can be accessed on:

1) Georgia Procurement Registry website at http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp

2) ATL website at: https://atltransit.ga.gov/doing-business-with-atl/

3) Important notifications leading up to the Proposal Submission Deadline will be posted to the same sites

1.2 Cooperative Clause

This RFP is being conducted by the ATL through its Procurement Division. The resulting Master Agreement(s), if any, may be a source for governmental entities not subject to the Georgia State Purchasing Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-5-50 through § 50-5-85) including state authorities and local political subdivisions of the State (such as counties, cities, towns, townships, school districts, and schools) if permitted by those entities own procurement rules and regulations. All entities authorized to utilize the resulting Master Agreement(s) shall be referred to collectively as Authorized Users.

Authorized Users may enter into participation agreements with the awarded contractor based on the Master Agreement for all or specific types of O&M services, including but not limited to vehicle operations, fleet management, fleet maintenance, facility and infrastructure maintenance, technology and systems maintenance, and operational support services. The specific types of O&M services contracted under each participation agreement may vary depending on factors such as the size and complexity of the Authorized User’s transit system and the types of vehicles used.

1.3 Scope of Services Organization

This scope of services is organized by agency to demonstrate the O&M services for the ATL Xpress commuter bus service and the Ride Gwinnett local bus, microtransit, and paratransit service.

While ATL and Gwinnett County will each maintain separate contracts for their respective project components, some shared resources at the North Facility will be outlined separately in this scope.

The contract amounts for the fixed fees and shared resources for each agency will be based on the total number of vehicles operated by each agency at the facilities. For the North Facility, the administrative and non-vehicle maintenance fixed fees splits are thirty percent (30%) for the ATL and seventy percent (70%) Gwinnett County. This proportion should be used to determine each agency’s share of those costs. The South Facility is used exclusively by ATL, and all requirements and costs will be included as part of the ATL pricing. The price proposal template (Attachment 3) includes two separate costs: one for the ATL Xpress commuter bus and one for Ride Gwinnett's local fixed-route bus, microtransit, and paratransit. The shared items are noted separately and added to the respective agency costs as per the split based on the proportion of total vehicles.

http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp https://atltransit.ga.gov/doing-business-with-atl/

1.4 Type and Term of Contract

1) The Contractor shall perform all Services as called for in this RFP and Contract, and as called for in any subsequent amendments for the period of three (3) years as set out in the Contracts.

ATL and the County shall retain the option of renewing the Contract for up to two (2), one-year renewal periods.

2) The Contractor’s price proposal submitted in response to this solicitation will remain in effect in the event ATL and the County exercise any renewal options.

3) Any Contract renewals shall be at the sole discretion of ATL and the County and shall be made in writing and executed by both parties.

1.5 Federal Participation in Contract

The contracts to be awarded as a result of this solicitation shall be financed in part by funds from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) as awarded through programs of its operating administrations, including the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). As such, all FTA requirements governing the use of federal funds are in effect.

1.6 Restrictions on Communications with ATL and the County

1) From the date of issuance of this solicitation through the date of Contract award by ATL, excepting the Hosted site visits and Oral Presentations, Proposers are not allowed to communicate for any reason with any ATL or County staff or Board Members regarding this procurement. All Proposer communications concerning this solicitation should be directed to the Issuing Officer listed below under Contract information. Prohibited communication includes all contact or interaction regarding this solicitation, including, but not limited to, telephonic communications, emails, faxes, letters, texts, or personal meetings. Unauthorized contact regarding this solicitation may result in disqualification.

2) Oral communications regarding this solicitation shall not be considered official communications. Neither ATL nor the County is responsible for any oral statements made by its employees regarding this solicitation. All official communications to and from ATL and/or the County regarding this solicitation shall be transmitted in writing.

1.7 Contact Information

All inquiries, offers, submissions, and/or other correspondence regarding this solicitation (excluding protests submitted in accordance with Section 2.9 below) must be directed in writing to:

Charnele Dobbins, Issuing Officer Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority

245 Peachtree Center Avenue NE Suite 2200

Atlanta, GA 30303 Email: cdobbins@atltransit.ga.gov

1.8 Virtual Pre-Bid Meeting

All prospective proposers are invited to attend the Pre-Proposal Conference, which will be held virtually on Tuesday, September 30 at 10:00 AM EST on Zoom. While attendance is not mandatory, it is highly encouraged.

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device using the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83147374654?pwd=fvr3yh83DIcMvEQ74ByGhBPRtiaFGz.1

2 Solicitation Terms and Conditions/Instructions to Proposers

2.1 Deadline for Submission of Proposals/Late Proposals

1) The times contained throughout this solicitation represent local Atlanta time.

2) Technical Proposals and Price Proposals submitted in response to ATL Solicitation No. 26-002 must be received no later than 2:00 PM on November 19, 2025 to ensure that they are evaluated for contract award by the Evaluation Committee for this procurement. Technical Proposals received after the deadline will not be evaluated.

2.2 Format of Proposals

All proposals must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the proposal format and content requirements specified in this solicitation. Proposals must be typed. The included required forms may be completed by using the free Adobe Reader software available at http://get.adobe.com/reader/. Proposals must be typed in English and all pricing must be provided in US dollars. As a condition of submission responsiveness, all Offer Documents that require the signature of Proposer must be signed. Any Contract award made as a result of this solicitation shall bind the Proposer to all of the terms, conditions, and specifications set forth in this RFP.

Proposer shall submit all technical documents electronically to:

https://www.dropbox.com/request/Hi8xJhCcQctCe7CiQegV?oref=e

Proposers shall submit the price proposal document electronically to:

mailto:cdobbins@atltransit.ga.gov https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus-west-2.protection.sophos.com%2F%3Fd%3Dzoom.us%26u%3DaHR0cHM6Ly91czAyd2ViLnpvb20udXMvai84MzE0NzM3NDY1ND9wd2Q9ZnZyM3loODNESWNNdkVRNzRCeUdoQlBSdGlhRkd6LjE%3D%26p%3Dm%26i%3DNjdhYmFhMWNjN2ViNWE3MWIxMTYzYjJh%26t%3DdFgyMURWZldzK3hIZGppNkRJc3R5dy9nRFc1VG5LVWxZZjJ1aEc3eWt5Yz0%3D%26h%3D494cba8bf8ee4974b18bb504d783b0d1%26s%3DAVNPUEhUT0NFTkNSWVBUSVbfrIgpN79943rqxUvJtCowtluwm17bWErbNbMaR1EBkQ&data=05%7C02%7Ckmote%40modernmobilitypartners.com%7Cb5bc19b7f563474d776008ddf6ee6c7a%7Cf1f7ce188195412681b94998ba98dfff%7C0%7C0%7C638938226122957384%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3Igj8qk%2BrRR3AGuFJQQSwTi%2Bv8oHPdNx%2FfzLzURa9DY%3D&reserved=0 http://get.adobe.com/reader/ https://www.dropbox.com/request/Hi8xJhCcQctCe7CiQegV?oref=e https://www.dropbox.com/request/0Lol52AghtTiha8bHNIn?oref=e

2.3 Location for Submission of Proposals/Methods of Delivery

Proposals must be submitted exclusively to Charnele Dobbins, Issuing Officer at the Dropbox link noted in Section 2.2. It is the sole responsibility of the Proposer to ensure that its proposal is successfully uploaded/delivered to ATL by the specified date and time. ATL is not responsible for late or undelivered proposals.

Proposals that are submitted by hand delivery or delivery by U.S. Postal Service or private courier/delivery service will not be accepted. Digital upload is the Method of Delivery/Submission.

2.4 Questions

The first round of questions regarding the RFP must be submitted to ATL in writing (defined as being sent or received by electronic mail) by 2:00 p.m. (EST) on October 9, 2025. The second round of questions regarding the RFP must be submitted to ATL in writing (defined as being sent or received by electronic mail) by 2:00 p.m. (EST) on October 24, 2025. Written questions must be submitted to the attention of Charnele Dobbins, Issuing Officer, in accordance with Section 1.6 above on Attachment 1– Questions and Answers to cdobbins@atltransit.ga.gov.

All costs associated with complying with the requirements of the Contract shall be included in any pricing submitted by the Proposer.

Please review the RFP and attachments in their entirety and submit any and all questions, clarifications and recommendations to the Issuing Officer by the deadline dates and time specified in this RFP. All questions, clarifications, and recommendations must be submitted using Attachment 1-Questions and Answers Template.

Answers to all questions received by the applicable deadline will be posted to

1) Georgia Procurement Registry website at http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp

2) ATL website at: https://atltransit.ga.gov/doing-business-with-atl/

It is the sole responsibility of the Proposer to make itself aware of ATL’s responses to written questions the Proposer has submitted. Responses to questions are provided as information only and do not in any way alter the contents of the solicitation inclusive of the Scope of Services, the remainder of the RFP documents, or the Contract. Revisions to the solicitation or to the Contract shall be made only via formally issued addenda. Only such written addenda posted online shall constitute revisions to the solicitation.

https://www.dropbox.com/request/0Lol52AghtTiha8bHNIn?oref=e mailto:cdobbins@atltransit.ga.gov

2.5 Amendments to the Solicitation (Addenda)

ATL and the County reserve the right to revise or amend the RFP up to the time set for the submission of proposals. Such revisions and amendments, if any, shall be announced by written addenda to the RFP. Upon issuance, addenda will be considered part of the RFP and will prevail over inconsistent or conflicting provisions contained in the original RFP. Copies of all addenda will be made available for download on

1) Georgia Procurement Registry website at http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp

2) ATL website at: https://atltransit.ga.gov/doing-business-with-atl/

Neither ATL nor the County will be responsible for a potential Proposer failing to receive notification of the availability of addenda. EACH PROPOSER IS INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR

REVIEWING ADDENDUMS AND ANY OTHER POSTED DOCUMENTS AND MAKING ANY

NECESSARY OF APPROPRIATE CHANGES AND/OR ADDITIONAL TO THE PROPOSER’S RESPONSE

BEFORE SUBMISSION. It is the sole responsibility of each potential Proposer to check the ATL and Georgia Procurement Registry websites daily for addenda.

If an addendum significantly changes the RFP, the date set for the submission of proposals may be postponed by such number of days as in the opinion of ATL deems suitable to enable potential Proposers to revise their proposals.

Proposers shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda by completing and submitting Offer Document #3 (Acknowledgement of Addenda to RFP), included in this RFP. As with other required documentation, proposals that fail to reference receipt of addenda by inclusion of Offer Document #3 (Acknowledgement of Addenda) may be excluded from consideration for a Contract award.

2.6 Single Response to the Solicitation

If only one proposal is received in response to this RFP, a detailed cost analysis of the single proposal may be requested of the single Proposer. A cost analysis, evaluation, and/or audit of the proposal may also be performed by ATL and the County in order to determine if the proposal price is fair and reasonable. If ATL and the County determine that a cost analysis is required, the single Proposer must be prepared to provide, upon request, detailed summaries of estimated costs (i.e., labor, equipment, supplies, overhead costs, profit, etc.) and documentation supporting all cost elements.

2.7 Confidential/Proprietary Information

Any and all materials submitted in response to this RFP are subject to public inspection, pursuant to the provisions of O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq., Georgia’s Open Records Act, upon completion of the RFP process. Each Proposer will be responsible for clearly identifying and labeling any records contained in its proposal as "trade secret" that the proposer has reasonably determined meet the definition of "trade secret" under Section 10-1-761(4) of the Georgia Code and that the proposer wishes to be exempt from disclosure under Section 50-18-72(a)(34) of the Georgia Code or any other applicable law. The Proposer must attach to its proposal an affidavit affirmatively declaring that specific information in the Records constitutes trade secrets pursuant to Article 27 of Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the Georgia Code.

If ATL receives a request for public disclosure of all or any portion of the materials identified as "trade secrets" in a proposal in accordance with this RFP, before producing such records in response to such request, ATL shall notify the Proposer of its intention to produce such records. If ATL makes a determination that the specifically identified information does not in fact constitute a trade secret, it shall notify the Proposer of its intent to disclose the information within ten (10) Days unless prohibited from doing so by an appropriate court order. If the Proposer wishes to prevent disclosure of the requested Records, the Proposer may file an action in Fulton County Superior Court to obtain an order that the requested records are trade secrets exempt from disclosure. The Proposer shall serve the requestor with a copy of its court filing. If ATL makes a determination that the specifically identified information does constitute a trade secret, ATL shall withhold the records, and the requester may file an action in Fulton County Superior Court to obtain an order that the requested records are not trade secrets and are subject to disclosure.

Proposers are advised that their designation as "trade secret" will not be binding on ATL or determinative of any issue relating to confidentiality. ATL will not accept blanket designations that do not clearly identify information and materials that are "trade secrets". ATL may, in its sole discretion, and subject to compliance with the Open Records Laws and other applicable law, treat the whole of the relevant Section(s)/document(s) that are subject to such a blanket designation as subject to disclosure pursuant to the Open Records Laws.

All material submitted regarding the RFP becomes the property of ATL and the County. Any activity pursuant to this RFP by any Proposer is governed by all applicable laws, including without limitation, Georgia and Federal antitrust laws. Neither ATL nor the County is responsible to return to a Proposer any or all of the proposal or other information furnished by that Proposer.

In no event will the State, ATL, the County or any of their agents, representatives, consultants, directors, officers or employees be liable to a Proposer or subcontractor for the disclosure of all or a portion of any proposal submitted in response to this RFP.

Nothing contained in this provision shall modify or amend requirements and obligations imposed on ATL or any other State entity or the County by the Open Records Laws or other applicable law, and the provisions of the Open Records Laws or other laws shall control if there is a conflict between the procedures described above and the applicable law.

2.8 Reserved Rights

In connection with this solicitation, ATL reserves to itself all rights (which rights are exercisable by ATL in its sole discretion) available to it under its Procurement Policy and applicable law, including without limitation, with or without cause, and with or without notice, the right to:

1) modify the procurement process or documentation described in this RFP;

2) develop the project in any manner that it, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or desirable, including by modifying the scope of the project;

3) cancel this RFP, or a subsequent RFP, in whole or in part at any time before the execution by

ATL of the Contract, without incurring any cost obligations or liabilities except as otherwise expressly stated in this RFP or the subsequent RFP;

4) issue a new request for proposals after cancellation of this RFP or a subsequent RFP;

5) not issue an RFP;

6) reject any and all submittals, responses, and proposals at any time;

7) reject any and all proposals or any portion of a specific proposal for any reason;

8) modify all dates set or projected in this RFP;

9) terminate evaluations of proposals at any time;

10) issue amendments, supplements, and modifications to this RFP;

11) appoint Evaluation Committees to review proposals, and seek the assistance of outside technical experts and consultants in Proposal evaluation;

12) make independent calculations with respect to numbers and calculations submitted in a

Proposal for purposes of its evaluation;

13) revise the evaluation criteria or methodology by issuing an amendment before the Proposal

Submission Deadline;

14) require confirmation of information furnished by a Proposer, require additional information from a Proposer concerning its proposal and require additional evidence of qualifications or ability to perform the work described in this RFP;

15) Down-select to one or multiple Proposers or add additional down-selection phases;

16) seek or obtain data from any source that has the potential to improve the understanding and evaluation of the responses to this RFP;

17) add or delete Proposer responsibilities from the information contained in this RFP;

18) negotiate with one or more Proposers without ATL being bound by any provision of a Proposer's proposal or subsequent Proposal;

19) negotiate contract terms contemporaneously and /or subsequently with any number of proposers as ATL and the County deems to be in their best interests.

20) waive administrative or minor deficiencies in a Proposal, accept and review a non-conforming proposal or permit clarifications or supplements to a Proposal;

21) disqualify any Proposer who changes its proposal without ATL approval;

22) disqualify any Proposer from the procurement process for violating any rules or requirements of the procurement specified in this RFP, the RFP, applicable law, or any other communication from ATL or the County;

23) add to the shortlist of Proposers any Proposer that submitted a Proposal in order to replace a Shortlisted Proposer that withdraws or is disqualified from participation in this procurement;

24) (as and solely to the extent applicable) adjust the terms of, or not pursue federal financing programs, or adjust the terms of, or not pursue other financing or public funding for the Project on behalf of the Proposers, or otherwise;

25) develop some or all of the Project itself or through another state or local government entity or entities;

26) disclose information submitted to ATL and the County as permitted by applicable law or this

RFP;

27) exercise any other right reserved or afforded to ATL or the County under this RFP or a subsequent RFP and applicable law; and

28) exercise its discretion in relation to the matters that are the subject of this RFP as it considers necessary or expedient in light of all circumstances prevailing at the time that ATL considers to be relevant.

This RFP does not commit ATL or the County to enter into the Contracts or proceed with the procurement described in this RFP. ATL, the County, and the State assume no obligations, responsibilities or liabilities, fiscal or otherwise, to reimburse all or part of the costs incurred or alleged to have been incurred by parties considering a response to or responding to this RFP, or any subsequent RFP. All such costs shall be borne solely by each Proposer.

Except as provided in this RFP, in no event will ATL or the County be bound by, or liable for, any obligations with respect to the Project until such time (if at all) as the Contract has been authorized by ATL and executed by ATL or the County and, then, only to the extent provided in the Contract. No Proposer shall have any cause of action against ATL or the County arising out of the methods by which proposals are evaluated.

ATL and the County has the sole right to select the successful proposal(s) for contract award(s); to split a contract where allowable; to cancel the solicitation and to advertise for new proposals; to award a contract(s) to other than the Proposer submitting the lowest price proposal; to award multiple contracts; or not to award a contract as a result of this RFP.

ATL and the County reserves the right to accept any proposal deemed to be in the best interest of ATL and the County and to waive any irregularity or informality in any proposal that does not prejudice ATL or the County or other Proposers.

ATL and the County reserve the right to negotiate with the Proposer whose proposal is considered by ATL and the County, and in its sole discretion, to be most advantageous to ATL and the County.

2.9 Protest Procedures

Proposers should familiarize themselves with the procedures set forth on ATL’s website, which is accessible here: https://atltransit.ga.gov/doing-business-with-atl/

2.10 Minority Business Participation

ATL is committed to carrying out all applicable requirements as contained in 49 CFR Part 26, “Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Department of Transportation Programs” and continues to encourage DBE participation in all ATL contracting opportunities. To provide our services, we rely on a broad range of contractors and suppliers who work with us through the procurement process. The goods and services we purchase are crucial to providing safe, reliable transportation for our customers. Goods and services purchased by ATL are limited however, we encourage small businesses owned by minorities and women to pursue contracts to compete for ATL business. To make it easier for you to do business with ATL, we’ve prepared this website area to explain our procurement process system, and let you know how we select our vendors.

The requirements of 49 CFR Part 26, Regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, apply to this solicitation and resulting Contract. It is ATL and the County’s policy to practice nondiscrimination based on age, disability, race, gender, color, sex, religion or national origin in the award or performance of this Contract. All companies qualifying under this solicitation are encouraged to submit proposals. The requirements of this solicitation apply for all Proposers, including those who qualify as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). Proposers with questions regarding DBE certification may contact the Issuing Officer.

The ATL has a DBE goal of 6.375% as the DBE goal for this Contract. The County has a DBE goal of 6.71% for this Contract.

Contractor may meet the DBE goals through prime or subcontract work. The selected Contractor will be expected to assist the ATL and the County in meeting its respective DBE obligations throughout the period of performance under this Contract. Both ATL and the County shall require compliance from the selected Contractor. Each Proposer shall disclose its plan for meeting ATL’s and the County’s DBEs goal when submitting the proposal and identify the DBE firm or firms in accordance with the Offer Document #10.

A DBE Directory identifying all firms eligible to participate as DBEs is maintained by the Georgia Department of Transportation (Georgia DOT) in relation to the Uniform Certification Program (UCP). Proposer or subcontractors seeking to participate as DBEs must be certified at the time of proposal submittal.

To access the Georgia DOT DBE Directory, please visit:

https://www.dot.ga.gov/GDOT/pages/DBE.aspx.

The status of a company as a DBE is subject to change. Proposer shall be solely responsible for reviewing and utilizing the most current version of the DBE Directory to ensure that any company listed in its proposal is a certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise at the time of proposal submission. Failure to list certified DBE Participants in the proposal may subject the proposal to be disqualification.

As an incentive to increase utilization of minority-owned businesses as subcontractors on State purchases, the State of Georgia provides for an income tax adjustment on the state tax return of any company that subcontracts with a State certified minority-owned firm to furnish goods, property, or services to the State of Georgia. The Tax Incentive Program is codified at O.C.G.A. §48- 7-38 and is managed by the Georgia Department of Revenue.

2.11 Small Business Participation

ATL and the County strongly support the participation of small business owners in its contracts. It is the policy of the ATL and the County to ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of USDOT- assisted contracts.

2.12 Ethical Standards

It is a breach of ethical standards for any ATL or County employee to participate directly or indirectly in a procurement when the employee knows:

1) The employee or any member of the employee’s immediate family has a financial interest pertaining to the procurement;

2) A business or organization in which the employee, or any member of the employee’s immediate family, has a financial interest pertaining to the procurement; or

3) Any other person, business or organization with whom the employee or any member of employee’s immediate family is negotiating or has an arrangement concerning prospective employment is involved in the procurement.

ATL employees are also bound by the Georgia Governor’s Executive Order, dated April 1, 2021, for “Establishing a Code of Ethics for Executive Branch Officers and Employees.” The Executive Order prohibits ATL and ATL employees, or any person acting on their behalf, from accepting, directly or https://www.dot.ga.gov/GDOT/pages/DBE.aspx indirectly, any gift from any person with whom the employee interacts on official ATL business.

Therefore, it is unlawful for a potential Proposer, or its subcontractors or suppliers, to make gifts or favors to any ATL employee. It is also unlawful for any ATL employee to accept any such gift or favor. In addition, any persons acting as members of the Evaluation Committee for this procurement shall, for the purposes of this procurement, be bound by the referenced Executive Order.

Throughout the proposal evaluation and award process and subsequent contract negotiations, Proposers shall not discuss or seek specific information about this procurement, including but not limited to, the contents of submissions, the evaluation process or the contract negotiations, with members of the Evaluation Committee, the ATL Board of Directors, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners or ATL or County employees other than the Issuing Officer.

2.13 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Guidelines

ATL and the County adhere to the guidelines set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Proposers should contact the Issuing Officer at least one Day in advance if they require special arrangements when attending the Virtual Pre-Bid Meeting. The Georgia Relay Center at 1-800-255- 0056 (TDD only) or 1-800-255-0135 (Voice) will relay messages, in strict confidence, for the speech and hearing impaired.

2.14 Mandatory FTA Clauses

2.14.1 Access to Records and Reports

1) Record Retention. The Contractor will retain, and will require its subcontractors of all tiers to retain, complete and readily accessible records related in whole or in part to the contract, including, but not limited to, data, documents, reports, statistics, leases, subcontracts, arrangements, other third party contracts of any type, and supporting materials related to those records.

2) Retention Period. The Contractor agrees to comply with the record retention requirements in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.334. The Contractor shall maintain all books, records, accounts and reports required under this Contract for a period of at not less than three (3) years after the date of termination or expiration of this Contract, except in the event of litigation or settlement of claims arising from the performance of this Contract, in which case records shall be maintained until the disposition of all such litigation, appeals, claims or exceptions related thereto.

3) Access to Records. The Contractor agrees to provide sufficient access to FTA and its contractors to inspect and audit records and information, including such records and information the Contractor or its subcontractors may regard as confidential or proprietary, related to performance of this contract in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.337.

4) Access to the Sites of Performance. The Contractor agrees to permit FTA and its contractors access to the sites of performance under this contract in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.337.

2.14.2 ADA

The contractor agrees to comply with all applicable requirements of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 794, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps, with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended, 42 U.S.C.

§§ 12101 et seq., which requires that accessible facilities and services be made available to persons with disabilities, including…