Microtransit Request for Proposals.docx

City of Brunswick, Georgia Microtransit Request for Proposals August 2024

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) #2025-002

THIRD PARTY OPERATION OF MICROTRANSIT SERVICE

FOR CITY OF BRUNSWICK, GA

I. NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

City of Brunswick, GA, hereinafter referred to as the “City” or ”City of Brunswick”, invites proposals for a service provider, hereinafter referred to as the “Contractor”, for the operation of the City of Brunswick Microtransit Service. In this Request for Proposals (RFP) and subsequent contract references to “City of Brunswick,” “City,” or “CITY OF BRUNSWICK” shall also include “Glynn County.”

The contract term of this Microtransit Agreement shall commence on February 3, 2025 and shall continue through January 31, 2028, 2027. The City, at its exclusive option may extend the contract for four one-year option years. The pricing for option years 1 and 2 are established in the price proposal while the pricing for option years 3 and 4 will be negotiated prior to option year approval. After the initial three-year term, unless either party terminates the term by advance notice not more than 180 days and not less than 90 days prior to the commencement of the next renewal term, the term shall be extended for an additional consecutive twelve-month period terminating no later than January 31, 2032.

This public transit service is a federal and state subsidized service through 49 USC Section 5307, Federal Transit Administration Urbanized Area Formula Grants. Funding may also be provided through other FTA programs including 5311 Other than Urbanized Areas and 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities and other federal and state programs which may be available. Copies of the Request for Proposal (RFP) document may be obtained from:

The City seeks proposals from qualified firms or organizations (public, private, non-profit) with experience in all aspects of microtransit, planning, management, operations and vehicle maintenance, and coordination with City, regional, state, and federal agencies.

The RFP includes the Terms and Conditions and Technical Specification defining the requirements of the City and identifies all significant evaluation factors, listed in descending order of importance. This procurement shall conform to the procurement requirements of the Georgia State Purchasing Code, with emphasis on Sections 50-5-67 and 50-5-83 and the procurement requirements of the Federal Transit Administration’s Third Party Contracting Requirements Circular Number C.4220.1f. Per C.4220.1f.

There will be a non-mandatory Preproposal Video Conference on September 5, 11:00 AM. Prospective bidders who will be utilizing the conference link must submit the name of attendee, company, and contact information to John Hunter, Director Planning, Development & Codes, jhunter@cityofbrunswick-ga.gov before 11:00 AM EST on September 4, 2024.

Prospective proposers may submit questions, requests for exceptions, deviations or approved equals in writing via email no later than September 19, 2024 directed to:

City of Brunswick Transit Contact Person: John Hunter

Response to Questions:

A response to questions received in writing will be sent to all parties as an addendum to the RFP and posted to the City of Brunswick website. Only a written addendum to the RFP shall change the RFP language. The City shall not be responsible for oral interpretations.

Proposal Submission:

Proposers must submit proposals in two (2) parts. The first part includes, but is not limited to, a technical and contractual proposal, including all required submittals. The second part includes, but is not limited to, proposed price and cost data, including all required submittals. All information including the number and names of Proposers is kept confidential, within legal constraints. Each proposal part must be submitted in separate sealed envelopes and be clearly labeled as: Response to Microtransit RFP – Technical Proposal and Response to Microtransit RFP – Cost Proposal.

Technical proposals should identify any proposed substitution or additional features with an explanation of the benefits they offer the City. It is expected that the cost impact of these benefits will also be reflected in the cost proposal. Price quoted will be for a firm-fixed per service hour cost rate to cover the administrative cost and for the service hours that are generated by the service demand.

Public receipt of proposals will be held. Proposals shall be received no later than 12:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, October 8, 2024 at:

City of Brunswick Transit Attn: John Hunter Office of Planning, Development and Codes 601 Gloucester Street, Brunswick, GA 31520

No proposals will be accepted after this time and date.

An evaluation committee will evaluate proposals received and rank them in order of preference. The evaluation committee may conduct interviews with those firms determined to be within the competitive range. Discussions will not disclose information contained in competing proposals and the proposals will be kept confidential until the evaluation is complete. The City reserves the right to award a contract on the basis of proposals submitted without negotiation, to reject any and/or all proposals, to re‑advertise for proposals and to waive any informality in any proposal and to determine the most responsive proposal by its own criteria, as described within the specification.

Proposing firms must not be on the System of Award Management (SAM) list of ineligible firms. The successful Proposer will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws and regulations. Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) shall be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals.

II. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Responsive Proposals - The City, or its designee, shall solely determine if each proposal is responsive. The responsiveness of each proposal shall be determined by its conformance to the scope of work, instructions to Proposers, legal requirements of the RFP, and the best interests of the City. Any proposal that fails to conform to the essential requirements of the RFP shall be deemed nonresponsive, and accordingly rejected.

2. Responsible Proposers - The City shall award a contract only to the responsible and responsive Proposer who possesses the highest potential to perform successfully under the terms and conditions of this RFP. Consideration shall be given to such matters as Proposer’s integrity, qualifications of Proposer’s staff, experience with similar projects, record of past performance, and accessibility to financial and technical resources. The Proposer shall affirmatively demonstrate its responsibility and, when necessary, the responsibility of any proposed subcontractors. If information obtained by the City clearly indicates that the Proposer is not responsible and the City has doubts about the productive capacity, financial strength, or past performance of a Proposer, which cannot be resolved affirmatively, a determination that the Proposer is non-responsible shall be rendered.

3. Basis of Evaluation and Contract Award - Proposals shall be scored by an evaluation committee consisting of City staff and/or their designee(s). The evaluation criteria for the proposals and associated point values are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Proposal Evaluation Criteria and Points

Points

The Quality Scoring will be based on the following scoring method:

These definitions are not necessarily all-inclusive.

The Financial Scoring method will be based on a total contract period May 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 submitted on Exhibit I and detailed on Exhibit J. City of Brunswick will review each proposer’s financial proposals for completeness and reasonableness. Proposals that have not included all required elements may be rejected by City of Brunswick as not responsive to the RFP. City of Brunswick will then rank financial proposals from lowest to highest. The financial score for each proposer will be based on the following formula:

Lowest Price ÷ Proposer’s Price (x) 25 points = points earned.

The City reserves the right to conduct initial evaluation of Proposer’s response to the RFP and interview finalists prior to final scoring of proposals. The City assumes no liability for any costs incurred by any individuals or firms responding to this RFP or participating in any interviews. The City’s evaluation committee reserves the right to reject any or all proposals for any reason and to make its contract award to the Proposer offering the proposal in the overall best interest of the City.

4. Registered Lobbyists. By submitting a response to this RFP, the supplier hereby certifies that the supplier and its lobbyists are in compliance with the Lobbyist Registration Requirements in accordance with the Georgia Procurement Manual. Specifically, all suppliers who employ or retain one or more lobbyists shall cause such lobbyists to register with the State Ethics Commission and to file the disclosures required by Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the (O.C.G.A.Official Code of Georgia Annotated) Such registration must be made no later than fifteen (15) calendar days after the lobbyist’s initial contact with the state entity or the date that bids or proposals are due to be submitted by the supplier in response to the state entity’s solicitation, whichever is earlier. All suppliers shall certify, as part of any response to a request for proposals or bids or other procurement method, that any lobbyist’s whom the supplier employs or retains has registered with the State Ethics Commission and complied with the requirements of this regulation.

5. Public Access to Procurement Records. Solicitation opportunities will be publicly advertised as required by law and the provisions of the Georgia Procurement Manual. The State Purchasing Act delays the release of certain procurement records in the event the public disclosure of those records prior to the City’s public announcements of the results of a solicitation would undermine the public purpose of obtaining the best value for the City such as cost estimates, proposals/bids, evaluation criteria, supplier evaluations, negotiation documents, offers and counter-offers, and certain records revealing preparation for the procurement. The State Purchasing Act requires bids and proposals to be available for public inspection, upon request, within one business day of the City’s posting of the Notice of Intent to Award (or the Notice of Award in the event the City does not issue the Notice of Intent to Award). Audited financial statements not otherwise publicly available but required to be submitted as part of the supplier’s response shall not be subject to public disclosure. The City is allowed to assess a reasonable charge to defray the cost of reproducing documents. A City employee should be present during the time of onsite inspection of documents. PLEASE NOTE: Even though information (financial or other information) submitted by a supplier may be marked as "confidential", "proprietary", etc., the City will make its own determination regarding what information may or may not be withheld from disclosure.

6. Costs for Preparing Responses - Each supplier’s response should be prepared simply and economically, avoiding the use of elaborate promotional materials beyond those sufficient to provide a complete presentation. The cost for developing the response and participating in the procurement process (including the protest process) is the sole responsibility of the supplier. The City will not provide reimbursement for such costs.

7. Withdrawing Proposals - After proposals are opened by the City, the Proposer may not withdraw proposals for 90 calendar days. However, prior to the date/time set for the proposal opening, proposals may be modified or withdrawn by the Proposer’s authorized representative in person, or by written notice. If proposals are modified or withdrawn in person, the authorized representative shall make his/her identity known and shall sign a receipt for the proposal.

8. City’s Right to Request Additional Information – Supplier’s Responsibility- Prior to contract award, the City must be assured that the selected supplier has all of the resources to successfully perform under the contract. This includes, but is not limited to, adequate number of personnel with required skills, availability of appropriate equipment in sufficient quantity to meet the on-going needs of the City, financial resources sufficient to complete performance under the contract, and experience in similar endeavors. If, during the evaluation process, the City is unable to assure itself of the supplier’s ability to perform, if awarded, the City has the option of requesting from the supplier any information deemed necessary to determine the supplier’s responsibility. If such information is required, the supplier will be so notified and will be permitted approximately seven business days to submit the information requested.

9. Rejection of Proposals; City’s Right to Waive Immaterial Deviation - The City reserves the right to reject any or all responses, to waive any irregularity or informality in a supplier’s response, and to accept or reject any item or combination of items, when to do so would be to the advantage of the City. It is also within the right of the City to reject responses that do not contain all elements and information requested in this RFP. A supplier’s response will be rejected if the response contains any defect or irregularity and such defect or irregularity constitutes a material deviation from the RFP requirements, which determination will be made by the City on a case-by-case basis.

10. City’s Right to Amend and/or Cancel the RFP - The City reserves the right to amend this RFP. Any revisions must be made in writing prior to the RFP closing date and time. By submitting a response, the supplier shall be deemed to have accepted all terms and agreed to all requirements of the RFP (including any revisions/additions made in writing prior to the close of the RFP whether or not such revision occurred prior to the time the supplier submitted its response) unless expressly stated otherwise in the supplier’s response. THEREFORE, EACH SUPPLIER IS INDIVIDUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWING THE REVISED RFP AND MAKING ANY NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE CHANGES AND/OR ADDITIONS TO THE SUPPLIER’S RESPONSE PRIOR TO THE CLOSE OF THE RFP. Suppliers are encouraged to frequently check the RFP for additional information. Finally, the City reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time.

11. Ownership of Operating Records - All operating data prepared or created during the course of this contract including but not limited to driver manifests, client information, drug and alcohol testing records and vehicle maintenance records shall be the property of the City of Brunswick. At contract turnover and at any other time the City of Brunswick makes a request for operating records, the Contractor shall provide these operating records and documents in an electronic format determined by the City of Brunswick at no additional cost to the City of Brunswick.

12. Errors in Proposals - Proposers or their authorized representatives are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and scope of work before submitting proposals. Failure to do so shall be at the Proposer’s own risk and he/she cannot secure relief on the plea of errors.

13. Protest - A Proposer may protest an intent to award of contract by submitting their protest in writing to the City and shall state the basis for the protest and the course of action that the protesting party desires the City to take. A protest based upon restrictive specifications or other provisions of the RFP must be received by City at the address listed herein not later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the deadline set for receipt of proposals. A protest based upon any other grounds must be received by City at the address listed herein not later than seven (7) calendar days after the protesting party first became aware of, or reasonably should have become aware of, the notice, whichever is sooner.

If the protest does not meet these requirements, the City may reject the protest or allow the protesting party a reasonable time to correct the deficiencies in the protest documentation. The City shall not be obligated to postpone a contract award in order to allow a Proposer to correct a deficient protest, unless otherwise required by law. Upon receipt of a properly submitted protest, the City shall review and investigate the protest and provide a written decision to the protesting party. The City shall not be obliged to postpone selection or contract award pending resolution of a protest, unless otherwise required by law.

14. Financial Statements - Proposers may be requested to submit additional financial statements to demonstrate that the Proposer is financially responsible to receive the award.

15. Timely Completion - All Proposers by virtue of submitting a proposal agree to meet the project schedule as outlined in this RFP.

16. Assignment of Contract - This contract may not be assigned in whole or in part without the written consent of the City.

17. Subcontracting - Subcontracting to other firms, corporations, partnerships, agencies, or individuals for the actual provision of transit service or vehicle maintenance is not allowed without the advanced written approval of the City.

18. Applicable Law and Venue - The work performed by the successful Proposer in response to this RFP shall be in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and their respective rules and regulations. The successful proposer shall ensure that all applicable federal requirements shall flow down to any subrecipients or subcontractor. This compliance shall be at the successful Proposer’s expense. Venue for any legal action arising out of the resulting contract and between the parties hereto shall be exclusively in Glynn County, Georgia.

19. Right of Entrance on Contractor Occupied Property. The Contractor shall permit and allow any and all duly authorized City employees or representatives to enter upon any part of the Contractor’s occupied property or facilities for the purpose of inspecting facilities and equipment, inspecting and/or auditing financial or operating records, and for other matters relevant to the project. No notice shall be required for on-road vehicle inspections to be conducted by the City (or its designee). The Contractor shall instruct its drivers to allow City personnel and official representatives to have right of entry on vehicles upon showing proper identification.

20. Indemnification - The selected firm shall indemnify and hold harmless the City and its agents and employees from and against all claims, damages, losses and expenses including attorney’s fees arising out of or resulting from the performance of services provided that any such claims, damage, loss of expense is attributable to bodily injury, sickness, disease or death, or due to injury or destruction of tangible property, including the loss of use resulting from, and is caused in whole or in part by any negligent or willful act or omission of the successful service provider and anyone directly or indirectly employed by the service provider or anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable. In any and all claims against the City or any of its agent or employees, by any employee of the provider, or anyone for whose acts any of them may be liable, the indemnification obligation shall not be limited in any way by any limitation on the amount or type of damages, compensation or benefits payable by or for the successful service provider or under the Worker Compensation Acts, Disability Benefits Acts or other employable benefits acts. The City will give prompt notice of any suits or claims instituted and will give all needed information to the firm for defending itself through counsel.

21. Insurance Requirements. The Contractor shall be required to maintain at its expense at all times during the duration of the resulting contract the following insurance coverage:

· Workers Compensation and Employer’s Liability. Workers Compensation and Employer’s Liability Insurance shall be maintained at the minimum levels required by the State of Georgia.

· Comprehensive General Liability. The Contractor shall provide and maintain comprehensive general liability coverage for bodily injury (including but not limited to sexual abuse or molestation) and property damage of $3,000,000 combined single limit for any one occurrence.

· Automobile Liability. The Contractor shall provide and maintain automobile liability coverage for all revenue and non-revenue vehicles used in the project for bodily injury and property damage to a combined single limit of $3,000,000 for any one occurrence.

· Collision and Comprehensive. The Contractor shall provide and maintain collision and comprehensive physical damage coverage with a maximum of $2,000 deductible on all revenue and non-revenue vehicles used by Contractor or under Contractor’s care, custody or control. Coverage shall be in an amount acceptable to the City but in no event less than replacement cost coverage that would be sufficient to replace damaged or totaled vehicles with vehicles of the same or similar functionality.

· Maintain insurance in accordance with GDOT and City of Brunswick requirements as they are updated.

All insurance companies must be licensed and admitted by the State of Georgia with a minimum A.M. Best Rating Services rating of A-. All comprehensive general liability, automobile liability, collision and comprehensive policies must name the City of Brunswick, GDOT, and any other contractually required governments or organizations as additional insureds. Certificates of insurance for all the above-listed coverages shall be submitted to the City on an annual basis and when carriers or coverage limits change.

Unless changed during contract negotiation, all insurance costs of the microtransit and flex route vehicles shall be at the expense of the Contractor. Failure to maintain all insurance coverages for the duration of the project as listed above may result in immediate termination of contract.

22. Right to Adjust Cost - If the City determines during the life of the contract that data submitted by the Contractor/bidder is not current, incomplete, or is inaccurate, the City and Contractor shall negotiate a mutually agreeable adjustment in cost.

23. Contract Change Orders - Written Change Orders: Oral change orders are not permitted. No change in this contract shall be made unless the City gives prior written approval. The Contractor shall be liable for all costs resulting from, and/or for satisfactorily correcting, any specification change not properly approved by written notice. Change Order Procedure: Within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of a written change order request, the Contractor shall submit a detailed price and schedule proposal for the work to be performed. The proposal shall be accepted or modified by negotiations between the Contractor and the City. At that time both parties shall execute a detailed agreement in writing.

24. Form of Agreement - The agreement between the City and the successful Proposer will be in form of a transit service agreement and shall incorporate the scope of services and responsibilities of the Contractor as well as the required clauses listed in Exhibit D.

25. Policy Updates. The Contractor shall adhere to all updated policies and regulations provided by federal, state, regional and local transit partners (i.e. Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), and City of Brunswick) and understands that state polices can be updated throughout the contract year.

26. Termination Provisions

a. Termination for Convenience - The City, by written notice, may terminate this contract, in whole or in part, when it is in the City’s interest. If this contract is terminated, the City shall be liable only for payment under the payment provisions of this contract for services rendered before the effective date of termination.

b. Termination for Default - If the Contractor fails to deliver supplies or to perform the services within the time specified in this contract or any extension or if the Contractor fails to comply with any other provisions of this contract, the City may terminate this contract for default. The City shall terminate by delivering to the Contractor a Notice of Termination specifying the nature of the default. The Contractor will only be paid the contract price for supplies delivered and accepted, or services performed in accordance with the manner or performance set forth in this contract.

If, after termination for failure to fulfill contract obligations, it is determined that the Contractor was not in default, the rights and obligations of the parties shall be the same as if the termination had been issued for the convenience of the City.

27. Disputes - Disputes arising in the performance of this Contract which are not resolved by agreement of the parties shall be decided in writing by the authorized representative of the City. This decision shall be final and conclusive unless within [ten (10)] days from the date of receipt of its copy, the Contractor mails or otherwise furnishes a written appeal to the City. In connection with any such appeal, the Contractor shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard and to offer evidence in support of its position. The decision of the City shall be binding upon the Contractor and the Contractor shall abide be the decision.

Performance During Dispute - Unless otherwise directed by the City, Contractor shall continue performance under this Contract while matters in dispute are being resolved.

Claims for Damages - Should either party to the Contract suffer injury or damage to person or property because of any act or omission of the party or of any of his employees, agents, or others for whose acts he is legally liable, a claim for damages therefore shall be made in writing to such other party within a reasonable time after the first observance of such injury of damage.

Remedies - Unless this contract provides otherwise, all claims, counterclaims, disputes, and other matters in question between the City and the Contractor arising out of or relating to this agreement or its breach will be decided by arbitration if the parties mutually agree, or in a court of competent jurisdiction within Glynn County, Georgia.

Rights and Remedies - The duties and obligations imposed by the Contract Documents and the rights and remedies available thereunder shall be in addition to and not a limitation of any duties, obligations, rights and remedies otherwise imposed or available by law. No action or failure to act by the City or Contractor shall constitute a waiver of any right or duty afforded any of them under the Contract, nor shall any such action or failure to act constitute an approval of or acquiescence in any breach thereunder, except as may be specifically agreed in writing.

28. Negotiations of Proposals and/or Cost Factors - Following selection of the proposed Contractor, City of Brunswick may negotiate the price proposal to add or delete cost elements. The subsequent service hour rates may be different as a result of maintenance services, office facilities, insurance policies or other services provided by the City.

The City possesses discretionary authority to conduct one or more rounds of negotiations of technical proposal and/or cost factors as permitted by Georgia law. Although this section addresses the City’s right to negotiate in accordance with O.C.G.A. §50-5-67(a)(6), the City reserves the right to conduct any other negotiations authorized by law.

a. The objective of negotiations is to obtain the supplier’s best terms. PLEASE NOTE: NEGOTIATIONS ARE DISCRETIONARY; THEREFORE, THE CITY URGES THE SUPPLIER (1) TO SUBMIT ITS BEST RESPONSE AND (2) NOT TO ASSUME THE SUPPLIER WILL BE GRANTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO NEGOTIATE.

b. Overview of Negotiations - After the Evaluation Team has scored the suppliers’ proposals, the City may elect to enter into one or more rounds of negotiations with all responsive and responsible suppliers or only those suppliers identified by the Evaluation Team as being in the competitive range. The competitive range will not be selected arbitrarily and those suppliers included in the competitive range must have highly scored proposals. After each round of negotiations (if any), the supplier will submit revisions to its proposal factors and/or cost proposal, which revisions will be scored by the Evaluation Team in accordance with the same criteria used to evaluate the initial responses from the suppliers. Suppliers may be removed from further participation in the negotiation process in the event the Evaluation Team determines the supplier cannot be considered responsive and responsible or based on the competitive range as defined in “Competitive Range. ”The City reserves the right to proceed to award without further discussions after receipt of the initial proposals, in which case, negotiations and Proposal Revisions will not be required.

c. Negotiation Instructions - Listed below are the key action items related to negotiations. The City’s Negotiation Committee may consist of the City’s Evaluation Committee or may be comprised of different people. However, evaluation of proposals or revised proposals shall be completed only by the City’s Evaluation Committee.

i. Negotiation Invitation: Those suppliers identified by the Evaluation Committee to negotiate will be notified and invited to attend negotiations. Suppliers will be notified in writing: (i) the general purpose and scope of the negotiations; (ii) the anticipated schedule for the negotiations; and (iii) the procedures to be followed for negotiations.

ii. Confirmation of Attendance: Suppliers who have been invited to participate in negotiations must confirm attendance.

iii. Negotiations Round(s): One or more rounds of negotiations may be conducted with those suppliers identified by the City’s Evaluation Team.

d. Competitive Range - If the City elects to negotiate, the City may either (1) elect to negotiate with all responsive and responsible suppliers, (2) limit negotiations to those suppliers identified within the competitive range, or (3) limit negotiations to the number of suppliers with whom the City may reasonably negotiate as defined below. In the event the City elects to limit negotiations to those suppliers identified within the competitive range, the City will identify the competitive range by (1) ranking suppliers’ proposals from highest to lowest based on each supplier’s Total Combined Score and (2) then looking for breaks in the scores such that natural groupings of similar scores may be identified. In the event the City determines the number of responsive and responsible suppliers is so great that the City cannot reasonably conduct negotiations (which determination shall be solely at the City’s discretion and shall be conclusive), the City may elect to limit negotiations to the top three (3) ranked suppliers as determined by the Total Combined Score.

e. Negotiation Round Completion - As part of each round of negotiation, the City may or may not engage in verbal discussions with the suppliers. However, whether or not the City engages in verbal discussions, any revisions the supplier elects to make to its response must be submitted in writing via email by the end date and time identified by the Issuing Officer. All revisions received by the due date and time will be evaluated and re-scored by the Evaluation Team in accordance with the same criteria used to evaluate the initial responses from the suppliers. Revisions which are not received prior to the due date and time cannot be considered; however, any supplier failing to submit timely revisions will not be disqualified from consideration for award based on its final proposal as accepted by the City.

III. Technical Specifications

1. Qualifications - Proposers must demonstrate a minimum of 24 months of successful experience in the provision of microtransit services with at least three microtransit systems.

2. Introduction - Brunswick, Georgia has a population of just over 15,000 residents and a poverty rate of 32.8 percent. Currently, residents have no access to transit services within the city limits. Additionally, many city residents work in tourism-driven positions located approximately 12 miles away on St. Simons Island. Microtransit is being explored as a method of enhancing our resident’s mobility and quality of life.

The City envisions a microtransit zone as shown in Exhibit A – Microtransit Service Zone. Future plans include a flex route taking residents from within the zone to a flex route zone on St. Simons Island. The quote for these two services will be done separately through this one procurement.

The City is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to operate a turn-key microtransit operation beginning February 3, 2025 and may decide to add a flex route, at the City’s exclusive option, after January 1, 2026. The addition of and starting date of the flex route is not guaranteed and will be affected by funding availability. This service will be open to the general public.

The City intends to award one contract, as determined to be in the best interest of the City, to the firm with the most advantageous technical and price proposal. The contract term of this Microtransit Agreement shall commence on February 3, 2025, and shall continue through January 31, 2028. The City, at its exclusive option may extend the contract for four one-year option years. After the initial three-year term, unless either party terminates the term by advance notice not more than 180 days and not less than 90 days prior to the commencement of the next renewal term, the term shall be extended for an additional consecutive twelve-month period terminating no later than January 31, 2032.

The City desires to begin the microtransit service as early as possible after the successful award by the City of Brunswick Commissioners.

The contract resulting from the successful proposal is subject to financial assistance grants between the City of Brunswick, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Georgia Department of Transportation. The successful proposer will be required to comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

3. Microtransit Service Summary - The Contractor will offer a turnkey microtransit transportation solution/service that provides:

· A technological solution that allows customers to schedule and track trips in real-time through a cell phone-based application, and by phone. Vendor’s quotes may also include additional opportunities that allow the customer to schedule rides and receive updates on trips, etc. This solution must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

· The ability to pay for the trip through the app should also be described if available along with an option for the unbanked and underbanked (expected fare up to $3).

· The City will offer through the City’s Finance office a sales location at City Hall for the purchase of rides using electronic media.

· Any opportunity for multiple-trip discounting or fare capping should be outlined by the vendor in the proposal. Multiple passengers traveling together and/or under a single booking will pay per person, however, the vendor should outline cost reductions for group trips. Vendors should have a system to accommodate walk-up reservations.

· Provide vehicles including maintenance, fueling, storing, daily and when necessary deep cleaning, and inspections. Vendors should be able to explain how they will increase the number of vehicles as usage grows.

· Provide either 100% wheelchair accessible vehicles or submit an operational plan demonstrating that wheelchair users will have comparable waiting times to non-wheelchair users.

· Drivers and driver training: The city’s contract manager may direct the chosen Contractor to remove and/or replace any key staff on this service at its discretion. Should the Contractor’s project manager leave, the chosen Contractor will communicate with the city to agree on a replacement.

· Customer service/call taking, registration, and reservations as detailed above available from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the days the service operates with the ability to leave a message concerning reservation cancellations afterhours and on Holidays.

· Service management.

· Any other actions or provisions unintentionally not stipulated in this RFQ.

Microtransit service will operate Monday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., but the proposer must describe its ability to adjust service (including the number of vehicles in service and the hours and days of service based on an assessment of performance by the city within the bounds of a minimum and maximum cost for the service for the duration of the contract negotiated prior to the launch of the service.

The City intends to establish bus stops to serve as collection points for commercial and high- density residential area. The Contractor will assist the City in identifying collection points and locations while the City will be responsible for installation of the bus stops and other amenities. The Contractor will also provide curb-to-curb service, to include assistance from the vehicle to the first doorway, for customers who need it to complete the trip. This requirement is only for persons with disabilities, who will be certified by the City’s Transit Planner.

Microtransit Service Specifications - The Contractor will provide the City with microtransit service for trips within the set zone (Exhibit A – Microtransit Service Zone). All microtransit trips must begin and end within the zone. The vendor will provide the technical application used by customers to register, schedule, and track their trips. The ability to pay for the trip through the app is required. The Contractor shall either provide the service with a 100 percent fully accessible fleet of vehicles or submit an ADA Equivalent Service Plan identifying the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles, wheelchair lift maintenance plans and operating plans to ensure equivalent service to persons with disabilities. The vehicles shall be Buy America compliant and shall include bike racks for a minimum of two bicycles to accommodate individuals who will use a bike for some first-mile and last-mile connections.

The Contractor shall be responsible for microtransit driver hiring and training, as well as customer service call taking, scheduling, and dispatching. The Contractor will be responsible for providing required insurance, reporting, and data, an FTA-compliant drug and alcohol program including an officer and contracts to fulfill the program (49 CFR parts 653, 654, and 655); an FTA-compliant safety program and any other requirements to make the project successful.

· The service will offer an affordable, reliable, sustainable, and convenient alternative to car ownership for residents. The vendor will offer and encourage shared trips, pairing and grouping members of the general public for optimal efficiency as service use grows.

· Residents will be able to book trips using a smartphone, by placing a phone call to the Contractor’s dispatch center, or via other mechanisms that should be explained by the Contractor in its proposal. Bookings can be made in real-time or by advanced reservations. The Contractor’s dispatch center shall include Spanish speakers or other means for immediate telephone translation.

· The system shall use state-of-the-art technology for efficient operation including the grouping of trips and identifying residents requiring special assistance such as with entering and existing vehicles.

· Drivers will be professional, friendly, courteous, drive safely, and trained to work with various members of society.

· Vehicles will be clean, comfortable, reliable, and readily identifiable. Future possibilities may include vehicles that utilize zero-emission technology for operation.

· The Contractor’s software and management systems shall report to the City actual and average wait times, trip times, and on-time performance for the proposed service. All trip data shall be made available to the city on a mutually agreed-upon timetable that should be outlined in the proposal.

· The City of Brunswick will have full access to, and ownership of all data associated with the operation of this service, including robust reporting capabilities and administrative backend dashboard access.

4. St Simons Flex Route Service Summary - The Contractor will offer a turnkey flex route transportation solution/service that provides:

· 100 percent-accessible vehicles including maintenance, fueling, storing, daily and when necessary deep cleaning, and inspections. Vendors should be able to explain how they will increase the number of vehicles as usage grows.

· Drivers and driver training. However, the city’s contract manager may direct the chosen Contractor to remove and/or replace any key staff on this service at its discretion. Should the project manager for the project leave, the chosen Contractor will communicate with the city to agree on a replacement.

· Customer service/call taking, registration, and reservations as detailed above available from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the days the service operates with the ability to leave a message concerning reservation cancellations afterhours and on Holidays.

· Service management.

· Any other actions or provisions unintentionally not stipulated in this RFP.

· Service will operate daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

· Technological solution that allows customers to schedule and track trips in real-time through a cell phone-based application, and by phone, vendor’s quotes may also include additional opportunities that allow the customer to schedule rides and receive updates on trips, etc. is a plus.

· The ability to pay for the trip through the app should also be described if available along with an option for the unbanked and underbanked (expected fare up to $3). Any opportunity for multiple-trip discounting or fare capping should be outlined by the vendor in the proposal.

St. Simons Flex Route Service Specifications - Within 12 to 18 months of the introduction of microtransit, the City plans to introduce a flex route traveling from three locations in the City of Brunswick to a flex zone on St Simons Island (Exhibit A – St. Simons Flex Route).

Trips to St. Simons: Scheduled departures from primary stops in Brunswick with ADA customer pick-up by next-day reservation within designated service area – generally ¾ mile radius of pick-up locations.

Drop off at primary stops or secondary stops on St. Simons with ADA customer drop off within designated service area.

Customers may sign up for return trips by secondary stop and departure time. There are secondary stop locations beyond those that have a designated scheduled time – these customers/times can both be communicated to the dispatcher verbally by the driver, a direct call to the dispatcher by the customer, or through an app.

· Trips from St. Simons

· Scheduled departures from primary stops

· Departure from other stops by reservation

· ADA customer pick-up by next-day reservation within designated service area.

· Brunswick Primary Stops – scheduled times

· City Hall, 601 Gloucester Street

· Gloucester St and MLK

· Winn Dixie, 1919 Glynn Avenue

· St. Simons Primary Stops – scheduled times

· Beachview Drive at Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau

· Ocean Blvd / Arnold Rd

· Ocean Blvd / 1st Street

· Demere Rd / Frederica Rd

· Demere Rd / Brockinton Dr.

· St. Simons – secondary stops by request/reservation (more can be designated)

· Retreat Golf Course, 100 Kings Way

· Plantation Golf Course, 100 Retreat Ave.

· Lighthouse Museum, 610 Beachview Dr.

· Harbor Oaks

· Beach Club at St. Simons, 1440 Ocean Blvd.

· St. Simons Island Airport

· Mariners Landing, 350 Hamilton Rd

· St. Simons Immediate Care, 5000 Wellness Way The concept of the flex route would be to serve three stops in the City of Brunswick every 90 minutes, taking passengers to St. Simons Island where passengers would be distributed as detailed above. The route, operating with one peak buses, is approximately 18 miles round trip (without deviations) and is expected to have a 90-minute cycle time.

The tentative schedule is shown in Exhibit B.

As part of the proposal process, the proposer should describe how the proposer plans to operate the service on a 90-minute frequency from 7 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. seven days per week.

5. Vehicle Specifications - All vehicles for the Brunswick Microtransit service must meet FTA’s Buy America requirements and the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Microtransit vehicles should be small buses or vans with up to 7 passenger capacity. Larger buses with up to 15 passenger capacity will be required for the St. Simons flex route. Wheelchair accessible vehicles must have at least one wheelchair tie-down location and a side-loaded wheelchair ramp or lift (not loaded from the rear of the vehicle) in order to best serve Microtransit curb-to-curb trips. Vehicles should also be equipped with a front-mounted bicycle rack capable of carrying two bicycles. The proposer should take into account the desired hours of service and identify their plan to keep the minimum number of vehicles in operation throughout the service hours even considering charging or refueling needs.

Low emission or no emission vehicles (i.e. battery electric, hydrogen or CNG) are preferred but not required. The City has future plans to use zero-emission vehicles for transit services, a vendor’s ability to describe either current or future opportunities to provide zero-emission buses within the duration of the contract is a plus.

6. Marking of Transit Vehicles. The Contractor shall develop vehicle graphics and markings for City of Brunswick approval. All vehicles must be marked with the system name, logo, and telephone number and clearly marked as public transit vehicles. Transit vehicles must also contain GDOT required information.

7. Holidays - Observed holidays with no scheduled service include:

· New Year's Day

· Thanksgiving Day

· Christmas Day

8. Service Hour Definition - The Contractor will be paid by actual service hours provided. A service hour is the time when a vehicle and driver has departed from the operating base and is available for transporting passengers. A service hour may include deadheading time to and from parking locations but does not include any time where a vehicle is not available due to equipment defect or being transported for maintenance, or when a driver is not being paid such as lunch breaks. Contemporaneous driver manifests must be provided with invoices to document service hours. Breaks in service time greater than 30-minutes will not be paid.

9. Contract Turnover Procedure - Upon termination of the contract, the Contractor shall follow the procedure provided in Exhibit C and return all City of Brunswick owned facilities, vehicles and equipment to City of Brunswick ready for use, in sound mechanical and operating condition with no deferred maintenance or damage, normal wear and tear excepted.

10. Customization - For both of the services, the proposer may describe potential customization such as rider grouping, pick-up and drop-off density, use of technology to improve the ability to assist the passenger in understanding and using the service, etc. The proposer has the option to submit a detailed description of any alternative suggestions that may save time or money for either service.

11. Contractor Responsibilities - The Contractor, under specific terms and conditions, provide services as directed by the City. The Contractor shall be responsible for the following:

i. Facility. The successful Contractor shall provide an office within the City of Brunswick service area for local supervisory staff, call center employees and bus operators. This office space must be of sufficient size to support a call center and allow bus operator training.

ii. Fleet Management. The Contractor shall have sole responsibility for preventative…