RFP_SUN260384_Consulting_Services_-_Comprehensive_Operations_Analysis_for_SUNTRAN_-_COA_ridership_request.pdf

This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) document from the City of Ocala for consulting services to develop a Comprehensive Operational Analysis (COA) for SunTran, the city's public transit system. The consultant will evaluate service improvements based on changing ridership patterns, development, population, employment trends, and service performance to enhance system efficiency and effectiveness. Core deliverables include a detailed work plan and schedule, up to five Transit Steering Committee meetings, twelve monthly progress reports, eight public meetings, technical memoranda documenting data collection and analysis results, route-by-route evaluation reports, service improvement plans with run cuts and cost estimates, and a final COA Report with Executive Summary and board presentations. The project requires extensive data collection including field surveys of all bus routes, comprehensive on-board and stop-by-stop ridership data collection with ride check surveys and transfer analysis for both weekday and weekend operations, interviews with SunTran personnel across all operational functions, and detailed analysis of system characteristics including planning, scheduling, dispatching, maintenance, supervision, facilities, and staffing levels. Questions must be submitted by February 17, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST, with proposals due March 17, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. EST via the City's e-procurement portal. The contract term is two years, with the study duration not to exceed nine months from the kick-off meeting.

This is a fixed-price contract requiring detailed cost breakdowns for all tasks, with proposers submitting a lump sum cost plus optional services pricing. Minimum qualifications require at least seven years of experience developing COA studies for transit operations for governmental agencies and completion of at least three directly comparable projects. The evaluation criteria allocate 40 points to experience, qualifications, and past performance; 40 points to project understanding, approach, methodology, and schedule; and 20 points to price proposal. The RFP is federally funded through the Federal Transit Administration and requires compliance with FTA regulations, policies, and procedures outlined in FTA Circular 4220.1F, including mandatory Federal clauses covering equal employment opportunity, Title VI civil rights compliance, Clean Air and Water Act adherence, and audit and inspection rights for three years post-contract. A 2.55% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) utilization goal is required unless the proposer documents good faith efforts to meet this threshold, with all DBEs requiring certification through the Unified Certification Program. No incumbent vendor has been identified, indicating this is a new procurement. Contractors must maintain professional liability insurance for five years post-acceptance and comply with all City of Ocala General Terms and Conditions.