VT23-004 Paratransit Services RFP.pdf

VALLEY TRANSIT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR

PARATRANSIT (ADA & ANCILLARY) SERVICES

RFP VT23-004

December 18, 2023

801 S. Whitman Ave

Appleton, Wisconsin 54914

Valley Transit Request for Proposals

Paratransit (ADA & Ancillary)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART A – BACKGROUND & GENERAL INFORMATION

Background Definitions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Contract Funding Insurance & General Requirements Current Contractor

PART B – SCOPE OF WORK

Basic Requirement Key Employee Service Descriptions Service Area Service Hours Program Participants Accompanying Riders & Service Animals Fares Service Demand Scheduling & Dispatching Vehicles Vehicle Maintenance Vehicle Communications System Licensing No-Shows, Trip Denials & Missed Trips Rider Policy Data, Reporting & Audits Performance Standards Employee Training Employee Standards Drug & Alcohol Testing Service Feedback Accident/Incident Notification Inclement Weather Invoicing & Payments

PART C – PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTION

General Information Proposed Schedule Written Questions & Addenda Proposal Selection Evaluation Criteria Protest Procedure

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Required Proposal Elements Written Proposal Response Cost Proposal Form Lobbying Certification

APPENDIX 1 – FEDERAL CONTRACT CLAUSES

APPENDIX 2 – CITY OF APPLETON INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

APPENDIX 3 – GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

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PART A – BACKGROUND & GENERAL INFORMATION

Background

Valley Transit, owned and operated by the City of Appleton, provides fixed route bus and complimentary ADA demand responsive paratransit service (hereinafter referred to as VTII) along with other ancillary paratransit services. Valley Transit’s service area generally consists of the Cities of Appleton, Neenah, Menasha and Kaukauna; Towns of Buchanan and Grand Chute; and Villages of Fox Crossing, Kimberly and Little Chute.

Valley Transit is seeking competitive proposals from interested, qualified and experienced Contractors to provide ADA complementary demand responsive service and several ancillary paratransit services currently offered by Valley Transit. These services are further defined in Part B of this document.

Further info about Valley Transit can be found at: myvalleytransit.com

Definitions

The following definitions are used throughout the Request for Proposal (RFP).

‘ADA’ means Americans with Disabilities Act ‘Contractor’ means proposer awarded the contract.

‘FTA’ means Federal Transit Administration ‘Provide’ means to furnish and implement

The City of Appleton/Valley Transit is hereinafter referred to as “Valley Transit.”

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

Valley Transit has established a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program in accordance with regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 49 CFR Part 26. It is the policy of Valley Transit to ensure that DBEs, as defined in 49 CFR Part 26, have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in DOT-assisted contracts.

There is no contract goal established for this agreement. If a proposer is certified with the State of Wisconsin as a DBE vendor, please indicate DBE certification within the submitted proposal.

Contract

The term of the contract will be for five (5) years commencing on July 1, 2024 with options to extend for three one-year periods. This contract shall automatically extend into the one-year option periods unless either party notifies the other, in writing, 90 calendar days prior to expiration of the initial and/or succeeding contract option period(s). The funding of each of the services listed within are contingent upon federal, state, and local funding sources.

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Funding

Funding for this procurement is provided by City, County, State, and Federal taxpayer dollars. As such, the agreement with the successful proposer shall at all times be subject to the rules and regulations of Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration, under the provisions of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964, as amended. The successful Contractor shall be responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations governing the services described in this RFP as a Contractor of Valley Transit. Specific Federal requirements are outlined in Appendix 1.

Insurance & General Requirements

The Contractor shall not commence work until it has obtained all insurance required. See Appendix 2.

General requirements are listed in Appendix 3.

Current Contractor

Running, Inc. (318 W Decker St., Viroqua, WI) is the current contractor that operates the paratransit services in this RFP. Running, Inc. uses a fleet of approximately 32 vans to provide the services. The current rates per ride are below:

SERVICE 2023 Rate Per Ride

VTII $17.85

Senior Transportation $17.85

Connector (ESH) $25.75

Connector (ESA) $25.75

OCHST $17.00

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PART B – SCOPE OF WORK

Basic Requirement

The awarded Contractor shall be responsible for all aspects of the transportation services described in this RFP. This includes providing all equipment, vehicles, facilities and personnel necessary to comply with all requirements listed.

Key Employee

The Contractor will assign an individual whose primary management function will be the direction of services performed by the Contractor.

Service Descriptions

Valley Transit’s paratransit service are comprised of the four services described below.

ADA Complementary Paratransit (Valley Transit II): The service is a demand-responsive, limited advance reservation complementary paratransit service for persons whose disabilities prevent their use of the fixed route transit services offered by Valley Transit. This service is designed to comply with the ADA. This service is hereinafter referred to as ‘VTII.’ VTII is primarily a curb-to-curb service. However, VTII must be compliant with “origin to destination service” as defined in 49 CFR §37.3. This means exceptions are made for riders whose disability necessitates additional assistance beyond the curb. Driver assistance does not include entering a private residence and is limited to door-to-door or the lobby/reception area of a facility.

The Contractor is responsible for maintaining full compliance with the ADA. Further guidance for complementary paratransit is established by the Federal Transit Administration in Circular 4710.1.

Other service characteristics are described in the current service brochure found at:

https://myvalleytransit.com/valley-transit-two/

Senior Transportation Service: An ancillary paratransit service that provides rides to elderly individuals age 60 and over residing in the Fox Cities portion of Outagamie County and the Appleton portion of Calumet County. The Contractor can encourage these riders to use of Valley Transit’s fixed route service when possible and applicable.

Other service characteristics are described in the current service brochure found at:

https://myvalleytransit.com/senior-transportation-services/

The Connector: An ancillary paratransit service designed to provide rides for customers traveling to and from work outside the fixed route area (ESA: Extended Service Area) or outside the fixed route service hours (ESH: Extended Service Hours). The service is an advance reservation, demand-responsive, common-carrier transportation service that provides rides to, from, and within two service area zones. The exact service area of each zone is described later in this document. The purpose of “The Connector” is to: provide transportation options to the less densely populated areas of Valley Transit’s service area; offer a late and early morning option for second and third shift workers; and provide a connection to Valley Transit’s fixed route transit system. The Contractor must be flexible and adjust to changes during the course of the contract due to fluctuations in ridership levels for this service or service area as fixed routes evolve.

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A minimum number of wheel-chair accessible vehicles are required to be available for trips that occur outside of Valley Transit’s ADA paratransit service area, shown on the service area map by the dotted line (map link found under “Service Area” below).

Other service characteristics are described in the current service brochure found at:

https://myvalleytransit.com/vt-connector/

Outagamie County Human Services Transportation (OCHST): An ancillary paratransit service which provides limited advance reservation, demand-response, common-carrier transportation service to, from, and within two defined service area zones, and all of Outagamie County. The purpose of the Outagamie County Human Services Transportation program (hereinafter referred to as “OCHST”) is to provide transportation options for individuals who for other reasons are unable to use the fixed route or shared ride services. The service is demand response using taxis or vans or other vehicles for transportation of those persons whose trip origin and/or destination is within Outagamie County or within the zones listed later in this document.

Service Area

VTII: The service area follows the minimum ADA standard, which is within ¾ of a mile from fixed routes.

The general geographic area served by Valley Transit's fixed route service includes the Cities of Appleton, Neenah, Menasha and Kaukauna; Towns of Buchanan and Grand Chute; and Villages of Fox Crossing, Kimberly and Little Chute.

Senior Transportation Service: The service area for elderly passengers under this program is the Outagamie County and Calumet County portions of Appleton; all of the City of Kaukauna; the Villages of Kimberly, Little Chute, and Combined Locks; and the urbanized areas of the Town of Grand Chute. Trips from Outagamie County to Winnebago County for medical purposes are allowed for elderly Outagamie County passengers on a limited basis.

VT Connector, Extended Service Area (ESA): The service area begins approximately three-tenths (3/10) mile from nearest Valley Transit bus stop and is bordered on the north by County Hwy JJ, on the south by County Hwy G in the Neenah area and Hwy 10 in Calumet County, on the west by Hwy 76, and on the east by an imaginary line running south from Hwy 41 & JJ to Hwy 10. The ESA service area provides a ring around Valley Transit’s fixed route bus structure and does not include it. The ESA service is designed to expand Valley Transit’s service area and to provide transfer connections to the Valley Transit fixed route service at six major transfer points.

The transfer points are located on the north on First Avenue & Union Street; on the east at the Goodwill Industries building on Stoney Brook Road; on the south at the Neenah Transfer Center on Church & Doty Streets; on the west at the Fox River Mall; downtown Appleton at the Appleton Transit Center; and at the Foxdale Plaza in Little Chute.

VT Connector, Extended Service Hours (ESH): The service area is the same as described above but also includes all of the Valley Transit fixed route service area. ESH is designed to offer a late night (until midnight) and early morning (beginning at 4:00 a.m.) option for second and third shift workers.

A map showing the service areas Connector and VTII (¾ mile buffer for VTII) can be viewed at:

https://myvalleytransit.com/vt-connector/

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OCHST: The service area includes all of Outagamie County, The Connector ESA service area to the south and west of Lake Winnebago, and Calumet County as far south and east as Chilton, Wisconsin.

Valley Transit will not reimburse the Contractor for any trips provided outside the applicable service area unless pre-approved.

Service Hours

VTII: Valley Transit II operates the same days and hours as Valley Transit's fixed route service, which currently is Monday - Friday, 5:30 AM - 10:30 PM, and Saturdays, 7:30 AM - 10:30 PM. Additional service is provided beyond the ADA requirement on Sundays from 7:30 AM - 2:00 PM. The following legal holidays are observed: New Year's Day; Memorial Day; Fourth of July; Labor Day; Thanksgiving; and Christmas.

Valley Transit may operate reduced hours of service on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and the Contractor’s service hours will be adjusted accordingly.

Senior Transportation Service: The service operates Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

VT Connector Extended Service Area (ESA): The service will be provided during Valley Transit’s regular hours of operation currently 5:30 AM to 10:00 PM Monday through Friday and 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM on Saturdays except on legal holidays. The following legal holidays are observed: New Year’s Day; Memorial Day; Fourth of July; Labor Day; Thanksgiving; and Christmas. Service hours may also be reduced on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve with Valley Transit’s approval.

VT Connector Extended Service Hours (ESH): The service will be provided outside Valley Transit’s regular hours of operation from 10:00 PM to midnight and 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM Monday through Friday and 10:00 PM to midnight and 4:00 AM to 8:00 AM on Saturdays. The following legal holidays are observed: New Year’s Day; Memorial Day; Fourth of July; Labor Day; Thanksgiving; and Christmas. Service hours may also be reduced on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve with Valley Transit’s approval.

OCHST: The service operates Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM thru 6:30 PM.

Program Participants

VTII: Participation in this program is restricted to those persons who have been certified as unable to use Valley Transit's fixed-route buses because of a mobility-limiting disability as defined in the ADA, codified under Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 27.

Valley Transit’s ADA certification system is two-tiered. All eligible riders receive a white certification card with a ‘unconditional’ or ‘conditional’ designation. Unconditional eligibility is provided to riders that are eligible to use the service for any trips (no restrictions). Conditional eligibility is provided to riders whose disability limits their ability to travel independently under certain conditions related to weather, distance to the bus stop, and other reasons. These riders can only use the service under these conditions.

Out-of-town visitors who have been certified as ADA-eligible by another public transit system are automatically eligible for VTII service for up to 21 non-consecutive days. After 21 days, the visitor must be certified by Valley Transit in order to continue using the service.

The Contractor is responsible for transporting only ADA certified riders in this program and enforcement of conditional eligibility.

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Senior Transportation Service: Participation in the elderly transportation program will be restricted to those who are age 60 and over residing in the Calumet County portion of Appleton and those who have yellow certification cards in Outagamie County.

VT Connector: This service is common carrier public transportation and as such is available to the general public. There currently are no certification cards for eligible riders, but Valley Transit may implement certification for riders and issue an ID over the term of the agreement.

OCHST: This service is only available to individuals who are referred by Outagamie County Human Services.

Passengers who commonly use the OCHST service will be minors and may need applicable child safety seats which need to be provided by the Contractor. Children under four years of age must have a care giver twelve years of age or older accompany them. When transporting minor children, no other passengers are allowed to ride in the vehicle at the same time other than the caregiver, older sibling, parent, foster parent, or other relative. No other passengers will be permitted on the vehicle for children age four to twelve other than siblings or children housed in the same residential setting.

Note: For all services, passengers eligible for Family Care are required to pay for trips with an agency ticket provided by Valley Transit. Valley Transit will review this area with the awarded contractor prior to contract start date.

Accompanying Riders & Service Animals

Attendants: A personal care attendant (PCA) may accompany a certified VTII passenger at no additional charge. A PCA is a person whose assistance is necessary in order for a passenger to complete their trip. An attendant could be necessary to provide physical and/or cognitive assistance. The arrangement for and use of personal care attendants (PCA) is the responsibility of the program user. The Contractor is not required to provide a PCA for program users. One PCA per program user with disabilities is permitted to ride free.

Companions: A companion may also accompany a certified VTII passenger but must pay the same fare as the passenger. Additional companions accompanying the passenger may be carried provided that other eligible program participants are not denied service as a result.

PCAs and companions must have the same origin and destination as the eligible passenger. Arrangements for PCA and all companions will be made by the eligible passenger at the time of reservation. Valley Transit will not subsidize the cost to transport PCAs or companions.

Service Animals: Guide dogs and other service animals are allowed to accompany certified VTII passengers.

Customers must provide notification of their intent to travel with a service animal when they schedule their trip.

Fares

Valley Transit will establish the passenger fare for all services. All fares are subject to change throughout the duration of the contract. The Contractor shall have the ability to a possible tiered fare structure.

The Contractor is responsible for collection of all passenger fares/tickets, retaining collected fares/tickets and crediting the revenue received against the amounts billed to Valley Transit.

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In addition to cash fares, Valley Transit will design, produce and sell all pre-paid fare media. Each month, the Contractor will return pre-paid fare media to Valley Transit for payment with the monthly invoice. Fare media should be sorted and bundled in increments of fifty tickets.

Current passenger fares are listed below by service.

VTII: The one-way fare for basic service, (Origin to destination) is $4.00. The Sunday fare is $11.00.

VT Connector - Extended Service Area (ESA): The one-way fare is $4.00.

VT Connector - Extended Service Hours (ESH): The one-way fare is $6.00, which provides transportation beyond the fixed route service hours.

OCHST: No passenger fares are associated with this service.

Service Demand

Below is ridership and mileage data by service. Future volume is not guaranteed.

Ridership

Year

VTII

(Mon-Sat)

VTII

Sunday

Senior Trans. Connector OCHST Total

2022 61,005 346 1,701 13,608 184 76,844

2021 70,472 251 1,988 14,519 579 87,809

2020 54,544 106 1,305 15,366 367 71,688

2019 106,657 867 2,845 20,995 374 131,738

Miles

Year VTII Sunday Senior Connector OCHST Total 2022 456,358 3,577 11,076 115,303 4,747 591,061

2021 528,197 2,122 12,328 110,711 6,710 660,068

2020 397,252 729 7,658 113,798 3,835 523,272

2019 558,877 21,026 14,400 115,313 2,163 711,779

Hours

Year VTII Sunday Senior Connector OCHST Total 2022 27,852 304 727 6,026 155 35,064

2021 27,305 136 718 4,582 242 32,983

2020 20,638 38 440 4,474 144 25,734

2019 29,799 1,092 760 5,719 118 37,488

Connector rides are 18 percent Extended Service Area and 82 percent Extended Service Hours.

For VTII and Senior Transportation program, approximately 66 percent of trips are ambulatory and 34 percent are non-ambulatory.

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Scheduling & Dispatching

The Contractor will be solely responsible for and required to schedule and dispatch all program trips using Valley Transit's paratransit scheduling system software. The software used is owned by Valley Transit, which is web-based and accessed by the Contractor via the internet. Internet service, workstations and the required hardware necessary for connectivity are the responsibility of the Contractor. The Contractor will not be allowed to utilize or modify this system or its components in any manner that is not specifically approved by Valley Transit and the City of Appleton Information Technology Department.

The current scheduling system is a web-based system with tablets mounted in vehicles that provide real-time data to drivers and dispatchers. Valley Transit is currently out for bid for a new ITS system. This system would be in place prior to the contract start date. Valley Transit will be responsible for procuring and installing tablets & mounting equipment onboard the Contractor’s vehicles.

Valley Transit will provide a telephone number that transfers to Contractor. The Contractor is required to have sufficient incoming phone lines and staff to manage telephone system. This includes sufficient capacity to handle calls from riders, along with the appropriate staffing to answer calls in a timely manner.

Staffing capacity includes answering calls covering the operating hours of all programs, as described further below. Riders under The Connector program could potentially call starting at 2:00 AM for service days beginning at 4:00 AM, so the Contractor must be able to answer and respond to these calls for service.

The phone system must also allow after-hour calls from customers who wish to cancel by leaving a message. The system must also allow after-hour calls from customers with immediate service needs and require live contact with an employee of the Contractor who can respond in a timely manner. The Contractor’s phone system shall not result in busy signals for incoming calls or excessively long hold times.

Any hold times greater than 5 minutes are considered excessively long.

The Contractor must provide a solution for translation services for LEP (Limited English Proficiency) clients to be able to accommodate customer service needs. This includes tracking and reporting information to Valley Transit. A plan for this should be outlined in the proposal.

The Contractor must allow advance registration up to 14 days in advance of a trip and will ensure that subscription service not absorb more than 50 percent of the total number of trips available at any given time of day consistent with Sections 37.131 and 37.133 of the ADA regulations (49CFR). The service must guarantee “next day” service as defined in Section 37.131. Also, the Contractor must allow customers who are unable to schedule their return medical trips (referred to as “will-calls”) to call for service when the appointment is over, although Valley Transit may discontinue this service at some point during the term of the contract.

The Contractor may negotiate the pick-up time with the rider but may not require a passenger to schedule a trip to begin more than one hour before or after the desired departure time. The Contractor also must consider the rider’s schedule. For instance, a rider cannot be expected to schedule a pick-up time at 4:00 p.m. from work when they work until 5:00 p.m. Nor can a rider be expected to schedule a pick-up time at 9:00 a.m. when they begin work at 8:00 a.m.

VTII: Contractor will accept calls for service at a minimum Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30 AM and 5 PM. Passengers are required to make reservations the day before the trip is needed (next-day service). At a minimum, VTII passenger reservations must be made before 5:00 PM the day before the trip. On Sundays prior to a Monday service day, the Contractor must accept reservations made between 7:30 AM and 5 PM. Limited use of voicemail to accept reservations on Sunday is sufficient.

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All VTII trips shall be scheduled without priorities as to trip purpose.

Senior Transportation Service: Contractor will accept calls for service at a minimum Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30 AM and 5 PM. Passengers are required to make reservations the day before the trip is needed (next-day service). At a minimum, passenger reservations must be made before 5:00 PM the day before the trip.

VT Connector: Reservations by passengers must be made at least two hours in advance. The Contractor and Valley Transit can encourage more “advanced” reservations but can only require two hour notice.

Also, the Contractor must allow more advanced reservations (at least 14 days in advance). At a minimum, reservations must be accepted between the hours of 2:00 AM and 10:00 PM, Monday through Saturday, with other provisions to accept weekend calls and service arrival inquiries from customers and allow after-hour calls from customers who wish to cancel via voicemail.

OCHST: Reservations by passengers must be made at least two hours in advance. The Contractor and Valley Transit can encourage more “advanced” reservations but can only require two hour notice. Also, the Contractor must allow more advanced reservations (at least 14 days in advance). At a minimum, reservations must be accepted between the hours of 7:30 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with other provisions to accept weekend calls and allow after-hour calls from customers who wish to cancel via voicemail.

Valley Transit highly prefers that the Contractor’s call center/dispatching office be located in Fox Cities.

A summary of service and reservation hours by program is listed below.

Service Hours1 Program Monday - Friday Saturday Sunday Reservation Policy

VTII 5:30 AM – 10:30 PM 7:30 AM – 10:30 PM 7:30 AM – 2:00

PM

Advanced Reservation (next day service) – made day prior to trip by 5:00

PM

Senior Transportation Program

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM No service No service

Advanced Reservation (next day service) – made day prior to trip by 5:00

PM

VT Connector 4:00 AM – 12:00 AM 4:00 AM – 12:00 AM No service Minimum 2 hour notice – More advanced notice will be encouraged

OCHST 6:00 AM – 6:30 PM No service No service Minimum 2 hour notice – Most trips are scheduled at least the day prior

1 Service not available on major holidays.

Vehicles

The Contractor shall supply, at its own expense, all vehicles required in performing the services under this agreement. The Contractor shall utilize an appropriate mix of vehicles as described below. The exact mix of vehicles will be submitted by the Contractor and approved by Valley Transit prior to beginning service.

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The VTII service must be accessible to ambulatory, semi-ambulatory, and non-ambulatory individuals with disabilities and conform to the accessibility specifications contained in 49CFR, Part 38, Subpart B for ADA and Wisconsin 5.347.48; (2m)(b, c, and d). A sufficient number of spare vehicles, ready for service, shall be available in the event of a vehicle breakdown.

Wheelchair-accessible Vehicles: As required by 49 CFR Part 38, wheelchair-accessible vehicles must be equipped with either a ramp or lift, wheelchair securement and separate passenger lap and shoulder restraints, front or rear-facing mobility device securement positions, and all other requirements stated in Part 38 pertaining to wheelchair-accessible vans. Wheelchair-accessible minibuses or buses may also be used in this service, and those vehicles must conform to the vehicle specifications contained in Part 38.

Inaccessible Vehicles: A portion of vehicles authorized for contract service may be inaccessible vehicles (defined as wheelchair-inaccessible vehicles primarily useable by ambulatory clients). These vehicles may be vans, sedans, station wagons, taxi, buses or minibuses. All inaccessible vehicles used in program service must meet all applicable Federal, State and local vehicle operation regulations.

Vehicles used to provide contract service may not be older than seven years from the original vehicle manufacture date. After a vehicle has reached six years from its manufacture date, Valley Transit will consider exceptions on an individual vehicle basis per Contractor request.

The Contractor shall be responsible for making program materials available to clients in all vehicles via a Valley Transit provided brochure rack. Materials will at a minimum include ticket order forms and customer comment forms. The Contractor shall post signs in vehicles as requested by Valley Transit.

The Contractor shall not sell any space or display any advertising on any vehicle used in the operation of this service. Bumper stickers and other similar materials are specifically not allowed. The Contractor will distribute no literature without express prior authorization from Valley Transit. Advertising space may be sold by Valley Transit with Valley Transit collecting the revenue. Valley Transit will be responsible for costs associated with installation and removal of the advertisements.

The Contractor will display VTII and Connector signage on all vehicles providing VTII and Connector service. Valley Transit will determine the design, size and format of said signage. Cost for sign production and installation will be the responsibility of Valley Transit.

The Contractor is responsible for removing any Valley Transit program identification when disposing of vehicles.

Valley Transit reserves the right to reopen negotiations in the event that the City directly purchases or acquires vehicles to be used by the Contractor.

Vehicle Maintenance

The Contractor shall be responsible for the proper use, care and maintenance of all vehicles and equipment required to adequately fulfill the responsibilities associated with the provision of paratransit services as described herein. The Contractor shall implement and follow its preventive maintenance program described in the RFP submittal for the duration of the agreement. The maintenance program must be fully detailed and maintained in a manual.

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The Contractor shall ensure that all vehicles assigned to Valley Transit II, Senior Transportation Service, The Connector and OCHST service meet all Local, state and Federal regulations. Annual vehicle inspections must be performed.

Preventive Maintenance Program: The Contractor is required to follow a preventive maintenance program. The preventive maintenance program, at a minimum, must conform to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended warranty and maintenance requirements for commercial use of the vehicle, and any local, State or Federal regulations, and must include record keeping) for any vehicle providing paratransit services under this agreement. Contractors shall develop a maintenance program detailing activities performed. Copies of vehicle registrations and annual inspections must be sent to Valley Transit’s office at minimum once per year or upon request.

Pre/Post Trip Inspections: The Contractor must establish and follow a pre-trip/post-trip inspection program involving a “walk around” exterior inspection and a “walk through” interior inspection of the vehicle before its service tour and again after it returns to the garage. These inspections must include, at a minimum:

Checks of all fluid levels Visual inspection of the belt/hoses Visual checks of passenger seats/wheelchair positions, securement straps, seatbelts and shoulder belts Test and cleaning, as required, of all lights Visual check and operating test of doors Visual check, cleaning, as required, of all windows and test of windshield wiper/washer system Visual inspection of all emergency equipment and operation as applicable (exits, fire extinguishers, warning devices, first aid kits, etc.)

Rolling test of braking system Visual inspection and cycling of wheelchair lift Visual inspection and physical testing of all tires, wheels, lug nuts Visual check of exhaust system Visual inspection, cleaning as required, and adjustment of all mirrors Sound check of all warning systems (horn and back up alarms) Inspection for body damage, corrosion and normal wear and tear Test of radio functioning Climate control systems Map books Driver identification name plate

In addition to the defects or problems discovered in these inspections, any problems or defects detected and reported by drivers or clients while the vehicles are in service must be noted and recorded in a written defect reporting system. The system must include a formal process of recording all problems, reporting them to appropriate maintenance personnel and reporting when repairs have been completed.

A complete record of all repairs performed on each vehicle must be maintained. This information must be included in the service history of each vehicle. It is the Contractors responsibility to establish arrangements for all service repairs required for compliance under this agreement. Valley Transit is not responsible for any service or repair claims.

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Valley Transit or a designated representative shall, at all times, have the authority to inspect any vehicle utilized for the provision of service under this agreement. This authority shall include the ability to direct the immediate withdrawal from service of any vehicle determined by Valley Transit to be unsafe or excessively dirty. Removal of any vehicle from service under this paragraph does not constitute a waiver of the Contractor’s requirement to supply an equivalent replacement vehicle to provide the services required by this contract.

The Contractor shall properly maintain operating heating and air-conditioning systems on all vehicles.

Maintenance check-ups will be conducted by the Contractor to ensure these systems are operational at the appropriate times of the year. No vehicle shall be operated in service for longer than one day without properly functioning heating or air-conditioning systems.

Vehicles must be kept free of all accident damage (body and mechanical) and must be repaired within 30 days after such damage occurs.

Vehicle Cleanliness/Appearance: All vehicles used in service must be clean and free of all dirt and litter.

The interior of each vehicle must be cleaned daily, with a thorough cleaning of the full interior at least once per week. Vehicle exteriors must be washed at least once per week, including during frigid winter months, or more frequently if needed. Valley Transit reserves the right to remove any vehicle with unacceptable appearance from service.

Through the course of the contract, Valley Transit will conduct safety audits (ride checks) in the areas of defensive driving, passenger relations, on-time performance, and scheduling. Any performance problems discovered during these audits shall be addressed by the Contractor to Valley Transit’s satisfaction.

Vehicle Communications System

The Contractor is required to provide, install, and maintain a voice communication system for communication with the fleet. This system must be sufficiently powerful to reach all areas covered by the Valley Transit II, Senior Transportation Service, Connector and OCHST service area. The dispatcher must be capable of contacting any vehicle at any time using this system. A system with “flat” spots in the service area is not acceptable. At no time may a vehicle be out of communication range with the dispatcher. If the radio system will not provide adequate coverage, the Contractor must supply a supplemental means of communication for all “dead” coverage areas.

Licensing

The Contractor must be properly licensed to provide paratransit service for people with disabilities and must be in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local codes, regulations, and licensing requirements as well as all applicable state motor vehicle codes and licensing requirements. The Contractor will provide proof of such to Valley Transit.

No-Shows, Trip Denials & Missed Trips

A “No-Show” is defined as a situation where a passenger does not keep a scheduled trip appointment, cancels at the door, or cancels with less than an hour notice before the trip. The Contractor will attempt to contact the client and wait up to 5 minutes after the scheduled pick-up time before leaving from a pick-up point. If the Contractor arrives after a scheduled pick-up time, the Contractor will wait a minimum of 5 minutes and make every effort to contact the customer.

Valley Transit Page 15

A “trip denial” includes: (1) any scheduled trip where the pick-up time is more than one hour before or after a requested pick-up time, even if the customer accepts the time offered; or (2) when a customer requests a round trip and only one leg of the trip can be accommodated, if the customer declines the one-way offer, both legs of the trip need to be recorded as denied trips.

A “missed trip” occurs when a passenger is waiting for a scheduled pick-up and the vehicle never arrives.

This does not include late pick-ups. However, if the vehicle arrives outside of the pick-up window (15 minutes either side of the scheduled pick-up time) and the passenger has left, this is considered a missed trip and not a no-show.

The Contractor shall provide all available VTII trips that are requested in advance (scheduled by 5:00 PM the day prior to the trip). The Contractor will be responsible for documenting and reporting each VTII no-show, missed trip or denied trip occurrence. If a pattern develops where trips are being denied or missed, the Contractor will immediately implement actions to eliminate denied or missed trips.

Valley Transit will not be responsible for payment for no-shows or properly cancelled trips.

Rider Policy

The Contractor’s drivers, dispatchers and other staff are required to enforce Valley Transit’s rider policies.

Rider policies are found on the webpage below.

https://myvalleytransit.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-Paratransit-System-Policies-and-Procedures.pdf

With specific and timely incident data provided by the Contractor, Valley Transit shall work with riders to a ensure safer and more efficient system.

Data, Reporting & Audits

The following data is required to be reported to Valley Transit.

Mileage and Trip Data. Valley Transit is required by FTA to collect certain mileage and trip data.

Most of this data will be accessed through Valley Transit’s software. The following information must be provided/entered for each trip.

1) Name and identification number of rider.

2) Trip Date

3) Origin and destination with appropriate arrival/departure times both scheduled and actual

4) Purpose of trip (not mandatory)

5) Itemization of trip costs

6) Driver name and employee number # (if applicable)

7) Actual trip pick-up/drop-off times and actual trip mileage must be recorded manually and entered into Valley Transit’s web-based software through post-trip editing.

Contractor will not be compensated for trips with incomplete or invalid data. Separate monthly reporting of trip denials, missed trips and no-shows is required.

Valley Transit Page 16

Financial and Performance Data: The Contractor is required to keep separate written financial and performance records. These records will include all wages, salaries, and costs to be used as a base for computing Accounts Payable or Items Reimbursable. Records must be available for inspection by Valley Transit or Valley Transit's approved agent at all times upon reasonable notification.

Employee Data: The Contractor shall provide Valley Transit, upon request, with a list of all personnel who will perform services in any manner and describe how they are involved in the program.

Vehicle Data: The Contractor shall provide a vehicle inventory quarterly. The completed inventory will be due 30 days after the end of each quarter. Contractor shall also report revenue hours, revenue miles, total vehicle hours, total vehicle miles and NTD safety & security incidents on a monthly basis.

Valley Transit reserves the right to direct an audit of accounting records and other related financial books and records. Such audit shall be completed at the Contractor’s expense and delivered to Valley Transit no later than 150 days after the end of Contractor’s fiscal year.

Performance Standards

The Contractor is required to maintain a minimum annual on-time performance of 90% for VTII ADA services. Other services included in this RFP shall maintain this same standard. This measurement will be based on a 15-minute window from either the scheduled time of pick-up or drop-off. The 90% on-time performance standard for VTII trips will be based on scheduled trips only. This standard will not include “will-calls” (unscheduled return trips from medical facilities).

The Contractor is required to serve will-call trips within one-hour from the time of notification that the passenger is ready to be picked-up.

The Contractor is required to minimize call hold times. This requirement includes answering 95% of calls within 3 minutes and 99% of calls within 5 minutes. The Contractor’s phone system will never result in busy signals.

Passenger travel times cannot exceed the normal travel time for the same trip taken by bus.

The Contractor will schedule employees and vehicles necessary to accommodate all periods of peak and non-peak demand. The service shall operate without capacity constraints, like a pattern of trip denials, waiting lists, sub-standard on-time performance, excessive telephone hold times or excessive trip lengths.

If the service experiences a capacity constraint, the Contractor shall immediately resolve the issue causing the constraint.

Employee Training

The Contractor shall be required to implement an employee training program that includes new employee training (defensive driving, geographic familiarization, passenger assistance, passenger sensitivity, safe operating practices, ramp/lift utilization, FTA DOT Drug & Alcohol and procedures for securing mobility devices) prior to beginning service. The cost of training materials and instructor fees is the responsibility of the Contractor.

Valley Transit Page 17

The Contractor shall maintain an outline of their employee training program, including updates as needed.

All personnel employed by the Contractor for work under this contract shall participate in applicable training. Contractor shall maintain documentation of completed training by employee.

Employee Standards

All Contractor employees shall be courteous to all passengers and maintain a high level of customer service. Drivers shall conduct themselves professionally as they have been trained to do in the sensitivity training provided by the Contractor. All Contractor employees must refrain from negative comments or behavior toward riders at all times. Rude, offensive and abusive language or behavior is not tolerated.

Drivers shall be neat and clean in appearance. Drivers are required to wear a uniform shirt and picture identification card on uniform that includes driver’s name. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing the driver uniform and ID badge. Smoking is not permitted inside or near any vehicle that performs paratransit service for Valley Transit even if passengers are not present.

Federal background checks must be completed for all drivers to ensure each employee has a clean driving and criminal record. The Contractor shall not employ any person as a driver, who has been convicted of a felony involving a crime of violence or committed in the use of a commercial vehicle, convicted of an offense involving a serious traffic violation (as defined in the Commercial Driver’s License standards, requirements, and penalties) or who has been convicted of a drug or alcohol offense involving a motor vehicle. Vehicle operators shall have no more than three (3) moving violations and/or chargeable accidents within the previous five (5) year period at time of hire. The Contractor must provide documentation upon request of Valley Transit.

Drug & Alcohol Testing

The Contractor, and any subcontractor performing work under this Contract, shall comply with all United States Department of Transportation drug and alcohol testing requirements, including 49 CFR Part 655, applicable to safety-sensitive employees. It is Contractor’s responsibility to establish a compliant Drug & Alcohol Testing Program and Policy. The Contractor will directly pay all costs associated with compliance, including for testing (pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return to duty and follow‐up). Contractor also bears the cost of employee time associated with this testing.

Contractor shall also be responsible for providing and conducting new employee and supervisory training necessary to ensure AODA compliance. Contractor shall promptly comply with all requests for information from Valley Transit required to complete all federal reports and to audit Contractor’s compliance with applicable AODA requirements.

The Contractor will be required to complete annual MIS reports and submit data in a federal reporting system according to Valley Transit’s instructions within 60 days after the end of the calendar year.

Service Feedback

Contractor shall follow Valley Transit’s public comment policies and procedures. Valley Transit will receive and record complaints related to the provision of this service. Valley Transit will notify Contractor of such complaint. Contractor will be responsible for investigation of complaint and will respond to Valley Transit with results of the investigation within forty-eight (48) hours of notification.

Any complaints or comments received by the Contractor shall be immediately forwarded to Valley Transit.

Valley Transit Page 18

The Contractor will also be responsible for collecting input from passengers. This is to be done by passing out comment cards in accordance with a schedule to be provided by Valley Transit.

Valley Transit will perform periodic ride checks as it deems necessary and will inform Contractor of the results.

Accident/Incident Notification

Contractor will notify Valley Transit of any vehicular accidents, passenger injury incidents and/or safety/security incidents immediately or as soon as practicable. Written detailed reports are due within three (3) business days of said accident. Any claim made against the Contractor in relation to the services provided under the resulting contract must be reported to Valley Transit, in writing, within two (2) business days.

Inclement Weather

VTII service must be available whenever Valley Transit’s fixed-route buses are in operation, including periods of inclement weather. The Contractor should be aware that it is rare for the fixed-route bus service to stop operation, even in inclement weather. However, the buses may run late during inclement weather.

Likewise, the paratransit system must run, albeit late, during inclement weather. The Contractor must consult with Valley Transit’s contract administrator or designee prior to modifying service.

Invoicing & Payments

Valley Transit will make monthly payments based on specific contract terms and conditions. Billings must be itemized and totaled. Billings will show the total cost, fares, and net cost. Invoices should be delivered to Valley Transit prior to the 10th of the following month. Each month, the Contractor will return pre-paid fare media to Valley Transit for payment with the monthly invoice. Fare media should be sorted and bundled in increments of twenty tickets. Data that is required to be reported with the invoice includes:

one-way trips, revenue hours, total hours, revenue miles and total miles by service.

Valley Transit Page 19

PART C – PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTION

General Information

All proposals must be submitted via email or mail. All proposals must be received at Valley Transit by 10:00 AM (cst) on Friday January 26, 2024.

Submittal by Email Instructions:

An emailed proposal shall be received by Valley Transit prior to the due date and time shown above. The email subject line shall state: “PROPOSAL FOR PARATRANSIT (ADA & ANCILLARY) SERVICE, RFP VT23-004.”

The email file size maximum is 15MB. Proposal file format shall be Portable Document Format (PDF). The Cost Proposal Form (file name = “Cost Proposal”) shall be a separate file from the remaining proposal package.

Proposals shall be emailed to valley.transit@appleton.org . Submitting a proposal to any email address other than valley.transit@appleton.org does not constitute receipt of a proposal by Valley Transit.

It is the Proposer's responsibility to verify that the emailed proposal has been timely received and delivered to Valley Transit before the due date and time above. Valley Transit is not responsible for late receipt of a proposal, regardless of the reason for the delay. Proof of transmission does not constitute proof of receipt.

The Proposer is responsible for confirming that their emailed proposal response has been successfully received by Valley Transit. To confirm receipt, email Debra Ebben at debra.ebben@appleton.org prior to the due date.

Submittal by Mail Instructions:

If mailed, the proposal package should be addressed to the General Manager, c/o Valley Transit, 801 S.

Whitman Ave., Appleton, WI 54914. On the outside of the envelope, the proposer should distinctly indicate the name and address of the firm and in the lower left corner should clearly indicate that the envelope contains a proposal for: “PROPOSAL FOR PARATRANSIT (ADA & ANCILLARY) SERVICE, RFP VT23- 004.” The sealed package shall contain a USB flash drive storing the proposal files in PDF format. The cost proposal must be included as a separate PDF file (file name = “Cost Proposal”) on the USB flash drive. When mailed, a hard copy of proposal materials may be included, but it is not required. If mailed, receipt of a proposal by the mail system or other City departments does not constitute receipt of a proposal by Valley Transit.

Any proposal or proposal documents received after the deadline set forth in this RFP will not be considered. Submission of proposal documents by facsimile equipment will not be accepted. It is the proposer's sole responsibility to ensure that their entire proposal is timely and physically received by Valley Transit prior to the deadline set forth in this RFP. Any proposals not complying with these instructions will not be considered submitted to Valley Transit and shall be returned to the proposer unopened and unread.

Proposals may be withdrawn prior to the date/time set for proposal opening. Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by the proposer’s authorized representative in person, or by…