3rd Party Transportation Operator

Douglas County Board of Commissioners issued Request for Proposal 25-024 for a third-party transportation operator to manage Connect Douglas public transit services. The procurement encompasses the complete operational management of four deviated fixed-route buses and ADA complementary paratransit services operating Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with approximately 460,000 annual revenue service miles. The selected operator must provide all vehicle drivers, utility and service personnel, management and supervisory staff, dispatching services, administrative and customer service functions including reservationists and schedulers, minor vehicle cleaning, marketing and promotion assistance, management oversight, and coordination with County staff to support service delivery and grants management functions. The operator must comply with Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requirements, implement drug and alcohol testing programs under 49 CFR Parts 40 and 655, and conduct background screening at the maximum risk level for drivers and road supervisors including sexual offender searches and seven-year driving record checks. Insurance requirements include general liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $1,000,000 aggregate, workers' compensation insurance, and professional liability insurance of $500,000 with $1,000,000 annual aggregate. The RFP included a non-mandatory pre-proposal conference on September 24, 2025, with a question deadline of October 1, 2025, and proposal closing on October 13, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. EST through BidNet Direct electronic submission. Evaluation criteria include on-time performance standards of at least 92 percent measured monthly per route, with performance penalties assessed for non-compliance excluding scenarios involving County-provided vehicle breakdowns.

The procurement is race-neutral with no defined Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) or Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goals, though DBE vendor participation is encouraged on a best-effort basis. Douglas County will provide all transit vehicles, fueling facilities, and vehicle maintenance except those specifically assigned to the operator, with capital assets and County-purchased equipment including desks, cubicles, and computers remaining at the facility. The contract is a cost-reimbursement agreement with an initial three-year term and two optional one-year renewal periods at the County's discretion, subject to Consumer Price Index adjustments as published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, with monthly payment on a net 30-day basis based on actual monthly reimbursable expenses. Ascendal/Transitions was selected as the apparent successful bidder on December 9, 2025, with a proposed contract value of $1,797,825.00. Five other bidders submitted unsuccessful proposals including 3Vets & Company, MTI Limo & Shuttle, Resources Management Systems, River North Transit, and To the Point Transportation. All bidders must submit a bid bond of 5 percent of the total bid amount and comply with extensive FTA clauses and certifications covering civil rights compliance, debarment verification, lobbying restrictions, and employee protective arrangements.