Accessible and Autonomous Mobility Services

The City of Detroit Office of Contracting and Procurement on behalf of the Office of Mobility Innovation and Department of Transportation is requesting proposals for Accessible and Autonomous Mobility Services (Accessibili-D 2.0), a phased accessible on-demand transportation service, with proposals due September 30, 2026 at 2:00 PM EST and questions due September 11, 2026 by 2:00 PM EST.

The scope spans three phases: Phase 1 requires deployment of a minimum of three manually operated ADA-compliant vehicles within 90 days of contract approval with an integrated booking application and browser-based platform connected to DDOT call centers; Phase 2 involves transitioning to a hybrid model with at least one SAE Level 3 autonomous vehicle integrated into the dispatch system; Phase 3 requires deployment of a minimum of two autonomous shuttles with complete service-area HD mapping and validation. Service territory is defined by a minimum viable service area map covering central and east Detroit. The service must operate Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST (with 7 days per week, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EST preferred), serve a minimum of 50 riders per day, and maintain maximum wait times of 45 minutes. The service targets seniors aged 62 and older, people with disabilities, veterans, and survivors of gun violence.

Respondents must demonstrate a minimum of three years' experience providing similar services with three references, at least one year of public deployment with passengers, and documented ability to obtain and operate SAE Level 3 or greater autonomous vehicles. All vehicle acquisition or leasing costs and operational depot expenses are the vendor's responsibility; no separate City funding is available. Insurance requirements include $5 million combined single limit for automobile liability and commercial general liability, Michigan statutory workers' compensation, and $500,000 minimum employers' liability per accident, disease, and person.

The contract term is two years with potential renewal options subject to City Council approval. Compensation is structured as fixed monthly rates covering all vehicles, staffing, booking applications, dispatch, maintenance, storage, HD mapping, testing, validation, data, connectivity fees, insurance, and operational costs, plus one-time milestone payments upon City acceptance of Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 deliverables. Funding is provided through MDOT and subject to Federal Transit Administration requirements. Evaluation criteria are experience and qualifications (30 points), proposed plan and technical approach (25 points), quality and reliability of vehicles and equipment (25 points), and pricing (20 points). Proposals must remain firm for 120 days. A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for August 31, 2026 at 2:00 PM EST via Microsoft Teams. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive non-conformities, re-advertise, or cancel the procurement in whole or in part. Addendum 1 and Addendum 2 have been issued with clarifications and date modifications.