MTA Commuter Bus Route 204

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is requesting bids for commuter bus operations on Route 204, an intrastate/interstate service, with bids due September 10, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. through eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA), and a pre-bid conference on August 21, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. Small business preference applies, allowing small businesses to bid up to 5% higher than the lowest responsive non-small business bid.

The contract requires demonstrated bus transportation experience within the past five years and three references for scheduled intrastate/interstate service provision. Coach operation cannot be subcontracted, though other services may be. The scope is firm fixed price with no federal funding. All costs — labor, profit, overhead, administrative expenses, and fuel reimbursement based on AAA fuel rates — must be included in pricing. An estimated annual mileage of 69,552 miles is calculated on 46 miles per trip, 6 daily trips, and 252 service days per year. The contractor must submit monthly invoices by the tenth day of each month with detailed documentation including ridership data, revenue miles operated, fuel reports, and MBE compliance reports.

The five-year base term potential contract value is $444,280.73, with two optional one-year renewals totaling $174,512.29, for a seven-year total of $618,793.02. Year 1 includes an $8,000 mobilization fee and estimated diesel reimbursement of $75,874.91 plus miscellaneous work allowance of $11,381.24. A fifteen-day mobilization period precedes service start. An MBE participation goal of 5% overall applies (8.34% with commodity rule). A $100,000 performance bond is required. Insurance requirements include commercial general liability and commercial automobile liability of $5 million per occurrence, plus workers' compensation meeting statutory requirements. The contract is subject to Maryland Living Wage requirements. Questions are due August 27, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. The bidder must provide complete, unaltered bid forms without formulas or blank items.