Public Transit3rd Party Transportation Operator

Douglas County Board of Commissioners, Georgia, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Public Transit Third-Party Transportation Operator to manage Connect Douglas, the county's fixed-route and ADA paratransit services. The selected vendor will provide comprehensive operational services including employment and management of vehicle operators, vehicle cleaning and maintenance coordination, service supervision and dispatching, administrative and customer service functions such as reservations and scheduling, marketing assistance, and management oversight. The service encompasses six fixed routes utilizing nine buses with 14-seat capacity and four to five ADA complementary paratransit buses operating Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Saturdays from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with no service on designated federal holidays. Douglas County will provide all vehicles, fueling facilities, vehicle maintenance, insurance, radio equipment, phone and internet infrastructure, computers, mobile data terminals, and office space at no cost to the contractor, while the vendor is responsible for all labor, driver training, vehicle cleaning, customer service operations, and employee insurance. The evaluation will employ a best-value approach considering experience, personnel qualifications, materials and plans, proposed costs, references, scheduling software experience, and proposal responsiveness. The non-mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for February 10, 2026, at 11:00 AM EST at the Douglas County Connect Douglas Multi-Modal Transportation Center; the questions deadline is February 16, 2026, at 4:00 PM EST; and proposals are due March 5, 2026, at 2:00 PM EST via the BidNet online platform, with a tentative service start date of May 1, 2026, following a 45-day transition period.

The contract is structured as a cost-reimbursement arrangement with the initial term of three years plus two optional one-year renewal periods, with annual expenses historically at $1,709,615 for FY 2025 and $1,790,590 for FY 2024, providing an estimated budget range for proposal evaluation. A 5% bid bond calculated on total proposed contract value and a 100% performance bond from an AM-Best A+ or above surety are required. The incumbent contractor, Transitions Commute Solutions, currently holds the contract with an annual value of $1,722,170 expiring April 30, 2026. Vendors must comply with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requirements, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) standards, prevailing wage standards, USDOT drug and alcohol testing regulations, background screening procedures, and Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act requirements including E-Verify authorization verification. Proposals must demonstrate compliance with 32 FTA contract clauses addressing civil rights, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation, equal employment opportunity, debarment and suspension verification, substance abuse requirements, and trafficking in persons prohibitions. Current driver wages are $16 per hour with $16.50 for paratransit drivers, with no living wage ordinance or union representation currently in place, and comprehensive insurance requirements include general liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence with all proposals remaining valid and firm for ninety days following bid opening.