Request for Proposals Seneca Transit System (STS) Bus Service

The Seneca Nation of Indians Department of Transportation is requesting proposals for a third-party contract operator of fixed-route deviation Seneca Transit System bus service, with sealed proposals due August 3, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST and a pre-bid conference scheduled for June 23, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. EST in Salamanca, New York. The incumbent contractor is Transdev North America.

The scope encompasses inter-territory and intra-territory bus service between Irving, Salamanca, and Steamburg in New York, covering the Cattaraugus and Allegany Territories of the Seneca Nation and portions of Cattaraugus and Erie Counties. The contractor will operate six Nation-owned Lot G buses (16–18 passenger capacity with wheelchair accessibility) at a lease cost of $1.00 annually and must provide backup vehicles no older than five years for maintenance and repairs. The operator is responsible for all fueling (using Nation-provided fuel), maintenance, cleaning, inspections, licensing, and repairs. Mandatory scope includes Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, route deviation service of up to 3/4 mile upon request, paratransit services, Passio Go GPS equipment, on-board cameras, two-way communications, and monthly performance reporting.

The contract period runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, with three optional one-year extensions; any extension will include a price increase of the lesser of 5% or the Consumer Price Index for public transportation. Proposals must include separate hourly rates for operating Nation-owned vehicles using Nation-provided fuel and for contractor-owned vehicles using Nation-provided fuel.

The RFP is funded through State Transit Operating Assistance and federal grants from the Federal Transit Administration and New York State Department of Transportation, subject to funding availability and NYSDOT approval. Written questions are due June 30, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. EST. The Seneca Nation reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and does not waive its sovereign immunity through this procurement.