Transit Service Operations

The City of Nashua, New Hampshire is soliciting proposals through a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Transit Service Operations to provide Fixed Route Service and Paratransit Service for the Nashua Transit System (NTS) serving nine municipalities in the region. The procurement requires qualified transportation providers to assume operational control of a fleet of 22 city-owned vehicles, managing an estimated 30,771 to 31,090 annual fixed-route revenue hours and 8,950 to 9,100 annual paratransit revenue hours, with all operational staffing, dispatch, safety training, maintenance coordination, ADA compliance, and administrative functions as primary deliverables. Proposers must demonstrate a minimum of five years of experience in transit services, provide current financial statements, and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including workers' compensation, commercial general liability of at least $1 million per occurrence, professional liability of at least $5 million, and business automobile liability of at least $1 million per occurrence, with all policies naming the City as an additional insured. The contract term spans five fiscal years from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. Proposals will be evaluated on five criteria: proposer qualifications and past performance (30 points), dispatch, safety, and training functions (25 points), operating methodology and staffing plan (25 points), cost effectiveness (10 points), and references (10 points). An optional pre-proposal conference will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 10:00 AM via Zoom, with questions due by Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 10:00 AM, and electronic proposal submissions required by Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 3:00 PM via Bonfire.

No specific set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendor information is identified in the RFP documentation. The City of Nashua will provide vehicle fueling, facility maintenance, system planning, drug and alcohol oversight, vehicle maintenance, most insurance, and administrative oversight, requiring contractor integration with existing municipal infrastructure and the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan. The contractor must comply with all applicable federal requirements including FTA regulations, civil rights laws, and drug and alcohol testing requirements per 49 CFR Part 655, as this contract is supported by Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding. Award is contingent upon approval by the Aldermanic Finance Committee and the Board of Aldermen. Specific budget or award values are not listed in the available documentation; proposers must submit pricing proposals on the provided pricing sheet for the full five-year contract term.