VanGO Transit Operations Management

Charles County, Maryland is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to procure comprehensive VanGO Transit Operations Management services, including fixed-route service, deviated-fixed route service, demand-response transportation, subscription services, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit operations. The selected contractor must operate approximately 12 fixed routes with estimated monthly passenger trips ranging from 141 to 7,249 depending on route, and total estimated monthly service hours exceeding 4,500 across all service types. Deliverables include managing a fleet of 48 vehicles (comprising both medium-duty and light-duty wheelchair-accessible shuttle buses), providing all operational facilities and maintenance operations, fuel, and specialized equipment including two-way radios, GPS systems, mobile data terminals, automatic vehicle locators, and on-board camera systems. The contractor must honor the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 639 and propose competitive bus operator pay scales. The contract will be structured with fixed revenue vehicle-hour rates for public transit and subscription services, per-passenger-trip rates for demand-response services, and fixed revenue vehicle-hour rates for out-of-county medical trips. Performance requirements are stringent, with mandatory 95% on-time performance and detailed penalty standards for road calls, maintenance compliance, customer complaints, and service continuance, with penalties ranging from $50 to $1,000 per violation. Evaluation criteria allocate 50 points to cost, 15 points to experience, 15 points to required plans, 10 points to organizational structure, 5 points to financial capability, and 5 points to other factors. The mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for May 21, 2026, with a mandatory fleet inspection on May 31, 2026; proposals are due June 18, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., submitted electronically through the County's eProcurement Portal, with contract commencement occurring after the award protest period concludes and running through June 30, 2029, with three optional two-year renewal periods.

This procurement is federally funded at approximately 50% by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) with oversight by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), making FTA compliance mandatory and controlling in any conflict with other contract provisions. The contract incorporates comprehensive federal requirements including mandatory compliance with 49 C.F.R. part 655 drug and alcohol testing programs, Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act compliance, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act overtime provisions, government-wide debarment and suspension verification, and lobbying restrictions. The contractor must maintain comprehensive insurance including commercial automobile liability ($5,000,000 per occurrence/$15,000,000 aggregate), commercial general liability ($5,000,000 per occurrence/$15,000,000 aggregate), worker's compensation, and collision/comprehensive coverage equal to fleet book value. The County will lease its existing vehicle fleet to the contractor for $1 per vehicle annually, requiring integration with the current infrastructure consisting of 48 active vehicles with varying model years from 2013 to 2025. Performance and labor bonds are required as part of contract execution, with bond amounts to be filled in at the time of proposal submission. While specific budget ranges are not disclosed in the solicitation documents, the contract encompasses operations for an approximately 50%-federally-funded public transit system with estimated annual trips provided as a general guide for evaluation purposes, though actual quantities may vary more or less than estimated.