Title
Heavy Duty Bus Procurement - Request to Issue Request for Proposals (RFP)
Description
This report requests the Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee recommend City Council approval for the Public Transit Department (PTD) to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the procurement of approximately 250 - 300 heavy duty, 40-foot buses that will replace existing fleet that will reach the end of their useful life in the coming years.
THIS ITEM IS FOR CONSENT ACTION.
Report
Summary
Phoenix’s heavy-duty bus fleet of 494 buses, which is operated and maintained from three city-owned garages, currently averages nearly seven years old. As a result of this RFP, the PTD will replace the oldest 40-foot buses first, to reduce operating and maintenance costs as well as provide a more reliable, comfortable, and efficient service for our transit users.
The buses purchased through this five-year contract will replace a total of 243 buses, with the ability to purchase an additional 57 buses, should additional funds such as regional or federal grants become available. Of note is that the PTD’s approved 5-year CIP includes the purchase of these vehicles, with such capital purchases consisting of 85 percent federal funds and 15 percent local/regional funds.
Through the life of the contract, the estimated cost to purchase a 40-foot, heavy-duty bus ranges between $535,000 to $602,000. Staff anticipates purchasing between 40 and 60 buses each year as the current fleet vehicles reach their end-of-life.
Evaluation Criteria
The following is a breakdown of the evaluation criteria a panel of qualified staff will use to determine the award of the contract:
1,000 points total
- Design: 200
- Quality: 200
- Warranty: 100
- Schedule: 100
- Price: 400
Financial Impact
Based on the planned quantity of 40-foot buses to be purchased over the course of the contract, the estimated cost of the contract will be between $138 - $176 million, depending on whether any optional units are purchased. Capital purchases of these vehicles consist of 85 percent federal funding and a 15 percent match of local or regional funds.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item will be heard at the Citizen's Transportation Commission meeting on Jan. 28, 2021.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Public Transit Department.