SR-1000-002-04 (4)
Purch:PW:ML:RAH:F:\FINANCE\PURCH\STFRPTS\SRBD2870.DOC
Council Meeting: April 27, 2004 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Award Bid #2870 and Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Contract for
Dial-A-Ride Paratransit Service
Introduction
This report recommends award of bid and authorization for the City Manager to execute a
three-year contract to provideDial-A-Ride paratransit service for the Big Blue Bus
Department at specified yearly prices. The estimated expenditure over three years is
$1,603,008.
Background
WISE/Santa Monica Dial-A-Ride is a curb-to-curb paratransit service offered to any Santa
Monica resident who is at least 60 years old or who has a disability and is at least 18 years
of age. Clients make phone reservations for trips to and from any location within Santa
Monica, for any purpose, seven days a week. On designated days, trips are offered to
select medical facilities outside of Santa Monica. Seasonal evening service and monthly
shopping excursions are also offered. The fare is 50 cents per one-way trip. In addition to
passenger fares, the program is funded by Proposition A Local Return Transportation
funds.
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WISE Senior Services promotes the service in the community, processes client registration
forms, and conducts monthly orientation programs for new Dial-A-Ride patrons. Big Blue
Bus provides overall management including quality control, community liaison, and the
development of service innovations. The contractor for the Dial-A-Ride service provides
and maintains all transit vehicles as well as performs reservation, dispatch and driver
functions. The current service agreement with Transportation Concepts for providing
paratransit services has been extended on a month-to-month basis since October 1, 2003.
In response to requests for information from Council and City Commissions in the fall of
2003, staff researched current transportation programs for seniors and people with
disabilities in five municipalities in Los Angeles County and compared their costs and
benefits with WISE/Santa Monica’s Dial-A-Ride. The program information was presented
to the Commission for the Senior Community, the Disabilities Commission, the Commission
on Status of Women, and the Social Services Commission. The consensus of all four
commissions was that the current Dial-A-Ride program should remain structured as it is
currently operated, and that staff should consider enhancements for extended hours of
service as funding becomes available.
Discussion
In January 2004, the City published Notices Inviting Bids to provideDial-A-Ride paratransit
service in accordance with City specifications.Bids were received and publicly opened
and read on March 2, 2004. Bid forms were mailed to twenty-one vendors and notices
were advertised in accordance with City Charter and Municipal Code provisions. Three
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bids were received as follows:
Vendor Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total
MV Transportation $480,012 $481,351 $488,270 $1,449,633
Classic Tow, Inc $485,955 $510,140 $533,600 $1,529,695
Transportation Concepts $514,188 $534,612 $554,208 $1,603,008
The project staffing levels in the three bids were as follows:
Vendor Reservations/Dispatch Drivers
MV Transportation 1 Full Time, 1 Part Time 4 Full Time, 3 Part Time
Classic Tow, Inc. 1 Full Time 5 Full Time, 1 Part Time
Transportation Concepts 2 Full Time, 2 Part Time 4 Full Time, 5 Part Time
Staff has evaluated the bids and interviewed all three firms. The bids were rated on
relevant experience with similar projects, financial stability, past performance on contracts
with the City and other agencies, quality of work, cost of service, and managerial
considerations including the relevant experience of proposed staff, operating methodology,
proposed vehicles, and operating plan.
Classic Tow, Inc., has no prior experience providing passenger transportation of any kind.
MV Transportation is experienced with paratransit for seniors and people with disabilities;
however, their proposal was weaker due to insufficient staffing levels for reservations,
dispatch, and driver personnel. Santa Monica Dial-A-Ride operates 61 hours every week
which would require at least one and a half full time equivalent reservations/dispatch staff
to have one person on duty at all times, with no provision for vacation or sick time. It has
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been the City’s experience that two or three reservations/dispatch staff members are
required during the morning reservation and peak travel period. The proposed staffing
levels of both MV Transportation and Classic Tow, Inc. would not adequately satisfy
existing client demand, thus compromising the level and quality of service.
Staff recommends Transportation Concepts to provide the Dial-A-Ride paratransit services
based on the City’s best bidder criteria, as set forth in Santa Monica Municipal code
Section 2.24.072 as follows:
1. Transportation Concepts bid was responsive to the bid requirement of assuring
a high quality and level of service by proposing adequate staffing levels to meet
existing program operational requirements.
2. Transportation Concepts submitted a competitive price for service related to the
operation of paratransit service at the level and quality required by the City.
3. Transportation Concepts demonstrated the capacity to meet bid requirements by
having operated the service for the last three years with a minimum number of
complaints, and has been highly responsive to requests for service
improvements from the City.
4. And, Transportation Concepts is providing a highly experienced project
manager, having been associated with Santa Monica’s Dial-A-Ride program for
over thirteen years, including four years as project manager.
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Although Transportation Concepts’ proposed operating cost is the highest of the three
proposals, it reflects costs for significantly higher staffing levels for reservation agents,
dispatchers and vehicle operators. Adequate staffing levels have proven to be a key
element in providing the high quality of service required by the City. Had MV
Transportation submitted a bid with the same staffing levels as Transportation Concepts,
their bid price would have been an additional $211,671, four percent higher than
Transportation Concept’s bid, based on MV Transportation’s stated wages and benefits.
Budget/Financial Impact
This is a multi-year contract beginning May 1, 2004. Funding for the first two months of
the first year of the proposed contract is included in account number 41603.55501B in the
City's FY2003-04 budget. Budget authority to fulfill contract payment obligations in
subsequent years will be included in each annual proposed City budget.
Recommendation
It is recommended that City Council:
1. Reject the bids submitted by MV Transportation and Classic Tow, Inc.; and
2. Award Bid #2870 to Transportation Concepts at specified prices, and authorize the
City Manager to execute a three-year contract with them to provide Dial-A-Ride
paratransit services.
Prepared By: Stephanie Negriff, Director of Transit Services
Janeene de Martinez, Assistant Director, Transit Finance and Business
Services
Diane Howell, Purchasing Agent
Richard Chiu, Buyer
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