sr-081010-1mCity Council Meeting: August 10; 2010
Agenda Item: 1'"' M
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Stephanie Negriff, Director of Transit Services
Subject: Contract for Real-Time Signs
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Trapeze
Software Group, aCanadian-based company, in the amount of $1,992,110 to
provide for the licenses, software integration, production, installation, and three-
year support program for 96 real-time signs (94 on street and 2 spares) to be
placed in the new Council-approved bus shelters being created for the bus stop
redevelopment program; and
2. Approve the budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget
Actions section.
Executive Summary
The Big Blue Bus (BBB) plans to implement electronic real-time signs and a mobile
transit application, as part of its bus stop improvement project. These two systems will
provide the public with several methods of accessing real-time bus service information.
In addition, the systems will work seamlessly with BBB's existing fleet management
electronic infrastructure, as they will utilize the information from the BBB's existing
scheduling system to provide the public with up to the minute transit information. Funds
of $1,992,110 are available in FY 2011 discretionary funds and Prop C MOSIP funds at
0410114.589000,
Background
Bus stops are a powerful marketing tool and act as a `store window' for transit services.
They are also an important platform for information including new real-time informational
signs that provide actual bus arrival or departure times on computerized information
boards.
1
On March 3, 2009, Council authorized a Professional Service Agreement with Lorcan
O'Herlihy Architects for design services for the Bus Stop Redevelopment Project, and
on January 12, 2010 Council approved a conceptual design (see Attachment A) of a
bus stop :that included seating, shelters, new signage, trash and recycling containers,
and real-time arrival/departure signs at higher volume locations.
A map showing all bus stops within the. City and their boarding volume is located in
Attachment B. Real-time signs will be placed at all very high (over 1,000 hoardings per
day), high (between 100 and 999 hoardings .daily), and medium-volume (between 50
and 99 hoardings daily) shelter locations, a total of 94 stops. These signs, built into the
shelter's structure, will inform passengers of the next arrival times at that location.
Discussion
On August 17, 2009 the Big Blue Bus issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the
implementation of the real-time signs. The BBB received six. responses to the RFP. A
selection committee comprised of BBB and Information Systems. Department staff
evaluated five proposals and invited the bidders for interviews and to product
demonstrations. After careful review, the selection committee determined that Trapeze
was the most responsive bidder. The committee based their decision on Trapeze's
ability to provide seamless integration with the BBB exists systems, their ability to utilize
the BBB's existing radio infrastructure to update and manage the real-time signs, the
company's stability, the technical expertise of their proposed subcontractors, and their
ability to meet all the requirements of the BBB's RFP.
The BBB has a successful history with the Trapeze Software Group. We currently own
and operate their scheduling and customer service systems and their dispatch software.
These systems are tightly integrated and deliver all the information that is required by a
real-time sign.
2
Trapeze will work in conjunction Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects to develop the exact
specifications for the real time signs that will be built into the new bus shelters, and they
will provide a seamless integration to the BBB's existing communications infrastructure
to provide real time data to the signs and the mobile transit application.
Trapeze Software, Inc. is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada with offices
worldwide (Australia, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom
and the United States). The office contracted to produce the real-time signs is located in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Although Trapeze operates a customer support office in
Scottsdale, Arizona, the company will certify that it will not engage with any Arizona-
based businesses in the performance of this project.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The contract amount to be awarded to Trapeze Software Group for the production and
installation of the 94 signs plus two spares, the three-year service agreement, the
mobile applications and contingency totals $1,992,110.
The contract requires an appropriation of FY 2011 Sec. 5307 Discretionary funds in the
amount of $1,122,000 and Prop C MOSIP funds of $870,110 to account
0410114.589000, Subledger 90079W.
Prepared by: Dan Dawson, Customer Relations Administrator
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
Ste nie Negriff ~ j
Direc r of Transit Services
Rod Gould
City Manager
3
Attachments:
A. Council Approved Conceptual Design Bus Stop
B. City Plan Showing Bus Stop Locations
C. Sample Real-Time Sign
4
ATTACHMENTA
ATTACHMENT E
ATTACHMENT C
High ~ Medium Volume Stop Signage
Reference Contract No.
9264 (CCS).