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Home My WebLink About2026-03-11 MTC Meeting - SLO Transit UpdateItem 6.b Mass Transportation Committee Agenda Report For Agenda of: 3/11/2026 Item Number: 6.b FROM: Alexander Fuchs, Mobility Services Business Manager Phone Number: (805) 783-7877 E-mail: afuchs@slocity.org SUBJECT: SLO TRANSIT UPDATE FOR MARCH 2026 MEETING RECOMMENDATION Receive the SLO Transit Update for March 2026 and provide comment on the discussion items as necessary DISCUSSION Fiscal Year 2025-26 Ridership Between July 2025 and January 2026, SLO Transit recorded 407,236 trips, a 16 percent increase in ridership compared to the same period last year. Cal Poly ridership increased by 21 percent and general ridership increased by nearly 8 percent. If this trend continues, then ridership for the fiscal year could exceed 750,000 trips. Staff will continue to monitor and report ridership quarterly to the Mass Transportation Committee. Figure 1 - Month-to-Month Ridership Comparison 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 Page 85 of 91 Item 6.b Request for Proposals for Transit Operation and Maintenance Services The City’s public transit service, San Luis Obispo (SLO) Transit, is operated and maintained through a contract with a private vendor. Following a competitive RFP process, the City awarded the contract to Transdev North America (Transdev) on June 14, 2016. With the current contract set to expire on June 30, 2026, and no additional term extension options remaining, issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for transit operation and maintenance services is necessary to ensure a new agreement is executed in time to avoid any service disruptions. On November 18, 2025, Council authorized advertisement of a Request for Proposals RFP) for transit operation and maintenance services which was published on November 20, 2025. The RFP’s Scope of Services is extensive as it encompasses all aspects of the SLO Transit system’s operation and maintenance including vehicle and facilities maintenance, staffing recruitment and training, dispatching and customer service, and more. The Scope of Services also incorporates Short-Range Transit Plan (SRTP) service expansion recommendations as part of the potential future service delivery beyond the existing service levels. The RFP requires Proposers to submit a base cost proposal for delivery of existing service levels and an alternate cost proposal that includes the full implementation of the SRTP service expansion recommendations. RFP Schedule The RFP schedule and key milestones for this procurement are provided in Table 1 below. Staff anticipate returning to Council on April 21, 2026, with a recommendation to award the contract to the selected vendor. The new contract term is expected to begin on July 1, 2026. Table 1 - RFP Schedule Date Milestone November 18, 2025 Council approves issuance of RFP November 20, 2025 RFP is published December 15, 2025 Pre-proposal meeting January 9, 2026 Questions from Proposers due February 6, 2026 City responses to questions published February 20, 2026 Proposals due (3:00 p.m. PT) February 22, 2026 to March 2, 2026 Proposal review and initial screening March 9-11, 2026 Interviews April 21, 2026 Council approves contract award April 14, 2026 Agreement executed July 1, 2026 Start of service Page 86 of 91 Item 6.b Next Steps After scoring is complete and the proposals have been ranked, the highest -ranked proposers will be invited to interview with the Evaluation Committee. The interviews will provide an opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification regarding proposal content and pricing. Following the interviews, staff may initiate a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) process with proposers determined to be within the competitive range. If a BAFO is requested, each proposer may revise its proposal and submit a final offer by the date and time specified in the request. If a proposer chooses not to submit a BAFO, its most recent proposal will be considered its Best and Final Offer. Electric Charging Infrastructure Project On December 2, 2025, Council authorized award of SLO Transit’s Battery Electric Charging Infrastructure Project. The project scope includes the installation of four charging stations, two power blocks, transformer upgrades, and groundwork required for the equipment installation at the City’s Transit Operation and Maintenance Facility. Figure 2 below is an example of the charging stations and power blocks that will be installed. The construction will be contracted out while the equipment will be procured directly by the City and installed by the contractor. Figure 2 - Example Charging Station and Power Block Construction is scheduled to begin on March 2, 2026, and continue through March 27, 2026. Several of the bus bays at the facility will be inaccessible during construction; however, City and Transdev staff are confident that normal operations and maintenance activities will continue uninterrupted. Once completed, this project will be sufficient to support the operation of the six battery electric buses delivered last year as well as two additional electric buses currently on order. Additional equipment will be needed to achieve full build-out, which will occur alongside the purchase of future electric buses. Page 87 of 91 Item 6.b Routes 1B, 2A/B, and the Trolley Resume Normal Service In April 2024, Routes 1B, 2A/B, and the Trolley were detoured due to the construction of the new public parking garage located at the intersection of Palm Street and Nipomo Street. The project includes right-of-way improvements that were expected to cause significant delays to transit services, so the routes were detoured until construction was completed. The new garage is scheduled to open to the public on March 17, 2026 . At that time, the affected routes will return to normal operations. Figure 3 below illustrates an example from Route 2A showing the temporary detour compared to normal route that will resume once the garage opens. Updated service information will be shared through printed pamphlets, updated bus stop maps, the website, Social Media (X, Facebook, Instagram), and onboard the buses. Figure 3 - Route 2A Detour Route Versus Normal Route Farmers’ Market Trolley Extended Hours and Free Rides With the opening of the new parking garage and the return of transit routes to their normal alignments, the City is temporarily extending the service hours of the Farmers’ Market Trolley. Beginning March 19, 2026, the Trolley will operate from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and then resume service from 5:00 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. The extended hours are intended to improve access to the west side of Downtown, particularly visitors of the Cultural Arts District, including families visiting the Children’s Museum and other nearby shops and museums. Additionally, through Rideshare’s Know How to Go! campaign, Trolley fares will be fully sponsored, allowing passengers to ride free of charge during this promotional period. Page 88 of 91 Item 6.b Attachment A includes a draft flyer promoting the extended service hours and free rides. The City anticipates continuing the extended schedule through mid -June, when the Summer Trolley service begins. Open-Loop Payment System Update The open-loop payment system, Tap2Ride, is currently being implemented across the SLO Transit and RTA fleets. The target date for launch is now April 6, 2026 due to installation delays and additional quality assurance testing. Communications coordination among SLOCOG, RTA, and SLO Transit has been ongoing and will roll out alongside the official Tap2Ride launch including a joint press release, bus cards (See Figure 4), rack cards and a website landing page. Figure 4 - Example Tap2Ride Bus Card ATTACHMENTS A - Farmers’ Market Trolley Flyer, Draft Page 89 of 91 Page 90 of 91 sponsored by: Thursdays 12pm - 9pm FARMERS MARKET FREE TROLLEY to & fro m s l o 30-min. loops Monterey St.. Route & more info slotransit.orgProgramofSLOCOG Page 91 of 91