HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/21/2009, C6 - SLO TRANSIT CAPITAL PROJECTS council 04/21/2009
j acEn& nEpont
CITY O F SAN LUI S O B 1 S P 0
FROM: Jay D. Walter, Public Works Director��
Prepared By: John Webster, Transit Manager
SUBJECT: SLO TRANSIT CAPITAL PROJECTS
RECOMMENDATION
1. Revise the 2008-09 Transit budget to include $1,749,700 of American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Proposition 113 grant funds for additional transit capital
projects.
2. Approve the purchase of a "Double Deck'' style bus replacement from Alexander Dennis
Limited through a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approved Cooperative
Procurement Pilot Program (CPPP).
3. Approve a combination of municipal piggyback procurement through the City of Raleigh
NC, and a sole source procurement with Digital Recorders, Inc. for an Automatic Vehicle
Locator(AVL) system.
4. Approve a sole source procurement with GFI Genfare for an electronic farebox upgrade.
5. Authorize the Finance Director to execute Purchase Orders for vehicle acquisition,
Automatic Vehicle Locator(AVL) system, GFI farebox upgrade, and bus stop and facility
improvements if costs are within the budgeted amount of$1,749,700.
REPORT IN BRIEF
This report provides information regarding five (5) separate SLO Transit Capital projects which
include the following: Forty foot diesel, Double Deck model bus purchase, Automatic Vehicle
Locator (AVL) with features that allow transit customers to see bus locations on the internet,
electronic bus farebox upgrade, and transit facility and bus stop improvements. The projects will
use existing Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 grant funds, new American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, State Proposition IB grant and Transportation
Development Act (TDA) funding. The projects were approved by the Council as part of the
Program of Projects (POP) public hearing on April 7, 2009.
The Double Deck bus manufactured by Alexander Dennis Limited will award an existing bid
using an FTA approved Cooperative Pilot Procurement Project (CPPP) with Implicit Purchase
Pool Solutions. The AVL system manufactured by Digital Recorders Inc. (DRI) will utilize a
piggyback municipal procurement and a sole source procurement for equipment retrofits. The
electronic farebox equipment is manufactured by GFI Genfare and will require a sole source
procurement to upgrade existing equipment. The transit facility and bus stop improvement
projects will follow City purchasing policies by pursuing one or more individual contracts for the
expenditure of grant funds. Table A below outlines the various grant funds that will be used for
these five projects.
i
CAR-SLO Transit Capital Projects Page 2
DISCUSSION
Background
On April 7, 2009 the Council approved the 2008-09 Program of Projects (POP) in the amount of
$1,323,660 for SLO Transit projects, which also included $300,000 for San Luis Obispo
Regional Transit Authority (SLORTA) projects. On April 8, 2009 the San Luis Obispo Council
of Governments (SLOCOG) approved the SLO Transit Program of Projects for 2008-09 that
included Proposition 1 B funds in addition to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
funding. Table A indicates the City of San Luis Obispo Projects and amounts awarded as part of
the City and SLOCOG transit programming approvals.
TABLE A
FUNDING PROJECT AMOUNT
PROP 1B AUGMENT 5307 GRANT-DOUBLE DECK BUS $ 475,000
FTA 5307 EXISTING 2007-08 FTA GRANT-DOUBLE DECK BUS $375,000
ARRA DRI MANUFACTURED-AVL-PASSENGER ACCESS $405,000
ARRA GFI MANUFACTURED-ELECTRONIC FAREBOX $400,000
ARRA TRANSIT FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS $69,000
PROP 1B BUS STOP IMPROVEMENTS $25,700
TOTAL $1,7499700
Double Deck Bus Vehicle Procurement
The City has been successful in obtaining a number of grants to assist in vehicle replacement of
the SLO Transit bus fleet over the past few years. In order to meet tight expenditure deadlines the
City plans to purchase a vehicle using the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Cooperative
Procurement Pilot Program (CPPP) with Implicit Purchase Pool Solutions. Use of cooperative
purchasing will expedite the delivery of the transit vehicles because of time savings in preparing
procurement documents as well as timely placement on the manufacturing production schedule.
On September 18, 2007 the Council approved participation in the FTA-CPPP with Implicit
Purchase Pool Solutions to secure additional buses over a five-year span as part of a large
purchasing pool program. As part of the formal CPPP Request for Bids (RFB) process on
November 17, 2008 the City received bids from two (2) bus manufacturers. One was for a 40'
diesel powered double deck model from Alexander Dennis Limited and 35' and 40' models
using diesel engines (including a diesel hybrid option) from Gillig. The CCCP bid award process
was subsequently extended by mutual agreement/amendment among the participating agencies to
take advantage of the anticipated ARRA funding.
On April 1, 2008 the Council authorized the City Manager to execute transit vehicle purchase
orders for vehicles identified through piggyback agreements for the CPPP if they were within the
estimated purchase costs approved in the City's 2007-09 Financial Plan. The Council authorized
the purchase of five (5) bus replacements not to exceed $1,810,601. The City purchased four of
these five buses using the remaining vehicle options assigned to the City as part of our
Rochester-Genesee RTA (NY) piggyback agreement for a total cost of$1,428,480. The 2007-09
Financial Plan established expected budgets for vehicle replacement that was adjusted to reflect
actual grants that had been obtained.
C�- a--
CAR-SLO Transit Capital Projects Page 3
In April 2009 the City was successful in receiving an additional $475,000 from Proposition 1 B to
augment the $375,000 in the existing 2001-08 FTA 5307 grant for a total of $850,000 for the
replacement of a retired 1994 compressed natural gas bus that was three years beyond its useful
life and designated for replacement.
Staff recommends that the remaining funding from the April 1, 2008 Council approved bus
purchase be combined with the above grant funds to purchase one high passenger capacity (84
seat) Double Deck bus. This purchase will utilize the agreement with Implicit Purchase Pool
Solutions.
Why a Double Deck Bus?
During a one month trial period in November 2008, a forty foot Low-Floor ENVIRO 500 Double
Deck model from Alexander Dennis was used on SLO Transit Route 4. This bus was similar to
the one being proposed for purchase and it received extremely positive comments from
passengers and staff during this trial period. The double deck style bus is an interesting
alternative since it seats 84 passengers which equates to over two single floor buses (76
passengers) in seating capacity. During some trips, in excess of 100 passengers (including
standees), were on board at the same time. Use of a high capacity Double Deck model will help
to reduce or eliminate the number of passengers stranded at bus stops during morning and
afternoon peak operations. Capacity is a significant issue on Routes 4 & 5 serving Cal Poly
especially along Ramona Drive, which have some of the highest per stop boarding numbers
identified in the Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP). There is also an expected cost savings
potential from only needing one driver (reduced labor cost) as well as lower overall diesel fuel
consumption when compared to the cost of operating two vehicles during the same span of
service to achieve approximately the same seating capacity.
Some transit facility modifications will be needed to accommodate this style bus such as raising
the height of the maintenance bay entrances. and installing new overhead doors. These
modifications are included as part of the Transit Facility Improvements project.
Bus Replacement Plan
The new double deck style bus will reduce operating and maintenance costs by decreasing the
overall transit fleet age, provide more reliable service, and continue to allow the City to meet the
emission reductions as required by the California Air Resource Board (CARB). The City plans to
replace four 1997 buses from the existing fleet, as they are approaching the end of their 12-year
useful life. For these replacements, staff is continuing to evaluate alternate fuel vehicles such as
compressed natural gas (CNG), diesel-hybrid and 100% electric models as well as a possible
second double deck model purchase. Staff anticipates additional Federal or State funding for
these purchases during 2009-2010.
Federal Stimulus Program
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provides one-time funding for
many categories, including public transportation capital projects. This legislation includes three
separate capital investment programs for public transportation: Transit Capital Assistance,
designed to augment funding for capital purchases;New Starts, designed to assist transit agencies
in implementing new or expanded transit routes; and Rail Modernization, which is designed to
C6--3
CAR-SLO Transit Capital Projects Page 4
help agencies that operate fixed guideway systems to expand or modernize their facilities. Under
ARRA, the Federal share of a Transit Capital Assistance grant can fund up to 100 % of the net
project cost of capital projects. In other words no local match is required. The San Luis Obispo
Urbanized Zone Area (SLOUZA) amount of$1,323,660 was posted in the Federal Register on
March 5; 2009. The City Council and the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG)
approved the Program of Projects on April 7 and 8, 2009, respectively. The City's allocation of
those funds is $1,023, 660.
The following are descriptions of the City's ARRA funded projects:
Automatic Vehicle Locator(AVL)-Passenger Access System
This project will replace SLO Transit's Efficient Deployment of Advanced Public Transportation
Systems (EDAPTS) as our bus information and locator system. The system is over eight years
old and performs intermittently due to age, outdated equipment and limited maintenance support.
Using a municipal piggy back procurement with Raleigh NC this project will install Automatic
Vehicle Locator (AVL) fixed end equipment, software (including covert alarms), activate an
inteinet passenger access (Otvia) system including real time bus locator, and will upgrade
existing EDAPTS signs and equipment to integrate with the new system. Since 2007, all new
SLO Transit vehicles include equipment manufactured by DRI (DR600), which is a key reason
for moving forward with this project. This equipment operates the automatic bus stop
announcement system on the newer buses.
Pursuant to FTA Guidelines staff is recommending using the combination of a municipal
piggyback procurement with Raleigh, NC and a sole source procurement with Digital Recorders
Inc (DRI) and authorizing up to $405,000 for system equipment and installation. (See table 2
below) Sole source procurement with Digital Recorders Inc. (DRI) should be used for the
following reasons:
1. The system will require retrofitting six buses with Digital Recorders Inc-DR600's which
are already installed on nine of the transit fleet's newest buses and used in connection
with automatic bus stop announcements.
2. The retrofits are not covered by the municipal piggyback procurement with the City of
Raleigh, NC and are needed so that the entire fleet will be accessible on-line and at the
transit dispatch center.
3. This equipment is available from only one source, (DRI).
4. It would be cost prohibitive to purchase a different system because the current bus stop
announcements and internal signs would not be compatible with a different system.
GFI Electronic Farebox Upgrade
This project will fund an upgrade for SLO Transit vehicles with GFI Odyssey model validating
fareboxes and will allow expanded fare media including smart cards. As both SLO Transit and.
SLORTA have similar projects this ultimately will result in a uniform county farebox system.
Staff is recommending sole source procurement with GFI Genfare and authorizing up to
$400,000 for this system upgrade, including equipment and installation. Sole source procurement
with GFI Genfare should be used for the following reasons:
j'
I
CAR-SLO Transit Capital Projects Page 5
1. SLO Transit fleet use Cents-A-Bill (CAB) on-board fare collection fareboxes; provided
by GFI since 2001.
2. The new Odyssey farebox can be utilized in the GFI vault receivers and have the data
retrieved from the GFI Data System that is currently in operation at SLO Transit. This
saves the City approximately $170,000 by not having to purchase new vaults and Data
Systems.
3. SLO Transit has experienced maintenance technicians that have been performing the
maintenance on the existing machines since 2001 and would not have to be retrained for a
new device; insuring the service technician's skills to perform service and maintain
system reliability, as well as, a single source for technical training and service bulletins.
4. By utilizing the same ricket-processor as is currently being operated on the bus fleet, SLO
Transit will be insured of spare parts compatibility and will not have to run two separate
sets of parts.
Transit Facility Improvements
This project will include Transit facility improvements to equipment such as the existing bus
wash, signs, parking lot, office furniture, computers and monitors, etc. Also being evaluated is
new equipment installation such as modifying maintenance bay height, installing new overhead
doors, security cameras, alarms, and automatic gate. Staff is recommending authorizing up to
$69,000 in facility improvements, which will be evaluated and prioritized based on need, and
then implemented pursuant to City purchasing policies. It is unlikely that any one project will be
greater that $15,000, which is the threshold for Council approval as a Capital Improvement
Project (CIP).
Prop 1B-Local Funds-Bus Stop Improvements
This project will include bus stop improvements, such as shelters, benches, signs (including
electronic models), lighting, and information kiosks. Staff will develop a plan for installation and
then seek approval according to City planning policies. Staff is recommending authorizing up to
$26,000 in improvements to be installed by pursuing one or more individual contracts for the
implementation of grant funds.
FISCAL IMPACT
There will be no impact to the City's General Fund as a result of receiving these grant funds.
Staff has secured funding from Federal and State transit sources to purchase the Double Deck
model vehicle and complete the ARRA projects. The following table provides project detailed
funding information.
Project FTA 5307 TDA LTF Prop 1B ARRA Totals
Double Deck Bus $337,500 $37,500 $475,000 $850,000
DRI-AVL $405,000 $4059600
GFI-Electronic Farebox $400,000 $4009000
Transit Facility Improvement $69,000 $69,000
Bus Stop Improvements $25,700 $25700
$337,500 $37,500 $500,700 $874,000 $1,749 700
CAR-SLO Transit Capital Projects Page 6
ALTERNATIVES
1. Deny Double Deck Bus purchase. Council could direct staff to purchase CNG, Hybrid or
other standard bus replacements. Staff does not recommend this alternative as we have a need to
increase service capacity and the purchase of this vehicle will provide the capacity of two
standard buses.
2. Deny purchases of Transit Vehicle Equipment. Council could reject the recommended
ARRA contract awards and direct staff to seek other bidders and options. Staff is not
recommending this alternative as recommended projects are ready to go and ARRA projects have
a very short timeline requiring the funds to be expended..
3. Deny Prop 1B Projects. Council could direct staff to consider other projects for Prop 1B
funds. Staff is not recommending this alternative. Prop 1 B is needed to augment the existing
FTA 5307 funding for the Double Deck bus replacement. Bus stop improvements such as
shelters and benches are considered high priority in the Short Range Transit Plan.
G:\Staff-Reports-Agendas-Minutes\_CAR\2009\Transit\SLO TRANSIT CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDING AND AWARD-04-21-09\CAR SLO
TRANSIT CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDING AND AWARD-04-21-2009.doc
J�