Fiscal Note
Up to 80% of the total project cost is funded by USDOT/FTA. The local share for the first order of eight buses is budgeted in Metro's 2006 operating budget in the capital assets line (a total of $640,000 has been budgeted for this purpose). Funding for the second order will be requested in Metro's 2007 operating budget in capital assets. Future year expenditures will require Council approval in the budget process.
Title
Authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into agreement with Atlas Bus Sales for the purchase of up to sixteen (16) cutaway design transit coaches at an estimated cost of $794,217.
Body
PREAMBLE
The replacement of buses is a major, on-going capital expense for Metro Transit. At present, Metro has sixteen (16) Glavel light-duty cutaway-design small buses in its paratransit fleet. These vehicles have reached the end of their useful life and need to be replaced in a timely manner. As has been the practice in the past, Metro plans to replace these paratransit vehicles over a two-year period: eight coaches in 2006 and eight coaches in 2007. Since the lifetime of these paratransit buses is shorter than required for use of debt service, these purchases are included in Metro's Operating budgets as fixed assets, as has been the practice in the past. Metro is able to use federal capital grants for 80% of the purchase price.
Staff made a concerted effort to gather input from paratransit customers and drivers in this purchase process. Metro's Maintenance Manager met with the ADA Transit Subcommittee prior to going out to bid, to solicit feedback on what members would like to see in replacement vehicles. Two bus operators in the paratransit unit served as members of the evaluation team that met with vendors when the vehicles were brought to Metro for demonstration.
Metro released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for up to sixteen (16) cutaways on January 13, 2006, and received proposals from six (6) vendors. Staff ...
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