proposal no. rfq 143782, operation and maintenance of …

Loudoun County, Virginia Department of Finance and Budget Division of Procurement 1 Harrison Street, SE, Leesburg, Virginia 20175

August 26, 2020

NOTICE TO OFFERORS ADDENDUM NO. 1

RFQ 143782 The following changes and/or additions shall be made to the original Request For Proposal No. RFQ 143782, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE COMBINED TRANSIT SYSTEM. Please acknowledge receipt of this addendum by signing and returning with your proposal. 1. The following section of the RFP Cover Page shall be deleted in their entirety and

replaced with the following updated section.

ACCEPTANCE DATE: Prior to 4:00 p.m., September 16, 2020, “Atomic” Time

2. The following section shall be replace in its entirety and replaced below: 5.15 A.3 Contractor Provided Lease Buses

The County may determine that additional short term (one year minimum) buses are required to meet service demands. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to locate and negotiate the price for any leased buses. The cost to the County for leasing a bus or buses will be negotiated when the need to lease a bus arises. Contractor provided lease buses are eligible for the County fueling program

3. Questions and answers related to the RFP are attached. 4. To obtain the requested files contained in Addendum 1 on a separate CD, send

your request to the Contracting Officer, Gerald Landayan, at [email protected] with your mailing address, and FedEx/UPS account. If no FedEx or UPS account is provided, the county will send the CD via regular mail or you can schedule a pickup the disk with the name of the person receiving the disk.

Prepared By: /s/ Gerald Landayan Date: 08/26/2020 Acknowledged By: Date:

mailto:[email protected]

QUESTIONS RECEIVED BY THE COUNTY

1. Given the scope of work and in order to digest the information from the County, responses to questions, and to develop the most responsible and competitive proposal possible, we request a three-week extension to the current proposal due date.

a. Proposal deadline has been extended until 09/16/2020.

2. Please provide all bidders with pricing sheets in an electronic format. a. Excel Spreadsheets will be provided on disk (Attachment 9)

3. What are the current rates paid the current contractors for all components of pricing

(fixed, variable). Also, please provide any pass through items that may have been covered during the current contractor’s tenure.

a. Local Fixed Route Contract – Regular Service Hour Rate = $70.54, Paratransit Service Hour Rate = $80.28 (contractor is responsible for fuel for both rates)

b. Commuter Bus Contract QQ-01849 – Hourly Variable Rate =$83.25, Weekly Fixed Rate = $6563, Salaries are paid per payroll reports, Furloughed employees are also paid per payroll reports.

4. What was the total amount paid to the incumbent contractors for the last two fiscal years (by year)?

a. Local Fixed Route Contract QQ-01845 – FY 2020 = $5,182,915 b. Local Fixed Route Contract QQ-01845 – FY 2019 = $4,862,402 c. Commuter Bus Contract QQ-01849 – FY 2020 = 8,430,089 d. Commuter Bus Contract QQ-01849 – FY 2019 = 10,011,194

5. PARATRANSIT - Please provide a list of the top 10 trip generator locations for the

paratransit services. If the information is available, please provide the percent of trips that originate from these locations.

a. Paratransit services are only operating within the Loudoun County boundaries at this time. The following zip codes are the top generators of paratransit trips: 20164, 20165 20166, 20147, 20148, 20175 & 20176.

6. Please provide all bidders with copies of the current contractors last three months of:

a. Monthly invoices – We are providing three fiscal years of invoices

b. Monthly management reports – We are providing three fiscal years of operations reports

7. Please provide a copy of the current contract including all compensation rates, amendments and extensions for each incumbent contractor for these services.

a. Provided in disk

8. If local, state of federal governments change the laws, rules or regulations that affect minimum wages and/or benefits that are mandated for the employees that are employed by this contract, and this event was not known at the time of bidding, and this event occurs during the term of any contract resulting from this procurement – how will the County respond to the request for increased compensation? Bidders need to understand the risk associated with such an unknown event should it occur.

a. This will be treated like any other change that could occur during the term of the contract. The contractor would make a formal request to have the service hour rate(s) changed and provide the reasoning behind the request. County staff will evaluate the request and provide a response one way or another. It is in the county’s best interest to be fair; therefore, if anything, like COVID-19, were to occur, then the county or the contractor could ask to have the Billable Service Hour rate renegotiated, as stated on the top of page 22, section 5.21 Hourly Rates and Overhead Costs, subsection 3.

9. It is not clear if there is a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise goal. Please verify if there is a goal, and if documentation of a good faith effort is required.

a. The county does not have any small business goals nor set-asides, thus no need for documentation

10. Who is responsible for the customer complaint management? a. The County has a customer service department that will handle customer

complaints from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM and will respond to all complaints received through [email protected]. Those complaints will be forwarded to the contractor and followed up by the county’s operations managers.

11. Please provide the current wage scale. a. Provided in disk

12. Does 5333(b) (formerly Section 13c) of Title 49, regarding Transit Labor apply to

this contract? If yes, please provide all bidders a copy of the 5333(b) or 13(c) agreement.

a. Currently, there are no federal funds used for operating or capital in the Loudoun County Transit system; therefore, this does not apply to this contract.

13. As our company would like to hire as many of the employees that make up the current workforce as possible, it is important to us to ensure that they make at least as much as they do now. Please provide a current seniority list (names can be stricken to protect privacy – perhaps just list position name and number (Driver 1, Dispatcher 1, Dispatcher 2, etc.) along with seniority date. Please also indicate if these positions are full time or part time, and current rate of pay.

a. Provided in disk

14. Are any of the current employees part of a labor union? If they are, please indicate for which service, as well as copies of the current collective bargaining agreement, any TA agreements, side letters, or other documentation that indicates the current agreement parameters with the incumbent contractor.

a. Commuter bus contract is unionized (ATU 1764) (Mechanics, drivers, dispatchers) – The County is does not have access to the CBA as the agreement is between the union and the contractor

b. The Local Fixed Route contract does not have a CBA currently.

15. Please provide contact information for any local union representative that currently represents any of the current employees.

a. The County is does not have contact information for local union representatives as the agreement is between the union and the contractor

16. If there is a living wage ordinance in effect for the service area covered by the services outlined in the RFP, or one that is currently being considered by local legislation, please provide this information so all bidders can consider this when building their pricing.

a. The County transit staff is not aware of any living wage ordinance or one that is being considered. However, all bidders are expected to do their due diligence and ensure their complete understanding of the local market while preparing their response.

17. In order to ensure that none of the current employees go backwards in benefits should a transition occur, please provide information regarding the current rates/benefits for these employees. Please include specific information such as a rate sheet, regarding co-pays, dependent coverage and amount of premium to be paid by employer.

a. The County does not have access to this information; therefore, it can’t be provided by the county.

18. Please provide a listing of current positions provided by the current contractor, or an organizational chart outlining these positions.

a. The current ORG charts are irrelevant to this bid. The County is combining two contracts and has supplied the list of key personnel that need to be provided. Other than the key positions specified by the county, it is the contractor’s responsibilty to determine the appropriate staffing levels for all positions. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

19. Please explain if there have been any challenges due to the incumbent contractor having driver shortages?

a. The county expects the contract to be operated as executed. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

20. Please confirm that the dispatch software that is utilized id CleverCad – Clever

Devices. a. Confirmed

21. In the scenario where there are exterior factors beyond the control of the

contractor (such as traffic, weather delays, etc.) that cause a route to continue past scheduled hours, will the contractor be compensated for this time, or will the County only allow the contractor to bill for the scheduled hours?

a. Each scenario would be submitted by the contractor and reviewed by the county for consideration. It is in the county’s best interest to be fair with our contractor. That being said, typical traffic delays would not be considered as traffic delays are normal in this area.

22. Please provide the number of vehicles used at peak time for each of the services

contemplated by the RFP. If this information is available by day of week, please provide it in that format.

a. The operations reports show how many buses are used each year. The operations report for the Commuter Bus service is different than the operations report for the Local Fixed Route service. If clarification is needed once the operations reports have been reviewed, please contact Scott Gross.

23. What is the current level of productivity for each of the service types provided? What is the average productivity per year for each of the two past years?

a. A Performance metrics spreadsheet is attached and has different levels of productivity provided.

24. What is the current on time performance for each of the service types provided?

What is the average on time performance per year for each of the two past years? a. On-time performance has not been measured on the Local Fixed Route

service because, up until now, the buses did not have real-time information systems installed on them to provide this data.

b. On-time performance for the commuter bus services are measured by the time the bus departs from the first stop and is reflected in the Liquidated Damages shown on each invoice.

25. Who is responsible for the cost of painting and decaling any new vehicles that are delivered? If it is the contractor, can the County please provide us with how many new vehicles the County expects to put into service over the span of the contract and current costs for this?

a. The county covers the cost of the new buses, including painting, decals and all electronic installations (such as fareboxes and real-time information systems). Because the electronic farebox systems are older, sometimes the fareboxes need to be removed from the outgoing bus and installed on the incoming bus. This type of installation would fall on the contractor and should be included in the maintenance rate. Typically the county replaces 5-7 buses a year.

26. Can the County provide detailed operating statistics from the past 3 years?

Examples being requested are revenue hours by route and day of week, deadhead hours, revenue miles, deadhead miles, pull-out details, number of riders, fares collected, etc.?

a. The county will provide three years of operations reports, three years of the metrics report and three years of NTD data by service.

27. What are the current miles between road calls for each of the service types

provided? What are the average miles between road calls per year for each of the three past years?

a. The total miles driven by vehicle is being provided for FY 2020. For the Local Fixed Route fleet, all of the buses are new as of 08/01/2020. For the Commuter Bus fleet, staff has provided the mileage by bus for each of the last three years. It is the county’s expectation that bidders will develop maintenance plans for the buses based on the fleet information provided, inlcuding mileages.

28. Is trip editing required for the paratransit service? If yes, is the contractor required to conduct 100% trip edits for this service? If not, what are the expectations of the contractor for this task?

a. Staff do not understand this question.

29. PARATRANSIT - Please provide the current call volume, broken down by weekday, Saturday and Sunday to include hourly levels if possible.

a. Call volumes are not currently being collected by the contractor. Bidders will have to use the total rides provided in FY 2019 to estimate the call volumes needed for the paratransit services.

30. Please provide the amount of liquidated damages (and what categories those

damages were assessed to) for each month over the past year that were charged to the current contractors.

a. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports. Provided in disk

31. Please clarify the following information for the County provided fleet:

a. Engine type b. Fuel type c. Average miles per year d. Service type vehicle is most used for A spreadsheet for the current commuter Bus, Metro Connection and Local Fixed Route fleets is provided with the information asked above incorporated into it.

32. Please confirm that the Contractor is responsible for the costs of major

components for the revenue fleet? If yes, which major components (engine and transmission overhauls, turbos, etc.?)

a. The county will be financially responsible for engines, transmissions and differentials only. Labor is the responsibility of the contractor, see page 40 , Section 5.15 Fleet Management and Maintenance, subsection B. Fleet Maintenance, bullet point 10 of the RFQ.

33. Please provide all bidders with the history of major component replacement and repair for the provided fleet over the past 12 months.

a. The major component costs are shown as passthroughs in the invoices provided.

34. Is there any remaining or extended warranties that apply to the provided fleet?

a. All of the commuter coaches were purchased with 5 year extended warranties on them. The engines are 5 years and 500,000 miles and the transmissions are 5 year and 300,000 miles.

b. All of the Gillig transit buses were purchased with 5 year extended warranties on the. 5 years and 300,000 miles for both the engines and transmissions.

c. All BOC buses were purchased with 3 year, 36,000 mile warranties, bumper to bumper. The engines and power train are 5 years and 60,000 miles. The fleet department is working on extending the engine and powertrain warranties since the county is averaging over 60,000 miles per year on these buses.

35. Please clarify the County’s planned replacement schedule for the provided fleet.

What are the life mile goals for each vehicle type? a. MCI Coaches – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle as needed b. Gillig Transit – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle is 6 years c. BOC buses – replacement cycle is 5-7 years

36. What is he average cost of towing annually for the past 3 years?

a. This is a contractor cost that the county does not have; therefore this questions can’t be answered by transit staff.

37. Does the County have a minimum for training hours for new hires?

a. This is set by the contractor but provided to the county for review. Simply put, the training program needs to prepare the employees to be ready for service in whatever role they are hired for. If multiple mistakes are made by multiple new hires then the training plan comes into question.

38. Does the County allow the use of recaps?

a. For the MCI coaches and the Gillig transit buses, yes, but only on the drive axles.

b. They are not permitted on the Body on Chassis buses.

39. Are strategic spares included in the spare ratio calculation? a. Yes

40. Please provide a current maintenance organization chart, listing positions,

number of personnel, and length of service. Listing of current employee ASE certifications.

a. Other than the key positions specified by the county, it is the contractor’s responsibilty to determine the appropriate staffing levels for all positions. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own maintenance staffing plan that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

41. Please provide last four PMI inspection dates and mileage of revenue vehicles.

a. Maintenance reports will be provided for each of the last two years for the commuter buses and Gillig transit buses. The local fixed route buses were owned by the contractor from 2014 – 2020 so the county does not have access to these records. Starting in August 2020, all new buses have been tranferred into the local fixed route fleet.

42. Please provide current listing of County/Current owned shop equipment and will

this equipment be available for use by the contractor. a. See attachment 1, exhibit a of the RFQ.

43. Please provide last twelve months parts usage by system.

a. Maintenance parts reports will be provided for each of the last two years for the commuter buses and Gillig transit buses. The local fixed route buses were owned by the contractor from 2014 – 2020 so the county does not have access to these records. Starting in August 2020, all new buses have been tranferred into the local fixed route fleet.

44. Are vehicle washing facilities available on the County owned property. If yes,

where does the waste water discharge to? a. In regards to buses, the answer is yes, there is a bush wash on the premisis

and the water used during bus washes is recycled. The wash is not to be used for vehicles other than buses.

45. Can you please provide a copy of the attendees that we are on pre proposal

conference(Sign In sheet).

a. We did not have a sign-in sheet, but I did ask in the meeting the company name of each attendees and they are as follows: Coach USA, First Transit, Hallcon, Keolis, MV, National Express, RATP, Rideco, Transdev, and VRT.

46. Can you please provide the current rates to the services requested within the RFQ.

a. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports. Provided in disk

47. How many dispatchers, managers and supervisors are currently provided and are they currently meeting the satisfaction of the County.

a. The current ORG charts are irrelevant to this bid. The County is combining two contracts and has supplied the list of key personnel that need to be provided. Other than the key positions specified by the county, it is the contractor’s responsibilty to determine the appropriate staffing levels for all positions. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

48. Misc. Due to complexity of the RFP, we request that the County extend the due

date by two weeks. a. Proposal deadline has been extended until 09/16/2020.

49. 3.1 (A) Please verify that contractor will be paid for both revenue service hours

and deadhead service hours for the Commuter Bus Service. a. See section 5.2, subsection B on page 14 of the RFQ.

50. 3.1 (D) Is there a cost associated with the use of ADARIDES.com? Who is

responsible for cost if any? a. The current contractor is responsible for the costs associated with

ADARides.com. The County does not have access to this information. 51. 3.1 (D) Is the contractor responsible for providing a dispatching/ reservations

software package? a. The county uses CleverCad which is a dispatching software; however, it

does not provide for rostering, payroll and any other more in-depth dispatching needs so the contractor will be responsible for providing this. Assuming the reservations software is specifically referring the paratransit bookings, yes, the contractor is responsible for providing this software.

52. 3.4 Please verify that all services will be performed from the County owned transit

facility. a. Confirmed.

53. 3.4 States that the contractor “is responsible for maintaining certain elements of

the TMOF”. Please list the specific elements that the contractor will be responsible for.

a. Please review Attachement #1 to the RFQ.

54. 5.2 (B-3) Will the County consider the allowing the contractor to hold commuter

buses at its Washington DC facility after the AM runs, thus eliminating the deadhead time and miles returning to Loudoun County in the AM and then deadheading back to on the PM. This would result in cost reductions for the County.

a. This request would be considered; however, county staff would have to approve the facility being proposed and staging out can’t inhibit the maintenance and operations of the buses.

55. 5.13 Request the elimination of the following requirement “Individual proposed

for the General Manager, Assistant General Manager, Maintenance Manager or Operations Manager position sign an agreement with the Contractor stating they will forego reassignment within the Contractor’s organization for at least one year from the Contract start date” this might deter the ability to recruit qualified candidates.

a. This request is denied. The county wants conitinuity in the proposed management team and stability in the service provided by the contractor. That can’t happen if management team members are being pulled from the contract in the first year.

56. 5.14 The County encourages the contractor to propose a pay scale that is

comparable to current wages. Can the County provide the current wage scale for current positions?

a. The county does not have a pay scale. 57. 5.14 (3) Please confirm that the number of training hours for bus operators is

determined by the contractor. a. Confirmed.

58. Attachment 9 – Please provide the pricing proposal in excel format.

a. Excel Spreadsheets will be provided (Attachment 9). Provided in disk

59. Attachment 9 – Please verify that the estimated miles and hours are correct. a. The hours and miles in te RFQ and the pricing sheet are correct. It is

important to note that period one in the pricing sheet is for 18 months. The hours and miles are calculated using the totals from FY 2019, divided by 12 and multiplied by 18. Periods 2-5 are calculated off of period one. The formulas in the excel spreadsheets should clarify this.

60. Misc. Please provide the name of current local union for both TransDev and MV

Transportation.

a. Commuter bus contract is unionized (ATU 1764) (Mechanics, drivers, dispatchers) – The County is does not have access to the CBA as the agreement is between the union and the contractor.

b. The Local Fixed Route contract does not have a CBA currently.

61. Misc. Is the contractor responsible for furnishing computers, fax machines, printers etc. or will the County furnish the IT equipment. If so can the County provide a listing of provided IT equipment?

a. The contractor is responsible for providing all of the computer equipment that will be needed by their staff. This includes copiers, printers, laptops/computers/ networking equipment, internet, etc. The building is cabled and rack space is available in the IT Closets. The county is providing the computers and network used for the CleverCad dispatching system, as well as the telephone system for both buildings.

62. Misc. Please provide bus schedules for the commuter service.

a. The schedules are provided as attachment 2 of the RFQ and are alson provided in the operations reports.

63. Bonds: Is a bid bond required? If yes, amount?

a. No Bid Bond required 64. Bonds: Is a performance bond required? If yes, amount?

a. Please review section 6.39 of the RFP. 65. Bus Stops and Shelters: Is the contractor required to maintain the bus stops or

bus stations? If yes, please provide the frequency required. a. The contractor is not required to maintain bus stops or bus stations.

66. Bus Stops and Shelters: Please provide the last 12 months of expenses for bus

stop and shelter maintenance and repairs. a. Not relevant to this solicitation.

67. Bus Stops and Shelters: Please provide the number of bus stops and bus

stations a. Not relevant to this solicitation.

68. Cleaning: Is there a process currently in place for increased cleaning protocols

due to Covid19? Please provide any additional requirements over above the RFP requirements.

a. All buses will be required to be cleaned and disinfected daily moving forward. The County also require the drivers to wipe down the high touch areas with disinfectant wipes between trips.

69. Contractual: What is the current budget for this service?

a. The invoices for the last three fiscal years for both existing contracts have been provided.

70. Contractual: Contractors will have a large amount of fixed costs to operate the services provided in the RFP. Would the Loudon County be open to and accept contract language that allows for price renegotiation if hours were to increase or decrease by a set percentage of hours, for example 15% increase or decrease in hours?

a. It is in the county’s best interest to be fair; therefore, if anything, like COVID-19, were to occur, then the county or the contractor could ask to have the Billable Service Hour rate renegotiated, as stated on the top of page 22, section 5.21 Hourly Rates and Overhead Costs, subsection 3

71. Contractual: Will the County consider extending the current RFP due date by 2

weeks? a. Proposal deadline has been extended until 09/16/2020.

72. Current KPI's: Please provide the current providers performance as they relate

to the Performance Standards for the services as listed in the RFP for the past 12 months.

a. The County is providing the Metrics spreadsheet for the last three fiscal years. These spreadsheets inclsude all of the metrics that the county currenlty measures, outside of on-time performance.

73. Disadvantaged Business: Please verify that there is no Disadvantaged Business

Enterprise (DBE) goal established for this contract and that a good faith effort is not required.

a. The County does not have a small business goals or requirements.

74. Disadvantaged Business: Please provide the names of any current DBE vendors including the service provided and rates.

a. Same as above

75. Dispatch / Reservations/Customer Service: Please provide the number of calls by hour and by type (customer service, reservations, where's my ride, etc.) for each day of the week.

a. This information is not currently available. 76. Dispatch / Reservations/Customer Service: Call Center - calls anticipated

(weekday total quantity, weekend total quantity and peak quantities) a. This information is not currently available.

77. Dispatch / Reservations/Customer Service: Call Center - please provide average

hold time, talk time, and handle time. a. This information is not currently available.

78. Dispatch / Reservations/Customer Service: Call Center - please provide call

abandon rate. a. This information is not currently available.

79. Facilities: Does the facility currently have or require an oil-water separator?

a. Yes – the facility has a fully functioning oil/water separator. 80. Facilities: What brand and model number bus wash system is currently in use at

the facility? a. NS Wash System, model 8250

81. Facilities: Agency provided facility: Is there a lease required for the facility? If

yes, is there any cost associated with the lease? a. The lease for the facility will be incorporated into the contract. Please

review Attachment #1 to the RFQ and section 5.20 Facility on page 51. 82. Facilities: Agency provided facility: Is the contractor responsible for any taxes,

licenses, or utilities? If yes, please provide the cost for last 12 months for taxes, licenses, and utilities.

a. Please review Attachment #1 to the RFP. 83. Facilities: Agency provided facility: Will the contractor be responsible for any

costs associated with leasehold improvements? a. The county owns the facility and will be responsible should any

improvements need to be made to the facility. The contractor’s responsibilities are spelled out in the facility lease attachment 1 in the RFQ and in section 5.20 Facility starting on page 51 of the RFQ.

84. Facilities: Please provide a list of each facility that the contractor will be responsible for cleaning and the requirement of those responsibilities. How are these tasks current accomplished with the incumbent provider? Please provide the last 12 month's expense for these tasks.

a. Please review Attachement #1 to the RFP. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

85. Facilities: Does the contractor have any responsibility in providing a facility for

these services? a. No. All needed facilities are provided by the county.

86. Facilities: Please provide the contractor's groundskeeping responsibilities

including snow removal. Please provide the last 12 months total expense for these functions.

a. Please review Attachment #1, Exhibit B for the contractor’s groundskeeping responsibilities. The cost of groundskeeping is a contractor’s responsibility and therefore is unknown to the county.

87. Fare Collection: What is the contractor's responsibility as it relates for farebox

collections, reconciliation, and deposits? a. Fare collection is the responsibility of the contractor. Reconciliations and

deposits will be handled by county staff.

88. Fare Collection: Is the contractor required to count any fares collected? a. No. Cash counting is done by county staff.

89. Fare Collection: Please provide the total dollar amount of cash fares paid for the

past 12 months. a. County staff is responsible for cash counting and deposits; therefore, this

question is irrelevant to the RFQ.

90. Fleet: Please provide information on the Agency provided fleet to include engine type, fuel type, current odometer readings, average miles operated per year. Please advise if the contractor is required to provide any items on the bus [fareboxes, radios, MDT, etc.].

a. This information has been included as an attachment. The only on-board equipment that must be provided by the contractor are two way radios.

91. Fleet: Does the County have a vehicle replacement schedule that can be shared? Are any new buses in the process of being procured for either replacement or expansion?

a. MCI Coaches – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle as needed b. Gillig Transit – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle is 6 years c. BOC buses – replacement cycle is 5-7 years d. 12 MCI’s are expected to be delivered in the August/September 2020

timeframe. 10 of the buses are slated for fleet replacement, 2 are slated for fleet expansion.

92. Fleet: Please provide any required vehicle specification's to include revenue and

non-revenue vehicles. a. All revenue vehicles are provided by the county and are documented in fleet

reports provided. b. Specification and provision of non-revenue vehicles is the responsibility of

the contractor. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

93. Fleet: Please provide the current total number of revenue vehicles. Please

include spare ratio. Please explain any differences between the current fleet and the vehicles in the provided fleet list.

a. A complete revenue fleet listing has been provided. 94. Fleet: Please clarify the number of vehicles used in revenue service by day of

week, the peak service hours and number of buses in service at these times. a. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports.

95. Fleet: Does the Agency have any requirements regarding support vehicles?

Type, number, age limit, fuel type. How many are currently being supplied by the contractor?

a. Please review section 5.11 of the RFP for support vehicle requirements. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

96. Fleet: Please provide the number of non-revenue vehicles used for driver reliefs.

a. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

97. Fleet: Do you have current miles/hours on current powertrain? Or please provide

the date and mileage of all engine and transmission replacements (not just last 12 months).

a. A complete fleet report, including mileages has been provided. Staff will also provide a list of all powertrain components that have been replaced on the current fleet.

98. Fleet: Do the motor coach’s have a refurbishment schedule, or when were they

refurbished? a. MCI Coaches – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle as needed b. Gillig Transit – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle is 6 years c. BOC buses – replacement cycle is 5-7 years d. Note: the first four Gillig buses will be refurbished this fiscal year.

99. Fueling and Cleaning: How are the vehicles fueled each day? (onsite /

outsourced) If not on site, how many minutes does it take to fuel the bus? a. All county owned revenue vehicles will be fueled at the county owned fuel

site that is adjacent to the TMOF. b. Contractor owned non-revenue vehicles cannot be fueled at the county

owned fuel site.

100. Fueling and Cleaning: How is vehicle cleaning currently accomplished? (onsite, offsite, outsourced)

a. Vehicles are currently cleaned on-site at the TMOF. 101. Hours and Miles: Paratransit Hours: Please provide a report from the

dispatching software daily for one week and monthly for the last 12 months that shows data that includes:

a. Total vehicle hours – Provided in operations reports b. Service/Live/Revenue Hours – Provided in Operations Reports and in

Attachments 2,3 & 4 of the RFP c. Deadhead Hours – Provided in the Operations reports for Commuter Bus

and Metro Connection Services. d. Break/Lunch Hours - Unknown to the county

e. Refuel Hours - Unknown to the county f. Any Other Hours - Unknown to the county g. Average trip length in minutes per trip - Unknown to the county h. Trips per Revenue Hour. – provided in the metrics spreadsheet

102. Hours and Miles: All Fixed Route Component Hours: Please provide a

report from the dispatching software daily for one week and monthly for the last 12 months that shows data that includes:

a. Total vehicle hours – Provided in operations reports b. Service/Live/Revenue Hours – provided in operations reports c. Deadhead Hours – provided in operations reports d. Break/Lunch Hours - Unknown to the county e. Refuel Hours – unknown to the county f. Any Other Hours g. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports.

103. Hours and Miles: Please provide the average number of revenue hours for

each day of the week separately a. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports. See

disk

104. Hours and Miles: Please provide the average number of deadhead hours for each day of the week separately

a. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports. See disk

105. Hours and Miles: Please provide the revenue miles for each day of the week

separately a. Please review section 5.2 of the RFQ for this information. b. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports. See

disk

106. Hours and Miles: For fixed route service, please clarify if billable time continues past scheduled hours on the last trip due to exterior factors (traffic, weather, incidents, etc.).

a. Each scenario would be submitted by the contractor and reviewed by the county for consideration. It is in the county’s best interest to be fair with our contractor. That being said, typical traffic delays would not be considered as traffic delays are normal in this area.

107. IT: Does the Contractor need to provide any network cabling or facility IT

upgrades? a. No in regards to the cabling but the contractor will need to provide their own

computers and networking equipment. The IT rooms have rack space for the networking equipment..

108. IT: Does the Contractor network need to support a facility camera system?

If so, please provide details on the system a. No.

109. IT: Are there any non-standard system applications that need to be installed

on Contractor’s workstations? a. No - Contractor owned and provided workstations will be used for any

contractor provided systems, (i.e. corportate accounting, email, payroll, human resources, accident/incident cameras, etc.).

110. IT: What systems, applications or on-bus technology does the Contractor

need to provide computers or servers for? a. The contractor will be responsible for supporting the accident/incident

cameras, SMS alert system and voice communication systems that they provide.

111. IT: Will we need to host or support any application, web, or database

servers? a. Only those servers that are required by the accident/incident cameras, SMS

alert system, corporate business systems and voice communication systems that the contractor provides.

112. IT: Will the contractor need to provide tablets, iPads, Wi-Fi, or cellular service?

a. Mobile phones and a driver voice communications systems are the repsonsibilty of the contractor.

113. IT: Will the contractor be required to host or support any applications or

services? a. Only those that the contractor provides.

114. IT: Are there any other on-board applications we will be required to support (hardware or software) for passenger WIFI, AVL, passenger counting, farebox, etc.?

a. The contractor will be responsible for supporting all on-board electronic systems, including fareboxes, real-time information sytems that have automatic passenger counters and any contractor provided accident/incident cameras and voice communication systems that they provide.

115. IT: Infrastructure/Networking/Telephony: Who will be supporting the phone

system? a. The county IT department will support the facility landline system.

116. IT: Infrastructure/Networking/Telephony: Qty of New Telephone Sets

Needed a. None.

117. IT: Infrastructure/Networking/Telephony: Will advanced call management

features be required? (Call Recording, Call Reporting, IVR menus) a. Not at this time, should the county desire to go in this direction, the county

would procure and install this equipment.

118. IT: Application Support: Are there any applications or systems that need to transitioned from the current contractor's system to the new contractor's system?

a. The accident/incident cameras on the buses and possibly the SMalert system.

119. IT: Any mobile phones, Push-To-Talk Radios, tablets, etc. that we need to

provide and/or support? a. Mobile phones and a driver voice communications system are the

repsonsibilty of the contractor.

120. IT: Are there any current challenges or concerns with provided technology that need to be addressed? An example might be the system lacks capacity for anticipated growth.

a. None that the county is aware of, other than the electronic fare collection system. The county is currently in the midst of upgrading its electronic fare collection system which may or may not be completed by the time this contract is awarded.

121. IT: Please clarify any specifics required relating to phone and data lines needed. Number of lines, data line type (Cable, T-1, TDD, etc.).

a. The facility currently has all needed internal network wiring. The contractor will be required to provide their own internet service and network equipement. Some rack space will be available for the contractor’s use.

122. IT: Who is required to provide the internet circuit for the facility?

a. The facility currently has all needed internal network wiring. The contractor will be required to provide their own internet service and network equipment. Some rack space will be available for the contractor’s use.

123. IT: Is the Contractor able to segment a separate VLAN off the Agency

internet service? a. No.

124. IT: What up/down bandwidth is available to the Contractor on the Agency

internet service? a. The contractor will be required to provide their own internet service and

network equipment.

125. IT: Please confirm Contractor can install their own managed router and switch for segmented VLAN.

a. The contractor will be able to install their own network equipment in order to serve their corporate network and workstations. The network equipment can’t physically connect to the county’s network in any way, shape or form.

126. IT: Please provide detail on the office/facility phone and internet

lines/connections in each work area a. Each workspace in the facility currently has CAT 6 phone and network jacks

installed that are tied to the IT closet for easy plug and play connectivity.

127. IT: Is there rack space available for Contractor servers, switch, routers, etc.?

a. Yes.

128. IT: Call Recordings – Are Contractors required to make call recordings available to the Agency? HIPAA regulations raise concerns in this area and may require a very controlled process

a. Call recordings are not currently required.

129. IT: For the Agency provided telephone system, are there Service Level Agreements (SLA), Business Continuity Plans (BCP) or Disaster Recovery (DR) plans that Contractors need to follow? If so, please provide copies.

a. No.

130. IT: Please provide a diagram of the Technology landscape showing applications/services, who uses each, are they on a server or in the cloud, etc

a. This question is not relevant to the scope of this RFQ. .

131. Labor Relations: We intend to hire as many of the existing employees as possible. In order for us to ensure that they make at least as much, or more than they do now, please provide a seniority list for the current employees for this contract, and indicate position, full time or part time, length of service, and current rate of pay.

a. We don’t have information, but we attached the current driver wages.

132. Labor Relations: What is the current starting wage for drivers and hourly staff positions?

a. We don’t have information, but we attached the current driver wages

133. Labor Relations: Due to the industry wide labor shortages, would the agency include a minimum wage requirement for this procurement?

a. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance wage scales that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

134. Labor Relations: Please provide the current seniority lists for all employees,

and if each position is full-time or part-time. a. We don’t have information, but we attached the current driver wages

135. Labor Relations: What is the current benefit participation?

a. This is between the Contractor and the contractor’s employee, thus the County does not have access to this information; therefore, it can’t be provided by the county.

136. Labor Relations: Do the current labor contract(s) include a pension plan? If so, please provide any details surrounding this plan. i.e. Defined Benefit, Defined Contribution, Under-funded liability.

a. This is between the Contractor and the contractor’s employee, thus the County does not have access to this information; therefore, it can’t be provided by the county.

137. Labor Relations: Are the current transit employees covered by 49 USC 5333(b) (also known as Section 13c of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964)?

a. None of the county’s tranist service receive federal funds therefore 49 USC 5333(b) is not applicable to these services.

138. Legal: At various times, state, federal, and local governments change laws,

rules and regulations which require a company to increase the wages or benefits for the employees that will be employed under this contract. If such an event occurs during the term of the agreement, how will the agency respond for a request for increased compensation. For example, the recent Affordable Care Act legislation significantly affected the level and cost of medical coverage for employees. Since these events cannot be anticipated and the costs are so significant, we need to understand the risk associated with such laws, rules or regulations.

a. This will be treated like any other change that would occur in the contract. The contractor would make a formal request to have the service hour rate(s) changed and provide the reasoning behind the request. County staff will evaluate the request and provide a response one way or another. It is in the county’s best interest to be fair; therefore, if anything, like COVID-19, were to occur, then the county would expect to have certain rates renegotiated.

139. Legal: Paratransit: Is any part of the program funded by a Covered Entity

(as defined under HIPAA), including Medicare and Medicaid? a. The paratransit system is fully funded by local tax, state operating grants,

fares and advertising. No federal funding is used on any Loudoun County service, currently.

140. Legal: Paratransit: Will Contractor be required to enter into a HIPAA

Business Associate Agreement to provide some of the contracted services? a. Not that county staff are aware of.

141. Legal: Would County consider an assignment provision that allows

Contractor to assign the Contract to another FirstGroup entity without prior written consent of the County? If so, may First Transit present sample language in its proposal?

a. See Section 6.23

142. Legal: Would the County consider an assignment provision that allows Contractor to assign the Contract in the instance of a merger, acquisition, corporate reorganization, public stock offering, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets with reasonable notice to but without prior written consent of the County? If so, may First Transit present sample language in its proposal?

a. See Section 6.23

143. Legal: Please clarify the asterisks meaning in section 6.0 of the RFP a. Asterisks means they are mandatory and non-negotiable

144. Legal: Will the county consider a price negotiation trigger within the

contract? For example, "County may increase or decrease services to be provided by Contractor under this RFP (“Schedule Readjustments”). However, where Schedule Readjustments impact by 5% or more the service levels or equipment levels required of Contractor under the assumed routes, schedules, days of service, hours or miles, or vehicle requirements contained in this RFP, Contractor shall be permitted to adjust rates commensurately to cover increases or decreases in cost structure associated with such changes by County."

a. It is in the county’s best interest to be fair; therefore, if anything, like COVID-19, were to occur, then the county or the contractor could ask to have the Billable Service Hour rate renegotiated, as stated on the top of page 22, section 5.21 Hourly Rates and Overhead Costs, subsection 3

145. Legal: Section 8.8 addresses the COVID-19 pandemic and indicates that

transit services are operating at a much lower level and requests proposals for 70% of the 2019 service levels. Will the contractor or its employees will be maintained in the event of a shutdown or reduction in services, due to COVID-19?

a. The answer to this question is unknown. In the current COVID-19 situation, federal funding was made available to maintain employees furloughed; however, that is not guaranteed in the future.

146. Maintenance: Who currently performs vehicle maintenance?

a. Vehicle maintenance is the responsibility of the contractor. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

147. Maintenance: Is shop tooling provided by the agency or the contractor? If

agency, please provide a current list of tools and equipment. a. Please see Attachment #1 of the RFP for details regarding shop tooling that

is provided by the County.

148. Maintenance: Is a shop truck provided by the agency or contractor? How

many shop trucks are currently utilized in this service? Please provide details of any attachments currently used on the shop truck. i.e. snow plow, salt hopper, etc...

a. Please review section 5.11 of the RFP for information regarding support vehicles. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

149. Maintenance: Please confirm whether the Contractor is responsible for

engine and transmission overhauls for the vehicles? a. The county will be financially responsible for engines, transmissions and

differentials only. Labor is the responsibility of the contractor, see page 40 , Section 5.15 Fleet Management and Maintenance, subsection B. Fleet Maintenance, bullet point 10 of the RFQ.

150. Maintenance: Please provide the last 12 months history for major

component replacement and repair for the Agency provided fleet. a. The list of costs are shown in the invoices provided. See disk

151. Maintenance: Are there any remaining warranties for the fleet or provided

equipment? If so, please provide warranty information. a. All of the commuter coaches were purchased with 5 year extended

warranties on them. The engines are 5 years and 500,000 miles and the transmissions are 5 year and 300,000 miles.



d. The full fleet list has been provided, including year of bus purchase and mileage.

152. Maintenance: For the leases of short term vehicles, does maintenance

repair cost follow same scheme as main fleet vehicles? a. All buses, leased or owned are expected to be maintained per

manufacturer’s guidleines. Currently all buses in the fleet are county owned.

153. Maintenance: Are there any maintenance leases of the current contractor

beyond the specified short term vehicles? a. Staff don’t understand this question.

154. Management and Support Staff: Please provide a list of the positions

currently provided by the contractor for this operation. Please indicate whether these positions are 100% dedicated to this contract.

a. Other than the key positions specified by the county, it is the contractor’s responsibilty to determine the appropriate staffing levels for all positions. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner. It is expected that all Key Positions are 100% dedicated to this contract.

155. Management and Support Staff: Please provide a current organization chart

to include management, staff and drivers. a. Other than the key positions specified by the county, it is the contractor’s

responsibilty to determine the appropriate staffing levels for all positions. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

156. Management and Support Staff: Please confirm required named personnel

for proposal. a. Please review section 5.13 of the RFP for this information.

157. Management and Support Staff: Please provide any required experience

needed for named personnel. a. Please review section 8.6 of the RFP for this information.

158. Operations: Is the agency open to alternative modes of mobility that offer

significant cost savings over traditional legacy pricing per hour models? i.e. non-dedicated vehicles that would charge me n a per trip basis?

a. The county is open to alternative modes of mobility. That being said, the county’s expectation is that the contract will be bid as it is advertised.

159. Operations: Would the agency consider overflow trips provided by non dedicated vehicles on a per trip cost?

a. The county would expect to pay for all trips provided the contractor that are authorized by the county. That being said, the county’s expectation is that the contract will be bid as it is advertised.

160. Operations: Please provide details regarding any subcontractors being

used in this service currently, and which services they are providing. a. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all

aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

161. Operations: Are all positions required to be 100% dedicated to this contract?

a. Key Personnel as defined in the RFP are required to be 100% dedicated to this contract. Please review section 5.13 of the RFP for full details.

162. Operations: What is the current pre-trip and post-trip time per driver?


163. Operations: What is the current plan for driver reliefs?


164. Operations: How many extra board hours is the current operator incurring?


165. Operations: Please provide detailed information for each Fixed Route to

help with blocking and scheduling in Excel format. Please include deadhead

hours and miles, number of buses currently used on each route, pull-out and return-to-yard times, etc.

a. The Local Fixed Routes are broken down by block in the operations reports provided. The deadhead hours and miles are unknown to the county since these have been contractor owned vehicles up until now. Additionally, the deadhead hours and miles for the local fixed route sevrices will be changing when the new contract starts because of the shift to all buses being housed at the county owned maintenacne facility.

166. Operations: Please provide current run cut for the Fixed Route and

Paratransit Services. a. Run cutting is the responsibility of the contractor. The county provides

vehicle blocking that the contractor then uses to perform a run-cut. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

167. Operations: What performance standards will be used for measuring the

Contractor's performance? Please provide the current contractor's performance in relation to these standards.

a. Information regarding Contract Deficiency Deductions can be found in Attachment 7 of the RFP.

b. Past Liquidated Damage deductions are included in the management reports and invoices provided.

168. Operations: Please provide the performance statistics of the current

contractor for the past 12 months for accidents (preventable and non-preventable), on-time performance, total operational complaints.

a. Accident reports, preventable ad non-preventable, are not collected by the county so they are unknown. The metrics spreadsheet provided shows all of the metircs currently used by the county. Operational comlaints will be provided for the last two fiscal years.

169. Operations: What is the current level of productivity for Paratransit services?

Please provide for weekday, Saturday and Sunday by service. a. Paratransit service productivity is provided in the metrics spreadsheet.

170. Operations: On-Time Performance -- Is sampling accepted or 100% of

trips?; Is a pickup before the window still considered on-time? a. It is unclear it this question is in regards to paratransit. This question needs

to be clarified.

171. Operations: How many years has the existing contractor held this contract

including extensions? a. This question is irrevlevant to the RFQ as there are currently two contracts

that are being combined into one. (see attached contracts and amendments for both Commuter Bus and Fixed Routes). See disk

172. Operations: Please provide copies of the last three months of management

reports from the Contractors. a. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports. See

disk

173. Operations: Please provide copies of the last twelve months of invoices from the Contractors.


174. Operations: Please provide a copy of the current contracts for these

services. a. attached contracts and amendments for both Commuter Bus and Fixed

Routes) See disk 175. Operations: Please provide detail if any of the current vehicles are operating

at "overcapacity," and which routes, and time of day the overcapacity is occurring. a. This data is unknown on the local fixed routes as the fleet that was being

used had no electronic passenger counters or fareboxes on them. Pre-COVID-19, there were only one or two buses that had standees on a regular basis and they were early buses out of the city in the afternoon.

176. Operations: Is the current contractor staging vehicles on any of the routes,

and if so, please provide details on the routes that require the staged vehicles to maintain OTP?


177. Operations: Who handles passenger certifications for ADA? Please

describe any responsibilities the contractor has for this process. a. It is the contractors responsibility to have ADA passengers certified. Please

see section 3.0 Background and Services Operated, sub-section D Paratransit Services on page 9 of the RFQ.

178. Operations: What are 3 things that the agency would like to see improved

in the current service? a. The top three priorities for staff are customer service, vehicle maintenance

and the professional behavior, attitude and look of the drivers.

179. Operations: What are the top 3 complaints received by passengers on this service?

a. Please see the event log spreadsheet provided. See disk

180. Penalties and Incentives: Please provide a listing of any penalties charged or incentives earned over the past 12 months. Please clarify if the liquidated damages listed in the RFP differ from the current contract.

a. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports. b. The liquidated damages provisions of the current contract are included in

the contracts that are being provided as part of the answers to these questions.

181. Penalties and Incentives: Are there any changes in the penalties for this

new RFP from what is currently in place with the current contract? a. The liquidated damages provisions of the current contract are included in

the contracts that are being provided as part of the answers to these questions. The contract deficiency deductions are provided as attachment 7 of the RFQ.

182. Penalties and Incentives: Would the agency consider postponing

performance penalties during the first 90 days of the new contract period for a new contractor?

a. It is the county’s expectation that the contractor will provide all services in accordance with the contract that is signed.

183. Penalties and Incentives: Please provide the actual performance for each

performance standard listed by month for the past 12 months a. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports. See disk

184. Penalties and Incentives: Penalties: Would the agency consider setting the

penalties to be calculated based on actual performance data over the last 12 months from the incumbent provider? With an appropriate measure of actual performance for a long-term provider that has been achieved throughout the existing contract term this can provide a reasonable level of performance expectations.

a. For example, if the on-time performance over the last 12 months has been 84%, then the minimum standard is set at 84% with no penalty, incentives for every 1% increase in on-time performance and penalties should be assessed for any on-time performance below 84%.

b. What this does is sets the standard of performance that is currently being achieved, setting a better performance path into the future and ultimately will support the overall mission of the agency in ensuring the highest level of customer service to the community. This measurement will allow for vendors to reduce their budgetary allocations for anticipated penalty assessments and ultimately places additional dollars into delivering the high level of quality service that the agency desires.

i. No – For both bullet points a and b. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner. The RFQ sets the standard for the contract that will be signed and the contract sets the standards for how the services will be run, including Contract Deficiency Deductions..

185. Personnel: Under maintenance personnel, the following is stated, "At least

two mechanics, in addition to the maintenance manager, must be “certified” to work on all of the current and future electronics systems installed on the buses." What specific certifications are required?

a. Certified means that these personnel should take the appropriate training offered by the electronics manufacturer(s) so that they fully understand how all of the electronic equipment on the buses function and can maintain them appropriately.

186. Pricing: Please provide the current rates paid to the existing contractor for

variable and fixed costs. Also, please indicate the total amount paid to the contractor for the last fiscal year.


187. Pricing: Please confirm the volume of hours and/or trips on which proposers

should base their proposals. Please describe plans for any changes to the volume of hours in the next 12 months.

a. The proposers should base their proposals on the hours and miles that are included in the RFP and on the pricing pages.

b. With the upcoming introduction of Metrorail service to Loudoun County, along with the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, describing plans for any changes to the volume of hours in the next 12 months would only be speculative in nature and of no value to this procurement.

188. Pricing: Please clarify how the prices will be evaluated; will the full contract

term be considered or only the Year 1 price? a. The RFQ is for five years so the prices will be evaluated for the entirety of

the contract but will take into account how each year is priced.

189. Pricing: Is the agency open to alternative price proposals? a. No – in the spirit of keeping equity for all proposers, the pricing proposals

should be presented as requested in the RFQ.

190. Pricing: What is the current turnover rate for drivers? a. The County does not have access to this information; therefore, it can’t be

provided by the county.

191. Pricing: Please provide information regarding the current benefits and co-pays for the current employees to include drivers and staff. Please include as many specifics as possible.


192. Proposal: In light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the quarantine mandates affecting much of the U.S., we respectfully request that you allow bidders to submit proposals electronically via email, Dropbox link, etc. in lieu of providing printed copies. This would allow us to submit a compliant document within the RFP deadlines, and minimize in-person exposure for both your agency’s employees and our company’s employees.

a. No, the County will not accept electronic submission

193. Safety and Training: What is the required number of training hours for new drivers? Please also identify any other required training.

a. This is set by the contractor but provided to the county for review. Simply put, the training program needs to prepare the employees to be ready for service in whatever role they are hired for.

194. Technology: Software: Please describe, including manufacturer product

name and version number, of all scheduling and dispatching products in place. a. MAIOR is the scheduling software used for blocking and CleverCAD is used

for dispatching. Both of these products are provided by Clever Devices, Inc..

195. Technology: Software: Please describe any additional modules in place to supplement the scheduling and dispatching system. For example, tools for call management, complaint management, rider communication via IVR or text, etc.

a. MAIOR and CleverCAd are the only modules used by the county for scheduling and dispatching. The contractor will be responsible for providing an SMS rider alert system as described in 5.19(B), as well as any payroll and/or timekeeping functions. Driver rostering and run cuttng are not provided by the county. Currently there are not complaint management or IVR systems in place in the county.

196. Technology: Software: Please indicate whether these products are hosted

by the Client, software manufacturer or if the contractor would be required to provided hosting services.

a. The contractor would only be required to provide hosted services as needed for systems that the contractor provides.

197. Technology: Hardware: Please describe the manufacturer make and model

of any equipment currently in use or planned for use on the vehicles including cameras, safety/security systems, routers, signs, passenger counters, tablets (MDT's) and fare boxes.

a. Please see section 5.16 of the RFP for this information.

198. Technology: Hardware: Is there a requirement for integration of tablets, signage, passenger counters with the dispatching system?

a. Any such integration with the CleverCAD system that is needed will be the responsibilty of the county. There is no requirement for integration with contractor provided timekeeping/payroll systems.

199. TNC Partnerships: Is the agency open to integration of TNC or taxi

providers? If yes, would the agency be open to limiting driver requirements such at drug and alcohol testing, etc.?

a. If the question is geared toward using TNCs as sub-contractors then the county expects the sub-contracted drivers to meet the same criteria that is provided in the RFQ, section 5.14 Contractors Personnel, sub-section A Vehicle Operator on page 24.

200. Transition: During the transition, how many vehicles will be made available

to the incoming contractor to perform training? a. All vehicle are needed for revenue service during the week. On the

weekends, the majority of the fleet is available for training should it be needed.

201. Transition: During the transition, will there be space available at the facility to conduct start up activities?

a. Space at the maintenance and operations facilities will be made available to accommodate startup activities.

202. Transition: When does the agency expect to award this contract?

a. The County plans to award the contract January 1, 2021, but subject to change.

203. Will the County please extend the proposal due date by 30 days? The

deadline for questions is August 18th leaving limited time for the County to respond to questions and also ensure sufficient time for proposers to review and analyze responses and extrapolate data for accurate pricing. In addition, responses often require further clarification. Please let us know as soon as possible.

a. Proposal deadline has been extended until 09/16/2020.

204. Could the County please share its vision for its services for the next five to ten years? What are the key objectives the County hopes to achieve?

a. Over the next five – ten years, the key objectives are to get commuter services to Washington DC, Rosslyn, the Pentagon and Crystal City back to pre-COVID-19 levels, to add transit services to the new metrorail stations in loudoun County and to increase transit service options for the county’s low income, senior and disabled populations.

205. Given the serious health exposure our employees as well as County

employees face due to Covid-19, will the County please revise the requirement regarding proposal hard-copy proposal submittals, and instead accept an electronic version via email or an online portal to ensure the health and safety of all those involved in this proposal effort?

a. No, the County will not accept electronic submission

206. Could the County please provide copies of incumbent Contracts w/ all amendments (including the last extension letter or contract amendment)?

a. Current contracts are included. See disk

207. Could the County please provide a trailing 6 Months of Incumbent invoices + any other payments made (pass-through reimbursements/special projects, etc.…)?


208. Could the County please provide a trailing 6 Months of any incumbent operating reports (statistics, performance measures, etc.…)?

a. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports

209. Could the County please provide the previous 12 months of complaints history (summarized if possible)?

a. Event logs with this information will be provided. See disk

210. Could the County please provide a summary of assessed Liquidated Damages for the past 12 months for both contracts?


211. Could the County please provide copies of any cure notices issued or audits (both financial and operational) conducted during the contract term on either contractor?

a. N/A

212. Could the County please provide copies of any written justification for contract cost increases during the term of the contract?

a. There were no written justifcation for contract cost that was presented by department

213. Could the County please provide detailed information regarding all benefits

programs for the current employees? For insurance programs, please include specific participation rates in employee only, employee plus one, and employee plus family coverage, as well as employee and employer contribution levels for each category of coverage.


214. Could the County please provide detail on driver statistics: Overtime

percentages, absenteeism percentages, turnover rates, etc...? a. The County does not have access to this information; therefore, it can’t be

provided by the county.

215. Could the County please provide detail on ridership trends, as well as rider statistics (origin/destination data, demographics, etc.)?

a. With regards to paratransit services, all trips are performed within Loudoun County.

b. With reagrds to all other services, operations and ridership reports are being provided.

216. Could the County please provide its current GTFS feed data?

a. Yes - the GTFS file will be provided.

217. Could the County please provide historical On Time Performance, preferably system-wide and by route if available?

a. Three years of metrics reports are being provided. These contain the metrics that the county uses to verify the efficiency of our transit services.

218. Could the County please provide information related to the location of any

reliefs or mid-day parking? a. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all


219. Could the County please provide the current Customer Service, Supervisor

and Dispatcher schedules? a. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all


220. Please provide all applicable FTA Section 13(c) agreements, present and

historical. Could the County please confirm that the Contractor's 13(c) liability would apply only to acts or omissions of the Contractor?

a. The county’s transit services are not federally funded so the FTA Section 13(C) regulations do not apply to Loudoun’s transit services.

221. Can the County please provide a current organizational chart or a list of

positions that illustrates the staffing provided for all lines of service by each of the current contractors?

a. The RFQ is combining all transit services therefore the current organizational charts are irrelevant to this bid. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

222. Could the County please provide specific information regarding the current

wages for all employees, includes non-represented employees, currently involved in the provision of all lines of service? This will allow proposers to ensure a smooth transition by offering comparable wages.

a. The County does not have access to all information; therefore, county can’t provided all information. Wages are in the disk.

223. Could the County please confirm that the new Contractor will not be deemed responsible for any liability arising from the incumbent Contractor? For instance, please confirm that paid time off (PTO) accrued under the current Contractor will be paid out as of the last day of the incumbent’s contract, and that the new Contractor would not have to accrue funds for these balances carried over? If so, a balance of accrued PTO and any other liabilities for covered and non-covered employees would be useful to bidders.

a. PTO is a function of the employment relationship. The county does not have access to this information. However, it is the bidders’s responsibility to fully understand any applicable laws that may impact this issue.

224. Could Loudoun County please clarify if the Proposer will be responsible for

budgeting for existing sick accruals as defined by the CBA? a. The County has no involvement in the contractor/employee relationship. It

is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans, including wage and benefits plans, that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

225. Could Loudoun County please clarify if the proposer will be responsible for

budgeting for existing vacation accruals as defined by the CBA? a. The County has no involvement in the contractor/employee relationship. It

is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans, including wage and benefits plans, that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

226. Current invoice payment terms reflect 45 days. Would the County consider

discounted payment terms for expedited payment? If so, what is proposed? a. The County’s standard terms are net 30 so this will be corrected in the

contract.

227. Could the County please provide a seniority list for the current employees for all lines of service? For each employee, please indicate position, full time or part time, status (e.g. active, leave, suspension, etc.) length of service, and current rate of pay.

a. The County does not have the seniority list, but have rates provided in the disk

228. Could the County please provide the retirement dates that proposers should

assume for the existing fleet? Please also indicate if proposers should assume a certain vehicle type for any vehicle replacements occurring over the life of the contract.

a. MCI Coaches – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle as needed b. Gillig Transit – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle is 6 years c. BOC buses – replacement cycle is 5-7 years d. The county intends to own the fleet for this contract, including any additional

fleet that may need to be added.

229. What is the current life miles and/or age goal for the revenue vehicles? a. MCI Coaches – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle as needed b. Gillig Transit – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle is 6 years c. BOC buses – replacement cycle is 5-7 years

230. Please provide list equipment provided by current contractors

a. This question is too vague to answer within the scope of the Q & A process.

231. Could the County please provide the warranty terms, conditions, and

expiration of applicable vehicle or parts warranties covering the agency owned vehicles?

a. All of the commuter coaches were purchased with 5 year extended warranties on them. The engines are 5 years and 500,000 miles and the transmissions are 5 year and 300,000 miles.



d. The full fleet list has been provided, including year of bus purchase and mileage.

232. Could the County please provide information regarding any known fleet

defects? a. Fleet is fully functional with no known defects and is intended to be handed

over to the winning bidder in that manner.

233. Please provide details of the County's vehicle maintenance fluid analysis program to include frequency of sampling, reporting process, and specifications.

a. Fluid analysis is the responsibility of the contractor. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner. Please see Section 5.15 Fleet Management and Maintenance, sub-section B. Fleet Maintenance, bullet point 3

234. Will the tires on all the vehicles remain after the transition of Contractors or

should proposers plan to replace all tires within a specified time period, either before or after 1/1/2021?

a. All buses will be returned to the county by the incumbent contractor(s) with one spare tire per vehicle. Any tire inventory over and above that amount is the property of the incumbent contractor.

235. Please provide a list of the existing parts inventory owned by the County or

the incumbent Contractors and an estimate of its fair market value. a. The spare parts inventory is owned by the incumbent contractors, therefore

this information is not available to the county. The county does own an inventory of certain technology related parts which will remain the property of the county.

236. Please provide a two (2) year history for major component replacement and

repair (including by not limited to engine and transmissions) for the revenue vehicle fleet?

a. The list of costs are shown in the invoices provided. See disk

237. Please provide a listing of the office equipment that will be provided to the Contractor so proposers may appropriately plan for any additional asset needs to effectively manage this service.

a. The county will provide computer workstations and networking to support the use of the CleverCAD system, as well as the facility landline telephone system. All desks and office furniture is provided by the county. A complete list will be provided.

238. Please provide a 3-year accident history list (for auto liability insurance

planning). a. The County does not have any details of accidents other than an accident

occurred. Since the transit services are contracted out and the contractor is the primary insurance holder, this information is the property of the contractor.

239. Please provide a 3-year injury history list (for worker’s comp insurance

planning). a. The County does not have access to this information.

240. Would the County consider making renewals of the Agreement by mutual

written agreement of the parties? a. The contract that the county provides is a bi-lateral agreement that need to

be mutually agreed by both parties.

241. Would the County consider language providing for the mutual termination for convenience in the event the contract conditions become unfavorable for either party?

a. No

242. Would the County consider making termination for default a mutual right? a. No

243. Would the County consider including labor related incidents as part of Force

Majeure? a. No – the labor force is the responsibility of the contractor. Poor management

and/or bad relations with the employees or a particular union that may cause a strike would not be considered Force Majeure.

b. Labor related incidents in a national scale is already included in Force Majeure.

244. Could the County please identify the number of non-revenue vehicles by vehicle type provided by the current Contractors?

a. Please review section 5.11 of the RFP for support vehicle requirements. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

245. Will the County please provide costs for background checks per staff?

b. Background checks are the responsibility of the contractor, therefore the county does not have this information.

246. How many driver training hours does the County require for new drivers?

How many refresher training hours are required? c. This is set by the contractor but provided to the county for review. Simply

put, the training program needs to prepare the employees to be ready for service in whatever role they are hired for.

247. How many supervisor training hours does the County require for new

drivers? How many refresher training hours are required? d. This is set by the contractor but provided to the county for review. Simply

put, the training program needs to prepare the employees to be ready for service in whatever role they are hired for.

248. Will the County please confirm that the cost for the initial third-party

inspection is borne by the County? e. Confirmed.

253. Per RFP Sec. 5.15.B.12, the Contractor is responsible for temporary

replacement of vehicles damaged and required to be out of service for 30 days. Is this a requirement for the entire fleet? Also, how often have temporary replacements been required under the current contracts?

a. This is a requirement for the entire revenue fleet. Over the last five years, this has occurred twice.

254. How have cleaning standards changed during COVID from what is currently

presented in the RFP? a. All buses will be required to be cleaned and disinfected daily moving

forward. The County also require the drivers to wipe down the high touch areas with disinfectant wipes between trips.

255. Will the County please indicate when the 3-year extended warranties on

mounted hardware in vehicles was purchased? Will these be renewed for new equipment provided by new contractor?

a. The Clever Devices hardware on the buses is on maintenance agreements paid for by the county. There can still be costs for fixing the equipment but it is minimal. The electronic fareboxes, Luminator signs and TranSign signs do not have warranties on them. In regards to the

accident cameras provided by the current contractor, this information is unknown.

256. Will the County please indicate which business licenses are required to

operate this service? a. Please see section 6.5 of the RFP for this information.

257. Would the County consider (1) amending the Cost Proposal Forms to allow

proposers to provide start-up pricing separate from the Period 1 rates, and (2) evaluating start-up costs separately from the annual rates? This method will remove the competitive advantage of either incumbent contractor, creating a level playing field for all proposers.

a. Yes – the county will amend the cost proposal forms to provide the start-up costs separate from the Period 1 rates.

258. Would the County consider paying the Contractor for start-up costs within

the start-up period? a. But ihas to be sheet fo

259. "On page 12, Section 4, of the RFP, it states “Offerors must demonstrate

they have had a minimum of five (5) years of experience in managing, maintaining, and operating Commuter Bus, Metro Connection, Local Fixed Route, and Paratransit transit services equal to or larger than the services described in Section 3.0 and Section 5.0 contained herein.”

a. Does this mean that a Offeror must have five years’ experience operating each type of bus service with at least the number of trips, miles, hours, and quantity of buses described in the RFP?

i. Yes b. Is this requirement for a single site operated by the Offeror or is it

cumulative among all the Offeror’s operations and/or types of bus service required by Loudoun County?

i. Cumulative – the County simply needs to know if the offeror has operated all of the advertised transit services at a minimum of the advertised levels for at least five years.

c. Section 2 of the RFP, Competition Intended, states “It shall be the Offeror's responsibility to advise the Purchasing Agent in writing if any language, requirement, specification, etc., or any combination thereof, inadvertently restricts or limits [competition] the requirements stated in this RFP to a single source. The requirement of “equal to or larger” in Section 4 may have the effect of limiting competition to one or very few Offerors if it is required to be performed at a single site or equal to or larger than the number of bus types, trips, miles or hours required by Loudoun County."

i. The Offeror’s Minimum Qualifications in Section 4.0 of the RFP define the standard set of knowledge, skills, experience and abilities that must be possessed by the Offeror to provide reasonable assurance to the County that the work and/or services requested in this RFP will be accomplished. After a review of the requirements in Section 4.0 of this RFP, the County has determined that these requirements do not limit competition but are necessary to ensure that these services will be performed successfully based on the standards described.

260. Will the County please provide the following on a per service line basis per month for the last 24 months: Revenue hours, Revenue miles, Deadhead hours, Deadhead miles? Also, please confirm the amount of bus miles included in Attachment 9 are revenue and deadhead miles for service line.

a. This information is provided in the operations reports and metrics spreadsheets. The miles provided in Attachment 9 are total miles, inclusive of all deadhead miles.

261. Section 5.12 of the RFP states that for the Commuter Service, "Dead head

time to and from Arlington and Washington DC, as described at the beginning of the Operations section 5.2, will be paid as part of the billable service hours for the commuter bus services." Will the County please clarify the amount of deadhead hours per year that are covered as billable hours and the amount of deadhead hours per year that are not covered as billable hours?

a. The number of billable service hours shown in Attachment 9 does NOT include the deadhead miles that will be paid under this new contract. The number of estimated deadhead miles that has been added to Attachment 9, Commuter Bus Estimated Billable Services Hours for Period 1, is 44,581 for a new total of 106021.

262. Attachment 9 states 3.3M miles for Commuter Bus, however RFP

Commuter FY 2019 + Metro Connect FY 2019 bus miles amount to 3.2M. Will the County also please explain the difference between these amounts?

a. The RFP is showing actual FY 2019 miles (12 months) while Attachment 9, Period 1 reflects the FY 2019 miles divided by 12 and then multiplied by 18 to provide the correct miles.

263. Will the County please provide ridership per service line per month for the

last 24 months? a. This data is included in the operations reports.

264. Will the County please provide non driver uniform requirements? Please

provide requirements for supervisors, utility workers, mechanics, and other staff required to have uniforms.

a. Please see section 5.14 (6) on pg. 29 of the RFP for this information. There is no specific uniform requirements for maintenance personnel.

265. Will the County please clarify Contractors are responsible for janitorial

service and landscaping? a. Confirmed

266. Will the County please state the vehicle maintenance management system

currently in use on each contract? Does the County have a preference on which vehicle maintenance management system for the new contract?

a. Please see Section 5.15 Fleet Management and Maintenance, Sub-section B. Fleet Maintenance, bullet point 2 of the RFP. (page 38)

267. Will the County please state who is responsible for phone and internet costs

for the new contract? a. The contractor is responsible for all internet connectivity for their

employees. The County is responsible for the landline phones.

268. Will the County provide space and vehicles for the incoming contractor to perform training and on-boarding during transition?

a. All vehicle are needed for revenue service during the week. On the weekends, the majority of the fleet is available for training should it be needed. Space at the maintenance and operations facilities will be made available to accommodate startup activities.

269. Will the County please provide the amount of tows per service line per year

for the last 2 years? a. The county has not collected this data but will be providing detailed

repair orders for the last 3 years which should show the amount of tows.

270. Will the County provide any maintenance tools for the incoming contactor? a. Please see Attachement #1, Exhibit A of the RFP for this information.

271. Per Section 5.14.B.3, the County states that a transition to tablet based

electronic fare collection system and possibly add more ITS systems. Will the County please provide the timing of this transition? Does the County currently provide supervisors and other staff with tablets? If not, do the current contractors provide them?

a. The tablets in question are part of the fareboxes on board the bus. The farebox upgrades to include tablets is ongoing and will be continuing when the new contract is awarded. This equipment is a county expense.

There is no requirement for other staff to have tablets and they are not provided by the County.

272. How should we adjust runcut for 70% of service? Could the County clarify

whether the 70% service model is anticipated to be in place at the contract start? a. The assumption is 70% of the service hours based on the schedules

provided in the RFP. It is unknown whether or not 70% of the service will be in place when the contract starts but the County is hopeful that is the case.

273. Section 5.15 A3 of the RFP states “The price to the County for leased buses

will be specified in the pricing page of the Offeror’s proposal.” Will the County revise the pricing pages to insert a bus leasing cost by vehicle type? Pricing various vehicle types now may be premature given prices can and will change at any time in the future as a result of the new and used market, and future supply and demand.

a. Replaced (see first page)

274. On the pricing forms Y1 states 10609 revenue hours for an 18-month period, however Y2 and on are in the same range of ~10K revenue hours. Does Loudoun expect to run less ADA service per month in Y1 vs the rest of the base period or is this a typo that should be adjusted?

a. This number has been corrected on Atatchment 9. The original 10,609 number of service hours has now been adjusted for an 18 month period in Period 1 which has adjusted Periods 2-5 appropriately.

275. Could the County please provide the system speed for all services broken

down by revenue speed and deadhead speed? a. Staff do not understand this question

276. P.7 section B, Metro Connection Bus Service: The RFP indicates "These

bus services were shifted to the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail Station in 2014 when Metrorail Silver Line Phase 1 entered revenue service began. These bus services will shift again when Silver Line Phase 2 begins revenue service."

a. Please indicate whether all bidders should use the revenue hours in section 5.13B to develop their cost proposal for the Metro Connect bus service.

i. The bidders should use the hours provided on Attachment 9. b. Please provide the current deadhead hours for the Metro Connect bus

service. i. This information is unavailable..

c. Please provide the peak number of vehicles for the Metro Connect bus service.

i. This is provided in Attachment 3 of the RFP.

277. P.9 section D, Paratransit Bus Service: If additional vehicles are needed for the paratransit service due to growth, please indicate whether the County will provide the vehicles.

a. The county will provide these vehicles should they become needed or the County will work with the contractor to lease addional vehicles until new ones can be purchased.

278. P.10 Section 3.4, Transit Maintenance and Operations Facility: Please

indicate whether the current provider uses an outside vendor to perform maintenance on the facility. If yes, please provide the name and contact number for the vendor.


279. P.13 Section 5.1, General Information: Please indicate whether the County-

provided facilities will accommodate all the vehicles for the Commuter service, Connector service, fixed route service, and paratransit service while taking growth into consideration.

a. Yes.

280. P.37 section E, Fuel: Please indicate who currently fuels the vehicles for the Commuter and Connector services. Please indicate which vehicles are being fueled at 42000 Loudoun Center Place, Leesburg, Virginia 20175.

a. All county owned revenue vehicles will be fueled at the county owned fuel site that is adjacent to the TMOF.

b. Contractor owned non-revenue vehicles cannot be fueled at the county owned fuel site.

281. General: Please indicate whether an armored car service is used to deposit

fares. If yes, please provide the vendor name and contact number. a. Cash counting and depositing is done by county staff.

282. P.19 Section 5.6, Run Cutting: Please indicate how run cutting is being

performed by the contractor today. Please provide the number of times run cutting is prepared during the year for the Commuter and Connector services.

a. The county provides the blocked schedules and the contractor uses those blocks to do their runcutting. Please bank on a minimum of two runcuts per year. With the new Metrorail Stations starting in Loudoun County in 2021, the number of runcuts needed may be increased.

283. P.19 Section 5.8, Strategically Placed Spares Plan: Please provide the

percentage of time strategically placed spares are put into revenue service. Please provide the locations for the strategically placed spares for the Commuter and Connector services.


284. P.20 section 5.11, Service and Support Vehicles: Please provide the

number of support vehicles provided by the current service provider for the Commuter and Connector service.

a. It is the county’s expectation that the bidders will thoroughly study all aspects of the RFP and develop their own operating, supervision and maintenance plans, including support vehicles, that the bidder believes will allow them to meet the county’s expectations for service quality and reliability while also representing the county in a professional manner.

285. Attachment 9: Please provide the first 12 months of billable service hours

for each service. a. This information is provided in the NTD spreadsheets that are provided.

286. P.22 Section 5.12.C: The RFP indicates "IMPORTANT NOTE FOR

COMMUTER BUS SERVICE: Dead head time to and from Arlington and Washington DC, as described at the beginning of the Operations section 5.2, will be paid as part of the billable service hours for the commuter bus services."

a. Please confirm that the deadhead time is included in the billable service hours for the Commuter service. If not, will the estimated billable hours on attachment 9 be updated?

i. Attachment 9 has been updated to include Billable deadhead hours.

287. Attachment 9: The average monthly hours for the 18-month estimated

billable service hours are 16,305.67, and the 12-month estimated billable service hours per period 2 are 11,281.33 which is in line with period 3,4, and 5.

a. Please clarify the difference of 5,024.33 more per month billable service hours for period 1 when compared to the monthly service hours for period 2.

i. The total number of billable service hours provided in Attachemnt 9 is 195668. When 195668 is divided buy 18, the avergae number of billable service hours is 10870.4, not 16305.67.

b. Please indicate whether a new attachment 9 with revised estimated billable service hours will be provided.

i. Attachment 9 has had the Billable service hours corrected for the commuter bus services.

c. If the estimated billable service hours change, please indicate whether the miles will change.

i. The miles in Attachment 9 were and are correct.

288. General: Please indicate whether there has been a reduction in service due to COVID-19. If yes, please indicate whether those service reductions have been factored for in attachment 9.

a. Please provide the billable service hours for the Commuter and Connector service for the last 12 months.

i. There have been reductions in service. The alternate pricing of 70% less service hours and miles from FY 2019 is used to account for the effect of COVID-19 Loudoun’s Transit services.

289. P.24 Section 5.14, Contractor’s Personnel: We intend to hire as many of the

existing employees as possible. In order for us to ensure that they make at least as much, or more than they do now, please provide the hire date, rate of pay, full-time or part-time status, and whether employees are taking medical benefits (e.g. employee only, employee plus one, family, etc.) for the Commuter and Connector service. When other bidders do not receive this information, the cost proposal is inadvertently overpriced due to unknowns and the incumbent gains a competitive advantage.


290. P.24 Section 5.14, Contractor’s Personnel: Please provide contact name

and number for the union representative. Please also provide a current copy of the collective bargaining agreement.

a. The County is does not have contact information for local union representatives as the agreement is between the union and the contractor

291. P. 31 section B.1, Staffing Levels: Please indicate whether 60% of the

technicians are currently ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck certified.


292. P.33 Section A.3, Contractor Provided Lease Buses: Please provide the

year, make, model, and passenger capacity for the vehicles that the contractor will have to provide leased vehicle prices.

a. Replaced (see first page)

293. P.41 section 10, Engines/Transmissions: The RFP indicates "Any repairs after 300,000 miles that do not require power-train component replacement shall be the Contractor’s responsibility." Please indicate whether this statement is referring to general repairs on the vehicles. If not, please provide additional details.

a. Should a power-train component need repairs, but not replacement after the 300,000 mile warranty expires then the cost is borne by the contractor.

294. P.43 Section 17, Restrooms: Please indicate whether a third-party provider

is used to clean out the toilet dump. If yes, please provide the name and contact number.


295. General: Please indicate whether the County provides any computers to the

contractor. a. The contractor is responsible for providing all of the computer equipment

that will be needed by their staff. This includes copiers, printers, laptops/computers/ networking equipment, internet, etc. The building is cabled and rack space is available in the IT Closets. The county is providing the computers and network used for the CleverCad dispatching system, as well as the telephone system for both buildings

296. P.49 section E, National Transit Database (NTD) Reporting: Please provide

the NTD report for the Commuter and Connector service separately for the most recent year.

a. The county will provide three years of operations reports, three years of the metrics report and three years of NTD data by service.

297. P.51 section 5.19. E, Labor related or other work stoppage: The RFP

indicates "See Hourly Rates, above." Please provide the hourly rates as they are not included in the RFP.

a. This is incorrectly referenced in the RFP. Please see section 5.12 Hourly Rates and Overhead Costs, subsection C, page 22 for information on Labor related work stoppages.

298. P.52 section 5.20, Facility: Please indicate whether the bus wash bay is an

automatic drive through bus wash bay. a. It is.

299. P.53 Section 6.0, Terms and Conditions: Please indicate whether the

renewal of the option years will be based on mutual consent. a. Yes, please read section 6.2 Term

300. P.69 Section 6.39, Contract Performance Bond: Would the County consider

a performance bond equal to a percentage of the first year's contract value? A percentage between 10%-25% is more common market practice, should adequately cover the County's termination risks, and would be less costly. Cost for 100% annual performance bond would range between $200K-$250K annually.

a. No

301. P.78 section 8.8, Section 6: Cost and Pricing Information: Please provide attachment 9 and 10 in Excel.

a. The county will provide Attachment 9 in an excel format.

302. P.98 section E.3: Please indicate whether the current contractor provides trash and dumpster pickup service. If yes, please provide the contact name and number.

a. The current contractor does provide the trash and dumpster service for the the Maintenance and Operations Center. The County does not have the information on who the contractor uses.

303. General: Please provide the amount of deduction issued against the current

contractor in the most recent 12 months for the Commuter and Connector service. Please list by category if available.

a. This information is provided in the invoices and operations reports.

304. Attachment 5: Please indicate whether any vehicles will be replaced by the start of the contract. Please provide a vehicle replacement schedule.

a. MCI Coaches – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle as needed b. Gillig Transit – replacement cycle is 12 years, rehab cycle is 6 years c. BOC buses – replacement cycle is 5-7 years d. A detailed fleet list has been provided, inclusive of purchase years of the

buses.

305. General: Please provide the current turnover rate for the drivers for the most recent 12 months.


306. General: Please confirm radios are to be provided by the contractor. If yes,

please provide the make and model currently being used. a. The current radios being used are cellular based push-to-talk radios and

are provided by both incumbent contractors. As a result, the county does not have details of the makes and models used.

307. Page 19 Section 5.6: Please provide detailed vehicle blocking for all service

levels. a. The blocking of the services has been provided in Attachments 2,3 and

4 and in the operations reports that are being provided.

308. Page 19 Section 5.6: Please provide vehicle headways for all service levels. a. This information is provided in the operations reports and in Attachments

2,3 and 4 of the RFQ.

309. Page 19 Section 5.6: Please provide a detailed list of all approved driver relief locations. Please notate if any relief points are mid-route.


310. Page 19 Section 5.6: Please provide the current deadhead miles per hour.

a. We don’t have access to that information

311. Page 19 Section 5.6: Please provide the number of non-revenue relief vehicles that are provided by the current contractor today.


312. Page 19 Section 5.6: What is the current planning system used to create

vehicle blocking? a. Please thoroughly review section 5.6 of the RFP.

313. Page 19 Section 5.6: Please provide the current runcut, driver paddles and

left and rights by yard. a. Run cutting is the responsibility of the contractor, therefore the county

does not have a copy of the current run cuts. b. Paddles are produced by the contractors, therefore the county does not

have a copy of the paddles.

314. P.52 Section 6.2: The RFP indicates "Any increase in prices or rates after the first eighteen (18) months (January 1, 2021-June 30, 2022) or any subsequent twelve (12) month period should be mutually agreed to by the parties, however, in no instance will the Contract price adjustment for a renewal period exceed three percent (3%)."

a. As labor, insurance, and workers compensation increase at a rate greater than 3%, please confirm that all bidders should develop their cost proposal based on their anticipated cost increase and include their cost in the form provided by the County.

315. P.17 Section E: The RFP indicates "The County will also be providing

paratransit bus service within ¾ of a mile of the new Metrorail stations. These paratransit trips can travel anywhere in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) transit systems footprint. This includes Metrorail stations as far away as Rockville, MD, Beltsville, MD and New Carrollton, MD."

a. Based on these parameters a trip can be more than sixty miles away from Leesburg. Due to uncertainty with these trips, would the County consider billing these trips gate to gate as it is billed today? This approach would minimize the risk and prevent all bidders from overpricing this component.

316. Page 80, Section 9.1, H. Preparation and Submission of Proposals:

Currently, our organization is experiencing delays in the hand binding process

related to COVID 19. Accordingly, we respectfully request that the County consider proposal submittals in electronic format only.

a. No, the county does not accept electronic submissions.

317. Page 56, Section 6.7, C7. Fidelity Bond Coverage: Please confirm that the County will accept a Crime Insurance policy in lieu of the Fidelity Bond.

318. Page 74, Section 8.0 Proposal Submission Format: Please confirm that

required attachments are excluded from the page limit. Please also confirm forms and appendices may retain their original page numbering and are not required to be consecutively numbered with the technical proposal document.

a. Yes, the exhibits were separate files attached to the contract

319. Page 74, Section 8.0 Proposal Submission Format: Would the County be amendable to the items listed in the appendix being numbered by individual document?

a. all exhibits are already numbered

proposal no. rfq 143782, operation and maintenance of …

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