REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
December 10, 2020
FROM: GREGORY A. BARFIELD, Director
Department of Transportation
BY: BRIAN BARR, Assistant Director
Department of Transportation
ORIE J. RUBALCAVA, Senior Management Analyst
Department of Transportation
HARPREET KAUR, Fleet Operations Specialist
Department of Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the award of a requirements contract with Proterra, Inc., for 40-foot low floor, long range, battery electric buses in the amount of $6,728,869 and authorize the Director of Transportation or his designee to execute the documents (Bid File 9553)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council approve the award of a requirements contract with Proterra, Inc., for 40-foot low floor, long range, battery electric buses in the amount of $6,728,869 and authorize the Director of Transportation or his designee to execute the documents.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Department of Transportation/FAX Division operates 116 fixed-route buses with 100 buses required for peak service. FAX seeks a requirements contract to purchase fixed-route battery electric buses (BEB) to replace vehicles that have exceeded their useful life and comply with the California Air Resource Board (CARB) Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation. Staff received two bids and determined the apparent lowest bidder was non-responsive. Staff examined the next lowest bidder and determined this bidder to be both responsive and responsible.
BACKGROUND
CARB issued the ICT regulation, effective October 1, 2019, requiring all transit agencies to gradually transition all bus and paratransit vehicles to a 100 percent zero-emission fleet by 2040. This regulation applies to all transit agencies that own, operate, or lease buses with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 14,000 pounds. FAX’s 116 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and a mix of 51 unleaded and CNG paratransit vehicles are applicable to this regulation. FTA allows agencies to retain an additional 20 percent of their peak service requirement as spares. The spare buses will fill spots for vehicles scheduled for routine maintenance service, vehicles unable to make service due to mechanical failures, or an increase/expansion to service. Currently, FAX has 16 spares in the active fleet. Purchases from this contract shall serve this purpose while maintaining a maximum 20 percent spare ratio.
As the fleet transitions to zero-emission, FAX plans to utilize a mixture of BEBs and fuel cell electric buses (FCEB) to meet service requirements. The fully transitioned fleet composition will be 67 fixed-route BEBs, 56 fixed-route FCEB, and 48 paratransit BEBs to maximum fleet performance while minimizing rolling stock and infrastructure capital expenditures. By the year 2023, 25 percent of all new bus purchases must be zero-emission technologies. This requirement increases to 50 percent in 2026, and 100 percent in 2029. Council approved FAX’s ICT plan on June 18, 2020.
Six buses purchased from this contract shall directly support service on Route 38. This service connects Southwest Fresno to all parts of Fresno through increased frequencies, capacity, and access to education, job centers, and social services, including the new West Fresno campus of Fresno City College. These vehicles and service are in coordination with the City’s Transformative Climate Communities grant award.
Bids were solicited on July 8, 2020, and advertised in the Fresno Business Journal and Mass Transit Magazine. The Notice Inviting Bids was sent to six building exchanges and specifications were distributed to 14 potential bidders. Bids were opened publicly on August 11, 2020, and are due to expire on December 9, 2020. Staff received two bids and determined the apparent lowest bidder was non-responsive due to exceptions taken with the technical specifications that are beyond what would consider a minor irregularity. Staff examined the next lowest bidder and determined this bidder to be both responsive and responsible.
The City Attorney has approved the contract as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDING
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, the award of this contract does not qualify as a project and is exempt from CEQA requirements.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable as federal funds preclude the use of local preference.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund from this action. Purchases from this contract shall be funded through a mix of SB1 State of Good Repair, Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, and FTA grants.
Attachment: Bid Evaluation