MOTION NO. M2016-66 Purchase of Thirty-two Double Deck Buses for Increased Passenger Capacity, Bus Replacement and Service Expansion MEETING: DATE: TYPE OF ACTION: STAFF CONTACT: Operations Committee 07/07/16 07/28/16 Cancelled Final Action Bonnie Todd, Executive Director of Operations Dave Turissini, Bus Operations Manager PROPOSED ACTION Authorizes the chief executive officer to execute a contract with Alexander Dennis Incorporated to manufacture and deliver thirty-two 42-foot double deck diesel buses in the amount of $31,691,928, with a 5% contingency of $1,584,596, for a total authorized contract amount not to exceed $33,276,524. KEY FEATURES SUMMARY This action authorizes the purchase of thirty-two 42-foot double deck clean diesel high-capacity buses for Sound Transit routes operated by Community Transit. The purchase will enable the reassignment of thirty-two 60-foot articulated ST Express buses currently operated by Community Transit to King County Metro. The double deck buses provide 81 seats compared to the 56-seat articulated buses being reassigned, providing a 30 percent increase in passenger capacity. This joint procurement with Community Transit (57 buses) and Kitsap Transit (11 buses) includes a total of 143 buses. Sound Transit is reserving 43 bus options for potential future purchases. Production of the buses is scheduled to begin in November 2016 with delivery expected to begin in April 2017. The articulated buses being reassigned to King County are five years old and still have a useful life. Sixteen of the buses will replace 16 buses that have reached the end of their useful life, and the remaining 16 will be used for the service expansions in 2016 and 2017 on ST Express routes operated by King County. BACKGROUND Sound Transit s prior and first purchase of five double deck buses was through options based on a Community Transit contract, which has since expired. As no other contract options currently exist for double deck buses, Sound Transit decided to procure double deck buses on the open market and offer other transit agencies in the State of Washington the opportunity to join in the procurement. Community Transit and Kitsap Transit expressed interest and have been integral partners in the procurement process. A Request for Proposals was published on January 27, 2016 and one proposal was received. A Sound Transit cost analysis determined that Alexander Dennis pricing was fair and reasonable. Double deck buses are a cost effective way to add capacity on crowded Snohomish County routes. Community Transit is the only partner agency equipped to operate and maintain double deck buses. The 32 double deck buses will replace 32 articulated ST Express buses at Community Transit. Those articulated buses will be reassigned to King County for ST Express service on King
County routes. The reassignment will replace 16 articulated buses at King County that have reached the end of their useful life. The replacement buses, which are five years old will lower the operating and maintenance costs associated with operating older, high-mileage buses. The other 16 buses being reassigned will be used for service expansion to accommodate additional service that is already in effect and coming into effect with each service change through 2017. Current expansion service is being temporarily back-filled with buses that had been declared surplus, but were refurbished to meet increased service needs. The Sound Transit Bus Fleet Expansion was authorized with the 2016 Transit Improvement Plan (TIP) and 2016 Budget in December 2015. The fleet expansion was necessitated by the increase in revenue service hours as described in the 2016 Service Implementation Plan. Double deck buses fit with Sound Transit s overall sustainability goals. With a 30% passenger capacity increase, double deck buses are more fuel efficient on a per passenger basis than the 60- foot articulated buses that they are replacing. The cost of the bus ($972,078) includes passenger amenities, such as security cameras, passenger reading lights, seat upgrades, on-board mobile communication systems, and sales tax. Contingency is included in the request for unexpected cost items. FISCAL IMPACT This action is within the adopted budget of both projects and sufficient monies remain after approval of the action to fund the remaining work in the Vehicles phase as contained in the current cost estimates. This contract is split equally between two different capital projects: ST Express Fleet Replacement and ST Express Fleet Expansion. This action increases the ST Express bus fleet by 16 buses and replaces 16 buses deemed at the end of their useful life. Cost efficiently increases passenger capacity for bus service originating in Snohomish County while meeting the increased service hours in King County. The project budget in the 2016 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for ST Express Fleet Replacement is $181,206,551. Within that amount, $181,159,736 has been set aside in the Vehicle phase. This proposed action would commit half of the contract in the amount of $16,638,262, including a 5% contingency of $792,298, to the vehicle phase, leaving a remaining balance of $49,726,427. The project budget in the 2016 TIP for the ST Express Fleet Expansion is $26,184,555. This proposed action would commit half of the contract in the amount of $16,638,262, including a 5% contingency of $792,298, to the vehicles phase, leaving a remaining balance of $1,071,974 for any additional costs to complete the procurement and bring the vehicle to revenue-service ready. Motion No. M2016-66 Page 2 of 3 Staff Report
THIRTY TWO 42-FOOT DOUBLE DECK DIESEL BUSES Approvals to Date Current Approved Contract Status Proposed Total for Approval Contract Detail Alexander Dennis Proposed Action Contract Amount 31,692 31,692 Contingency Amount 1,585 1,585 Total Contract 33,277 33,277 Percent Contingency 0% 0% 5% 5% Approvals Approved Plus Action Uncommitted / (Shortfall) Projects 2016 TIP This Action ST EXPRESS FLEET REPLACEMENT Construction 47 47 47 Vehicles 181,160 114,795 16,638 131,433 49,726 Total Phase 181,207 114,842 16,638 131,480 49,726 ST EXPRESS FLEET EXPANSION Construction Vehicles 26,185 8,474 16,638 25,113 1,072 Total Phase 26,185 8,474 16,638 25,113 1,072 Notes: Amounts are expressed in Year of Expenditure $000s. Approvals = Committed To-Date + Contingency, and includes pending actions. Project budget page is located on page 114 and 55 respectively of 140 of the Adopted 2016 Transit Improvement Plan (TIP). SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION As a transit bus manufacturer, Alexander Dennis Incorporated must submit its own Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program and goal to the Federal Transit Administration, and according to FTA s transit bus procurement rules, transit bus manufacturers must certify to transit agencies that they have a DBE program in place. ADI has certified that they have a DBE program and complied with FTA rules for participation in this procurement. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Not applicable to this action. TIME CONSTRAINTS A one month delay would create a significant impact as this procurement has a very tight deadline to meet Regional Mobility Grant funding deadlines. PRIOR BOARD COMMITTEE ACTIONS Motion No. M2014-07: Authorized the chief executive officer to execute a contract with Alexander Dennis to manufacture and deliver five 42-foot double deck diesel buses in the amount of $4,860,394, with a 5% contingency of $243,020, for a total authorized contract amount not to exceed $5,103,414. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW JI 6/21/2016 LEGAL REVIEW LA 1 July 2016 Motion No. M2016-66 Page 3 of 3 Staff Report