Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Jim Eggemeyer, Director, Office of Sustainability
Subject: Amended Agreement with Transmetro, Inc.
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to the agreement with Transmetro, Inc. for the provision of comprehensive commuter bus services extending the end date from August 31, 2017, to December 22, 2017 and increasing the contract amount by $480,000 for a new amount not to exceed $2,581,787.
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BACKGROUND:
During the 2015 San Mateo County Innovation Summit, a team of County employees proposed a County-operated commuter bus service for employees. The employee team noted that the service would reduce parking demand at County Center and the Medical Center and also help reduce road congestion and greenhouse gas emissions from single occupancy vehicles.
On February 3, 2016, the Office of Sustainability (OOS) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for commuter bus service for County employees. Three proposals were received and the top proposers were interviewed in person. Transmetro, Inc. was selected based on their experience providing commuter bus service, the quality of their proposal, and their proposed budget.
On June 28, 2016, your Board adopted a resolution authorizing an agreement with Transmetro, Inc. for employee commuter bus services beginning July 12, 2016, through August 31, 2017, at a total cost not to exceed $2,101,787.
DISCUSSION:
The first Commuter Bus service began on August 29, 2016, for the North County, followed by the East Bay route on September 12, 2016, and the South Bay route on October 3, 2016. Since launching, the bus service has provided over 41,000 rides to County employees. The east bay has the most riders followed by the South Bay and lastly the North County. The South Bay and East Bay routes are primarily serviced by 30 seat passenger buses while the North County route utilizes 15 seat passenger vans. All three routes operate during peak commute times in both the morning and afternoon.
While the commuter bus service is very popular with current riders, ridership has varied by route and departure time. To evaluate and recommend improvements to commuters using the bus, the Office of Sustainability has contracted with Nelson\Nygaard, a transportation consulting firm. The review will include analysis of ridership and employee data, research on industry best practices, recommendations to improve the cost effectiveness of the bus program, and alternatives to the bus program for current riders. Employee input on the service is being gathered through surveys, focus groups, and pop-up tabling events at both the Heath and County Center campuses.
The tentative completion date of the Nelson/Nygaard review is mid-September 2017. We anticipate implementation of any changes to the bus program, including a one month advance notice to employees, will take about two months. To provide adequate transition time, we are requesting an extension of the agreement with Transmetro.
We recommended the current Transmetro contract be extended through December 22, 2017, with bus service ending December 1, 2017. Extending the contract beyond the final service date allows Transmetro time to submit the final service invoice.
In addition, the Office of Sustainability requests the Board provide authority to the Director of the Office of Sustainability or his/her designee to execute subsequent amendments to the Agreement which do not exceed an aggregate of $25,000.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the resolution and the amended agreement as to form.
Extending the commuter bus service for County employees contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of an Environmentally Conscious Community by reducing countywide Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by reducing the number of single occupancy vehicles on roadways. It also supports the program’s development moving forward based on the Nelson/Nygaard review.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2016-17 Estimate |
|
Percentage of survey respondents rating quality of bus service as good or better |
90% |
|
Percentage of monthly and quarterly reports delivered complete and on-time |
100% |
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the Amended Agreement is July 12, 2016, through December 22, 2017, and the not-to-exceed amount will increase by $480,000 for a new total of $2,581,787. The increase to the Amendment will be funded by the General Fund and is included in the Office of Sustainability’s FY 2017-18 Recommended Budget.