Agenda Item No: U.5
AGENDA REPORT
DATE: December 17, 2024
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: David Gassaway, City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution 2024-286
Suspending Competitive Bidding and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Technology Software-As-A-Service Agreement for the Provision of Transit Automated Vehicle Location, Service Monitoring, Reporting Services and Equipment
Funding Source: $651,271.95; Transportation Enterprise Fund
Contact: Ron Bremer, (707) 434-3823
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Adopt resolution.
STATEMENT OF ISSUE
The City’s transit system, FAST Transit, recommends that the City enters into a new agreement with Swiftly, Inc. (Swiftly) to continue to provide automated vehicle location (AVL) services for FAST riders and staff. The attached resolution authorizes the ci ty manager to enter into a five - year Technology Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) Agreement with Swiftly for the provision of transit AVL equipment, service monitoring, and reporting services.
DISCUSSION
In December 2021, the City and Swiftly entered into a t hree-year agreement to provide FAST’s fixed-route vehicles with AVL service monitoring and reporting services. This AVL technology has effectively provided vehicle location and predictive bus arrival times for FAST riders and dispatchers for the last three years. The system reliably transmits planned and/or real-time rider alerts (detours, delays, schedule changes, etc.) to third-party apps, websites, and other modes of communication, such as Bay Area 511.
Since 2021, FAST has undergone significant servi ce changes to adapt to post -COVID-19 circumstances. Part of this adaptability includes utilizing smaller and more flexible vehicles on fixed-route services. FAST currently operates smaller vehicles on its paratransit (FAST Connect
ADA) and microtransit (FA ST Connect) services. Under this proposed initiative these 14 smaller vehicles would also be retrofitted with the necessary AVL equipment.
Swiftly has continued to provide reliable and accurate AVL services for the City’s transit contractor (MV Transportation), customers, and FAST staff over the last three years. Even though there are other vendors that provide AVL service, FAST staff recommends continuing its partnership with Swiftly instead of going through a competitive bid process for a new AVL provider for the following reasons:
Unlike other traditional AVL providers FAST investigated under the original RFP conducted in 2021, Swiftly does not require expensive proprietary hardware equipment to be installed on the bus.
Swiftly also capably pulls the transit data for bus location and expected arrival times and this data has been fully integrated into FAST’s website (fasttransit.org).
Staff recommends adopting the attached resolution to suspend competitive bidding and authorize the city manager to execute a SaaS Agreement with Swiftly for the provision of AVL, service monitoring, reporting services, and equipment in the amount of $566,323.44. Due to uncertainties in the current transit operating environment, staff is als o recommending an additional 15% management reserve of $84,948.51 for a total authorization of $651,271.95.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total cost for the services and equipment is $651,271.95 ($566,323.44 agreement + a 15% management reserve) and will be paid with Transportation Development Act funds. The funds are budgeted in the Public Works Transportation Enterprise Fund (45160503).
PUBLIC CONTACT/ADVISORY BODY RECOMMENDATION
N/A
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
City Council may choose not to approve the SaaS Agreement; however, this is not recommended due to the need to provide riders with the convenience of AVL, service monitoring, and reporting systems.
COORDINATED WITH
City Attorney’s Office
STAFF CONTACT
Ron Bremer, Transportation Technician
(707) 434-3823
[email protected]
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 2: Proposed Resolution
Attachment 3: Proposed Agreement