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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Award Agreement to Connexionz Limited for Bus Technologies Using the TIPS Purchasing Cooperative
1. Resolution to authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute a contract with Connexionz Limited for bus technologies in an amount not to exceed $1,923,000 using The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Purchasing Cooperative and dispense with competitive bidding.
2) Resolution of appropriation of $668,000 in state grant funds for the bus technology system.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for May 5, 2026 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Glendale has received grant funding to replace its aging bus technology system. The new bus technology system will provide passenger convenience in real- time trip-planning and improve transit operations.
The resolution awarding a contract using TIPS allows the city to use federal and state compliant procurements and meet granting agencies’ requirements. The bus technology system costs $1,923,000, of which $668,000 is state-funded. A resolution is needed to appropriate the $668,000 in grant funding.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt the resolution dispensing with competitive bidding and authorizing the City Manager to execute a contract with Connexionz, Ltd. for the bus technologies project in an amount not to exceed $1,923,000; and adopt the resolution of appropriation for $668,000.
ANALYSIS
The Beeline fixed-route bus service provides a cleaner travel option for community members and visitors to get around Glendale. Buses are equipped with a GPS tracker that transmits location data to the NextBus system, which utilizes proprietary modeling software to estimate vehicle arrival times based on its location and traffic patterns, to 210a
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provide real-time vehicle arrival predictions to passengers. Bus arrival information can be accessed online or via text.
The city has been with NextBus, now a subsidiary of Cubic Transportation Systems, since 2002. Beeline’s outdated hardware and software are experiencing performance issues and are in need of replacement. Additionally, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has established General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) requirements for transit agencies and encourages compliant and standardized systems to improve transit rider experience. The current system is incapable of sharing real-time information with third-party trip-planning applications, such as Google Maps or Transit App, which are commonly used by transit passengers.
Additionally, there are other passenger information systems onboard the bus that have far surpassed their useful life, are antiquated and experiencing issues that necessitate replacement. Those include the Automated Voice Announcement (AVA) system purchased in 2009, and the 14-to-17-year-old onboard surveillance system.
The AVA system connects to speakers and internal display signage, with modern systems also connecting to GPS, to announce next stop information. The AVA system is used to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
The surveillance system helps enhance passenger safety, deter crime, address customer service issues, and protect against liability. Any component of the current aging camera hardware cannot be replaced in the event of failure due to lack of backward and forward compatibility with the other components. Thus, if any component fails, the whole camera hardware system on the bus must be replaced.
To enhance data collection for required federal reporting and to provide added enhancement to the rider experience, a new Automatic Passenger Counter (APC) system will also be purchased and installed as part of the bus technologies upgrade.
The APC system adds sensors to count passengers entering and exiting the bus and tracks the real-time passenger load onboard the bus. The APC system will help keep ridership counts and calculate passenger miles traveled for federal reporting.
The new proposed bus technologies will modernize and integrate all bus systems to provide operational efficiency and enhance Beeline passenger experience. Currently, the passenger information and bus systems onboard are not connected to each other.
With every service change, each system must be individually updated. Some systems, such as the AVA system, also require staff to work directly with the manufacturer to make changes on every, necessary occasion. The bus technologies will enhance the overall customer experience for existing and future riders.
The city received $668,000 in grant funding from the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) for, among other things, real-time passenger information system replacement, Wi-Fi, automatic passenger counters (APCs), surveillance system 310a
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replacement, and bus technologies system integration. The grant will help pay for 77% of hardware, one-time setup and installation costs.
The city initially began looking for a real-time passenger information system replacement and system integration opportunity through the California Integrated Travel Project (Cal-ITP) Mobility Marketplace, which is a joint initiative between Caltrans and the California State Transportation Agency. The state’s Mobility Marketplace has master agreements with vendors to provide goods and services at agreed-upon prices from which transit agencies benefit. The master agreements, also known as state purchasing schedules, meet federal purchasing requirements.
Proposals were received from state-approved vendors. With technical assistance from Caltrans and the Cal-ITP staff, the proposals were reviewed. However, due to the city’s current needs and the state’s master agreement limitations, state staff informed the city that other purchasing schedules meet federal purchasing requirements and could be utilized. The city will be using the TIPS purchasing cooperative to purchase the bus technologies. TIPS also provided up to a 20% discount compared to Cal-ITP.
The contract will be awarded to Connexionz, Ltd to provide hardware, software and maintenance support services for three years, with two (2) two-year extensions, for a not-to-exceed amount of $1,923,000. Wireless cellular data services are needed to provide location tracking of the buses. The wireless data plan is estimated at $24,500 annually.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The City of Glendale’s Beeline transit service provides residents and visitors with mobility. The new bus technology system will improve the rider experience.
FISCAL IMPACT
The bus technology system project will cost $1,923,000, which was included as a part of the FY 2025-26 budget. However, to leverage grant funds, staff is requesting for an appropriation of $668,000 in grant funds. The appropriation request is outlined below:
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$922,870 GL: 51250-2560-PWD-0020-P0000
PL: PWD00826AN
Prop A Local Return Fund
$332,130 GL: 51000-2540-PWD-0020-P0000
PL: 52166
Measure R Local Return
Fund
Requesting Appropriation
Amount From (Account
String)
To (Account String) Funding Source
$668,000 GL: 32610-2160-
PWD-0020-P0000
PL: PWD01570AG
GL: 51000-2160-
PWD-0020-P0000
PL: PWD01570AG
Grant Fund
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The cost for the annual wireless data plan will be requested as part of the annual budget process in the Transit Utility Fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
The activity under consideration is not subject to CEQA because it is not a “project” within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines section 15378. Even if it is a project, the activity is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Public Utilities Code section 21080.25(b)(5)(A), which consists, among other things, of the protection, improvement, institution, or increase of bus service. In any event, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment; thus, it is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3).
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
The names and business addresses of the members of the board of directors, the chairperson, CEO, COO, CFO, Subcontractors and any person or entity with more than 10% interest in the company are attached in Exhibit 1, in accordance with the City Campaign Finance Ordinance No. 5744.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: Do not adopt the resolutions, which will result in forfeiting grant funding and the discontinuation of the existing real-time bus location and passenger information system, the failure of the AVA and surveillance systems all impacting Beeline riders and transit operations.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Daniel Hernandez, Director of Public Works
Prepared by:
Pamela Tang, Assistant Transit Manager
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Campaign Disclosure Form