City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: June 23, 2026
Agenda Item: 4.L
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Anuj Gupta, Director of Transportation, Department of Transportation, Transit Planning & Performance
Subject: Award RFP #465 to Transit Ridership Software for National Transit Database (NTD) Reporting for the Department of Transportation
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of no possibility of significant effect pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (Common Sense Exemption) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Award RFP 465 to Urban Transportation Associates, Inc. for Transit Ridership Software for National Transit Database Reporting for the Department of Transportation; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Urban Transportation Associates, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $274,060 (for 3 years, with two (2) additional 1-year renewal options in the amount of $76,540, on the same terms and conditions), for a total amount not to exceed $350,600 over a 5-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Summary
The City of Santa Monica (City) Big Blue Bus (BBB), a division of the Santa Monica Department of Transportation (DOT), operates 195 transit buses providing about 10 million rides annually. As a recipient of federal funds, Big Blue Bus must report ridership data to the Federal Transit Administration’s National Transit Database (NTD) monthly and annually, and reporting inaccuracies may result in withheld federal funds. The current contract for transit ridership software expires in June 2026, requiring procurement of a replacement system. Staff recommends RFP #465 be awarded to Urban Transportation Associates, Inc. (UTA) to provide transit ridership software for NTD reporting.
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Discussion
Big Blue Bus currently operates a fleet of 195 buses, of which 71 are equipped with integrated automated passenger counters (APCs). The ridership reporting software being solicited is used to process raw boarding and alighting data collected by the APCs to generate statistically valid ridership data reportable to NTD. The expectation is that the entire fleet will eventually be equipped with integrated APCs as new buses containing factory-installed integrated APCs replace older buses being retired from service.
As a recipient of federal funds, Big Blue Bus is required to report ridership data to the Federal Transit Administration’s National Transit Database on a monthly and annual basis. Since 2017, Big Blue Bus has successfully maintained FTA certification to use APCs data for NTD reporting, a requirement that requires recertification every three years. The current transit ridership software contract with Clever Devices Ltd expires in June 2026, necessitating a new procurement.
On January 20, 2026, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) #465 for transit ridership software that would enable the City to continue to efficiently and accurately collect, process, and report ridership data from APCs on the Big Blue Bus fleet to the NTD, in compliance with FTA requirements, as well as analyze ridership activity and trends for service planning purposes. The City received seven (7) proposals.
Proposals were evaluated by an evaluation committee comprised of staff from DOT’s Planning and Performance Division and the City’s Information Services Department.
The top three scoring vendors were invited to demonstrate their solutions in March 2026.
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified Firm Urban Transportation Associates, Inc.
Evaluation Criteria Vendor qualifications; technical solution; demonstrated success with NTD reporting; cost; deployment model;
implementation approach; support and maintenance.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
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RFP Data
Date
Posted Posted On
Advertise In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
1/20/2026 City's
Online
Bidding
Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press
63 3/2/2026
Best Bidder Justification
Bids were evaluated by an evaluation committee comprised of staff from DOT’s Transit Planning & Performance Division and the City’s Information Services Department.
Based on the evaluation criteria, the evaluation committee recommend awarding the bid to Urban Transportation Associates, Inc. as the best qualified firm. While not the lowest bidder, UTA’s selection is justified due to its qualifications and proven track record. Every transit agency using UTA’s software for NTD reporting has received FTA approval for use of APCs. UTA meets periodically with FTA staff to discuss NTD reporting best practices. UTA has focused exclusively on transit ridership software for over three decades and has extensive experience working with Clever Devices CAD/AVL/APC systems and Trapeze scheduling software, which are the systems that BBB currently uses. UTA proposed a 13-week implementation timeline with a detailed staffing plan and clear milestones, significantly faster than other proposals.
Environmental Review
This contract award is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3), which states that CEQA does not apply, “where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” The contract would provide transit software and would not result in physical effects.
Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that the contract would not result in adverse physical impacts on the environment, and as such, is exempt from CEQA.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Proposals Received
Clever Devices Ltd. Swiftly, Inc.
Concourse Tech Inc. TransSIGHT
DILAX Systems Inc. Urban Transportation Associates, Inc.
Lucenex, Corp.
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Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Big Blue Bus Fund to award a contract with Urban Transportation Associates, Inc. (UTA) to provide ridership reporting software. Funds are included in the proposed Biennial Capital Improvement Budget for FY 2026-28.
Contract Request
FY 2026-27
Request Amount Future Years Amount Department/CIP Account # Total Contract
Amount
$206,220 $144,380 C6004770.689000 $350,600
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Jessica Saks, Administrative Analyst
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Levine Act Disclosure Form
B. Oaks Initiative Form
C. Written Comments