HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - September 15, 1999 E-06CITY OF LODI COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
AGENDA TITLE: Award Contract for Five Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Buses ($1,764,042)
MEETING DATE: September 15, 1999
PREPARED BY: Public Works Director
RECOMMENDED ACTION: That the City Council adopt the attached resolution awarding the contract
for five CNG buses to North American Bus Industries (NABI), of
Moorpark, California, in the amount of $1,764,042, and appropriate funds
in accordance with the recommendation shown below.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: On April 7, 1999, the City Council approved the specifications and
advertisement for bids for five, 35 -foot compressed natural gas
(CNG) buses. However, given our history of ridership increases, we
are concerned that the 35 -foot, 28 -seat buses would be too small for
the GrapeLine. The life expectancy of these heavy-duty transit buses is 12 years. Thus, we need to
allow "room" for growth. The 40 -foot models can seat 36 and are $5,000 less per bus. However, fuel
savings easily offset this cost. The low -floor model will allow for senior citizens, the disabled, and
mothers with children to board the GrapeLine buses with greater ease. It will reduce the incidences of
falls on the GrapeLine, and help the drivers stay on schedule when they board wheelchair users.
Currently, each wheelchair boarding requires ten minutes.
Drawings and dimensions of the buses are shown in Exhibit A. The additional 5 -foot length is between
the wheels, requiring a longer turning radius, which is of some concern. However, our greatest concern
is the appearance of large buses with few passengers. To check this, we asked our contract operator,
Laidlaw, to conduct some studies. The results of these ridership studies are shown in Exhibit B. The
ridership figures show the maximum number of passengers on the bus at any one time during a run.
Both average and peak figures for the study's observations are shown. Obviously, when the number
exceeds the number of seats, riders are standing. The table also shows a "capacity" figure established
by the Council of Governments for use in evaluating transit operations and purchases of buses. The
capacity is 70% of the total number of seats to allow for peak variations and to minimize the number of
people who would have to stand. If we used those capacity figures, there is no question that we should
purchase the 40 -foot, 36 -passenger buses. However, this figure was developed based on operations of
SMART which has much longer runs than Lodi's GrapeLine.
Overall ridership on the GrapeLine continues to increase. In fiscal year 1997/98, we carried 234,548
passengers. Last year this figure was 356,353. Quarterly increases during the last year were about 7%
each quarter. It appears the current quarter will be 6% over the previous quarter. With increased
service demand anticipated with the new Multimodal Station, this rate of increase could sustain itself for
some time to come, although it will eventually stabilize.
Since costs are so similar, the bottom line on the decision of which size bus to purchase is weighing
passenger convenience at peak times against the public perception of having large buses running with
only a few people during slack times. While staff is very concerned about this adverse perception, we
APPROVED:
H. DIXON FLYNN -- CITY MANAGER
CAWAR05CNGBUSES.D0C
Award Contract for Five Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Buses ($1,764,042)
September 15, 1999
Page 2
feel it is appropriate to favor the riders. Doing so will help encourage ridership, thereby reducing the
number and mileage of private vehicles being driven which will provide air quality benefits. An alternative
would be to purchase a mixture of 40 -foot and 35 -foot buses (see Exhibit C).
The reason the City of Lodi is able to purchase these heavy-duty, state-of-the-art buses with
supplemental grant funds is because they operate on CNG. It was clear two years ago that to acquire
excellent buses for the GrapeLine, they had to be alternatively fueled. Conventional diesel buses do not
score well under the various competitive funding pots available. Nearly all of the funding comes from the
competitive process: FTA's Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ), and the San Joaquin
Valley Air Pollution Control District's (SJVAPCD) Heavy -Duty Motor Vehicle Emission Reduction Incentive
Program (HDMVERIP). Our Transportation Manager, Carlos Tobar, has done an excellent job obtaining
these grants and should be commended.
Our recommendation also includes purchasing the buses through another contract rather than seeking
our own bids. The City of Phoenix prepared bus specifications similar to the one Lodi had prepared and
received excellent bids from various bus manufacturers because of their large procurement. The City of
Phoenix can assign its contract to the City of Lodi so we can acquire the buses. It is to the City of Lodi's
benefit to have the City of Phoenix assign their contract to us in order to save a great deal of staff time,
secure a great price, and acquire the buses much sooner. Even so, it will take a year to obtain the buses.
Finally, we are working on specifications for a 40 -foot, high -floor CNG trolley bus. The seating capacity
will be 41 passengers, and the estimated cost is $250,000. CMAQ and Air District funds will be used.
FUNDING: Requested Appropriation:
Funding Available:
RCP/CFT/lm
Attachments
cc: City Attorney
Purchasing Officer
Transportation Manager
Fleet and Facilities Manager
FTA (CMAQ) $1,520,000
SJVAPCD (HDMVERIP) $ 280,000
J CD M(
Finance Directo
Richard C. Prima, Jr.
Public Works Director
CAWARMCNGBUSES.DOC 09/03/99
EXHIBIT A
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FELFW:NPJ31-H ENGINEERING TEL. SZRJ : 36 1 407 4130 May. 19 1999 06�: 54PM. P3
0 10 20 30 35
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
DIESEL/CNG/LNG BUS
NABI 35 TFW BUS - PHOENIX
28 PASSENGER SEATS, EX: min. 28.5• (99-202)
�M4& 4-�M
Da -tel May 19, 1999
Create by, Approved bye
Eva ALm6si
SEATING LAYOUT
number, 111- A 312 - A 01
GrapeLine Average Maximum Loads: Most amount of people on a given run at one time.
Time
Rt. 1
Rt. 2
Rt. 3
Rt. 4
Rt. 5
Average High
Average High
Average High
Average
High
Average
High
615
2
3
5
8
3 4
4
5
3
4
700
12
18
5
6
745
16
3
5
10
11
830
7
14
6
13
5 7
4
6
2
5
915
8
9
10
18
5 7
4
5
9
11
1000
8
13
13
16
4 6
8
12
4
7
1045
14
12
15
3 5
12
15
6
8
1130
15
18
7 12
9
11
12
13
1215
13
17
14
11 13
10
14
10
15
100
16
10
EM
7 9
3
5
145
10
13
15
19
11
11
230
13
16
11
15
6 9
8
9
17
17
315
14
8
10
16
400
15
15
12 14
12
14
11
11
445
10
15
13
15
4 4
9
13
14
18
530
8
12
8
9
3 3
8
10
6
10
615
5
7
5
6
2 2
4
5
3
5
Average/run
13
17
12
18
10 12
9
12
9
12
Exceeds
28
Exceeds 20, less than 28
"Capacity" Q
70%
Notes:
35' bus, 28 seats
20
1. The number of GrapeLine passengers on a given run far exceeds the average
maximum
40' bus, 36 seats
25
load. For routes 1 and 2 the average ridership, per run, is 24 passengers.
2. Results of 2 to 4 days of sampling during summer 1999. School not in session
for Rt. 5.
Maxl-oad
N
bd
Option 1 Unit Cost Total Cost
5 40 -foot, low -floor CNG $328,871 $1,644,355
Option 2
3 40 -foot, low -floor CNG $328,871 $ 986,613
2 35 -foot, low -floor CNG $333,494 S 666098R
Total Cost $1,653,601
Option 3
5 35 -foot, low -floor CNG $333,494 $1,667,470
Prices do not include sales tax.
Funding
Air District
CMAQ 98/99
CMAQ 99/00
Formula
Total
CAWARDSCNGBUSESEXC
Purchase (including sales tax)
$ 282,000
$ 929,565
EXHIBIT C
$ 780,000 5 40 -foot, low -floor CNG $1,764,042
S 4042 1 high -floor Trolley 52670825
$2,031,867 Total $2,031,867
RESOLUTION NO. 99-140
A RESOLUTION OF THE LODI CITY COUNCIL AWARDING THE
CONTRACT FOR FIVE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG)
BUSES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THIS PURCHASE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHEREAS, Lodi Municipal Code, §3.20.070, authorizes dispensing with bids for
purchases of supplies, services or equipment when it is in the best interest of the City to do so;
and
WHEREAS, on April 7, 1999 the City .,Council approved the specifications and
advertisement for bids for five, 35 -foot compressed natural gas (CNG) buses; and
WHEREAS, given the City's history of ridership increases, staff is concerned that the
35 -foot, 28 -seat buses would be too small for the Grapeline, and the life expectancy of these
heavy-duty transit buses is twelve years; and
WHEREAS, 40 -foot models can seat 36 and are $5,000 less per bus, and the low -floor
model allows senior citizens, the disabled, and mothers with children to board the Grapeline
buses with greater ease; and
WHEREAS, the City is able to purchase these heavy-duty, state-of-the-art buses with
supplemental grant funds because they operate on CNG; and
WHEREAS, staff recommends purchasing the buses through an assignment of a
contract through the City of Phoenix, from North American Bus Industries of Moorpark,
California in the amount of $1,764,042.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Lodi City Council hereby approves the
purchase of five CNG buses through the assignment of a contract through the City of Phoenix,
from North American Bus Industries of Moorpark, California in the amount of $1,764,042; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that funds be appropriated as follows to cover this
purchase:
FTA (CMAQ) $1,520,000
SJVAPCD (HDMVERIP) $ 280,000
Dated: September 15, 1999
1 hereby certify that Resolution No. 99-140 was passed and adopted by the City Council
of the City of Lodi in a regular meeting held September 15, 1999, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS – Mann, Nakanishi and Land (Mayor)
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS – None
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS – Hitchcock
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS – Pennino
�l—
ALICEE M. REIMCHE
City Clerk
99-140