Memorandum
City
of
Public
Transit
|
TO: |
David L. Corliss,
City Manager |
|
FROM: |
Robert A. Nugent,
Public Transit Administrator |
|
CC: |
Diane Stoddard,
Assistant City Manager Cynthia Wagner,
Assistant City Manager |
|
Date: |
March 12, 2014 |
|
RE: |
Agenda Item: Purchase
of Three (3) Fixed Route Vehicles |
Please place the following item on the
agenda for the March 25, 2014 City Commission meeting:
Authorize
staff to acquire three (3) fixed-route vehicles as replacements for their
fixed-route transit vehicles fleet which have surpassed both the manufacturer
and Federal Transit Administration useful life requirements. These vehicles
would be purchased off of the existing Kansas Department of Transportation
state bid vehicle contract. The cost per vehicle is $68,086 and a total cost of
$204,259 from Kansas Truck Equipment, Co. in Wichita, Kansas.
Background
Lawrence
Transit currently uses six (6) 25-foot vehicles for providing fixed route
service. These 25-foot vehicles are light-duty, body-on-chassis buses that were
purchased in 2011. Lawrence Transit purchased these buses in an attempt to
match the size and type of vehicle with the service. The intent was to operate
smaller buses in areas that had lower ridership and/or had a more confining
operating environment. The service life of these vehicles was rated at three years
or 100,000 miles. As of January 2014 all six of our existing 25-foot vehicles
have exceeded their service life.
The
addition of three (3) smaller buses to the fleet provides Lawrence Transit the
opportunity to both replace some of these older vehicles as well as to begin to
build a contingency fleet to accommodate the eminent restructuring of service
that will result from our move of the system’s transit hub. Staff has also been
pursuing additional used transit buses to aid in the restructuring and the
additional vehicles it will entail.
In
order to expedite our efforts to acquire replacement vehicles staff decided to
utilize the current Kansas Department of Transportation Vehicle Bid Contract.
The contract was awarded to Kansas Truck Equipment, Co. in Wichita, Kansas.
The
vehicles that will be acquired are 2014
El Dorado Aerotech. These buses will have
fiberglass/composite bodies built on a Ford E-450 chassis and be powered by a
gasoline engine. The maximum capacity of the buses would be eighteen (18)
passengers.
Recommendation
Staff
recommends the purchase of three (3) light-duty 25’ buses from Kansas Truck
Equipment, Co. in Wichita, Kansas under the current Kansas Department of
Transportation Vehicle Bid Contract. These buses will be used in fixed route
service.
Funding and Cost
Funding
for the purchase of these vehicles will come from the State of Kansas
Comprehensive Transportation Program. Each vehicle will cost $68,086. The total
estimated cost to purchase three (3) buses is $204,259. There is no local match
required for these funds.
Action
Request
Authorize staff to acquire three (3)
fixed-route vehicles as replacements for their fixed-route transit vehicles
fleet which have surpassed both the manufacturer and Federal Transit
Administration useful life requirements. These vehicles would be purchased off
of the existing Kansas Department of Transportation state bid vehicle contract.
The cost per vehicle is $68,086 and a total cost of $204,259 from Kansas Truck
Equipment, Co. in Wichita, Kansas.