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:
T-Lift Paratransit Vehicle Replacement |
Please place the following item on the
agenda for the March 25, 2014 City Commission meeting:
Authorize
staff to acquire six (6) paratransit vehicles
(T-Lift) as replacements for six (6) existing paratransit
vehicles 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 $57,500 and a total cost of $345,000 from Kansas Truck
Equipment, Co. in Wichita, Kansas.
Background
Lawrence
Transit Department currently provides complementary paratransit service as
mandated under the American’s with Disabilities Act of 1990. This service is
operated under the name T-Lift and provides a valuable means of transportation
to those that qualify under the specific guidelines of the act. The department
maintains fourteen (14) vehicles for this service of which eleven (11) vehicles
are currently being used during peak service with three (3) buses as
spares.
The
Transit Department’s Capital Replacement Plan calls for the replacement of
three of these vehicles annually. This plan was developed taking into account
that both the manufacturer and the Federal Transit Administration define the
useful life of paratransit vehicles as five years or 100,000 miles.
Normally
under the current vehicle replacement plan three (3) new vehicles are purchased
every year. However, due to timing issues Lawrence Transit was not able to
purchase any replacement vehicles in 2013. Therefore, in order to catch up and maintain
the replacement schedule staff has identified six (6) paratransit vehicles that
have exceeded the service life requirements of both age and miles. These
vehicles would be removed from T Lift service and replaced with six (6) new
vehicles.
With
additional vehicle demands being placed on Lawrence Transit by the recently
implemented Nightline service only five vehicles will be retired. This will increase
the number of vehicles available for the Nightline service by one. This
additional vehicle will actually be the bus that will be wrapped with Van Go
art. Any additional vehicles will be either converted to road supervisor
vehicles or will be auctioned off and the proceeds used to support future
operations or capital needs.
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 sixteen (16)
passengers.
Funding and Cost
Funding
for the purchase of these vehicles will come from the State of Kansas
Comprehensive Transportation Program. Each vehicle will cost $57,500. The total
estimated cost to purchase six (6) will be $345,000. There is no local match
required for these funds.
Action
Request
Authorize
staff to acquire six (6) paratransit vehicles (T-Lift) as replacements for six
(6) existing paratransit vehicles 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 $57,500 and a total cost of
$345,000 from Kansas Truck Equipment, Co. in Wichita, Kansas.