Title
Transit Planning and Scheduling Software
Action
Action:
A. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with GIRO Inc. to upgrade, provide, implement, support, and maintain the Charlote Area Transit System’s HASTUS Scheduling System for a term of four years,
B. Authorize the City Manager to renew the contract with possible price adjustments and to amend the contract consistent with the purpose for which the contract was approved, and
C. Authorize the City Manager to purchase additional software licenses, services, hardware, maintenance, and support as required to maintain the system for as long as the city uses the system.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Brent Cagle, CATS
Rachel Gragg, CATS
Randy Moulton, Innovation and Technology
Explanation
§ CATS uses the HASTUS Scheduling System to:
- Review operators work assignments for optimal use of overtime;
- Track and execute bus operator payroll, absenteeism, and accruals;
- Maintain low idle time;
- Increase cost-effectiveness in operations; and
- Move application data to the cloud.
§ Since the system was implemented, the contract with Giro, Inc. has been updated and amended to add new functionality and expand the application’s use across our bus and rails of transportations.
§ The software’s core algorithms, user interface, and integration capabilities are uniquely tailored to the operational requirements of CATS, including real-time scheduling, general transit feed specification, the operator’s labor union contract, and automated vehicle location integration.
§ Waiver of a competitive solicitation process for services may be granted on a limited basis when deemed appropriate and in the city’s best interest. A waiver has been approved for these services since the HASTUS software is a propriety system developed by Giro, Inc., and no other vendors offer an equivalent product that meets CATS’s specialized needs.
§ This new contract with Giro, Inc. is adding:
- New application capabilities;
- Time savings features;
- Better fixed route scheduling tools aimed at decreasing cost and optimizing the use of newly acquired battery electric vehicles;
- Resources for managing the charging activities of the battery electric vehicles; and
- The transition to cloud hosting services, offloading the overhead cost of managing an on-premise application by moving to a cloud hosting service and providing disaster recovery for the application.
§ At renewal, potential price adjustments may be considered based on legitimate and justified increases in the cost of doing business. The ability to consider price adjustments also allows the city to accept decreases, if warranted.
§ Annual expenditures are estimated to be:
- $1,059,000 in year 1,
- $494,000 in year 2,
- $515,000 in year 3, and
- $576,000 in year 4.
Charlotte Business INClusion
Contracts with procurement waivers are exempt from CBI Program goals, as these contracts do not involve a competitive bidding process and do not present opportunities for subcontracting. A procurement waiver was required for this contract because there is only one supply source and compatibility with existing equipment is necessary.
Fiscal Note
Funding: CATS Operating Budget