Title
Cooperative Purchasing Contract for Commuter Bus Purchase
Action
Action:
A. Approve the purchase of Commuter Buses from a cooperative contract,
B. Approve unit price contracts with the following vendors for the purchase of heavy-duty commuter Buses for a term of one-year under the State of Washington Cooperative Master Contract #06719:
* New Flyer of American Inc.,
* Motor Coach Industries, and
C. Authorize the City Manager to extend the contract for additional terms while the cooperative contract is in effect, at prices and terms that are the same or more favorable than those offered under the cooperative contact.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Brent Cagle, CATS
Elizabeth Presutti, CATS
Jennifer Fehribach, CATS
Explanation
* The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) has 37 commuter buses that, per federal guidelines, are eligible to retire and replace buses that have reached the end of useful life, which is defined as 12 years or 500,000 miles.
* The commuter buses are primarily used for the CATS express routes that are on major highways and thoroughfares. These include the regional express routes as well the routes that serve the I-77 and Independence Boulevard corridors.
* NC General Statute Section 143-129(e)(3) allows local governments to purchase from formally organized cooperative purchasing contracts.
* A cooperative purchasing agreement results from the consolidation and competitive solicitation of multiple public agency requirements. By aggregating common needs all agencies can leverage economies of scale, such as volume discounts, improved terms and conditions, reduced administrative costs, and access to professional and technical expertise.
* The purchase of the five diesel D45 CRT LE commuter buses is estimated to cost $4,950,000.
* CATS is applying for Federal Transit Administration discretionary grant funding for additional commuter buses and plans to purchase the Motor Coach Industries zero emission battery-electric commuter bus if fund...
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