Bisbee Bus Operations Contract

CITY OF BISBEE
REQUEST FOR
PROPOSALS
BISBEE BUS
OPERATIONS CONTRACT
SUBMIT TO:
CITY OF BISBEE
118 ARIZONA STREET
BISBEE AZ 85603
ATTN: ASHLEE CORONADO
INTERIM CITY MANAGER, CITY CLERK
SUBMITTAL DEADLINE:
THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2026, AT 4:00 P.M. ARIZONA TIME

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
CITY OF BISBEE
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS BISBEE BUS OPERATIONS CONTRACT
SUBMITTAL: One (1) original and one (1) electronic version in PDF format (on a USB drive)
must be received on or before 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, 2026.
Addressed to: Ashlee Coronado, City Clerk
Address: 118 Arizona Street, Bisbee AZ 85603
Mark Envelope: OPERATIONS CONTRACT PROPOSAL - BISBEE BUS
Within conveyance envelope, include separate envelopes; one for technical proposal and
one for cost proposal. These should be sealed and marked with company name and
type (technical or cost).
Label .PDF Files: Bisbee Bus Operations Contract Proposal [Name of your firm]
PROPOSALS RECEIVED AFTER THE TIME AND DATE STATED ABOVE SHALL BE DEEMED NON-
RESPONSIVE AND RETURNED UNOPENED TO THE SUBMITTER.
A non-mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Monday, May 11, 2026, via MS Teams. The
meeting will commence at 10:00 a.m. Arizona Time. Prospective bidder attendance is
encouraged.
Prospective proposers must submit questions by May 18 at close of business, 5:00 p.m.
Arizona time. Questions can be submitted by email to rlopez@bisbeeaz.gov or
and is only necessary if a firm or local government intends to submit a proposal. Entities
that register for notices will receive notices of any RFP amendments, questions posed and
answered by other proposers, and other pertinent information provided after the pre-
bid conference.
INQUIRIES:
Direct questions for clarification of this Request for Proposals document in writing to:
Rene Lopez
Transit Manager City of Bisbee
Telephone: (520) 645-0850
Email: rlopez@bisbeeaz.gov
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Contents
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 4
2 INTRODUCTION AND PROGRAM BACKGROUND .................................................... 4
2.1 Commitment to Excellence ........................................................................................ 4
2.2 Historic Overview ....................................................................................................... 4
3 EXISTING SERVICES ................................................................................................... 5
3.1 Fixed-Flex-route with deviations service ................................................................... 5
3.2 Eligibility and Fares .................................................................................................... 6
3.3 Schedule .................................................................................................................... 9
3.4 Service days and hours ............................................................................................. 9
3.5 Ridership history ........................................................................................................ 9
3.6 Fleet and route assets ............................................................................................... 9
3.7 Data collection ......................................................................................................... 10
4 ADMINISTRATION ...................................................................................................... 11
4.1 Administrative functions ........................................................................................... 11
4.2 Marketing ................................................................................................................. 11
4.3 Funding .................................................................................................................... 11
4.4 Compliance .............................................................................................................. 11
4.5 Training .................................................................................................................... 11
4.6 Drug and alcohol education and testing .................................................................. 12
4.7 Safety and security .................................................................................................. 12
5 GENERAL RFP INSTRUCTIONS ............................................................................... 13
5.1 Term of Contract ...................................................................................................... 13
5.2 Funding Source........................................................................................................ 13
5.3 Individual or Team Approach................................................................................... 13
5.4 Competitive Selection .............................................................................................. 13
5.5 Selection and Evaluation Factors ............................................................................ 13
5.6 Inquiries, Communications, and Addenda .............................................................. 14
5.7 Proposal Acceptance Period ................................................................................... 14
5.8 Contract Incorporation ............................................................................................. 14
5.9 Negotiations & Audit ................................................................................................ 15
6 REQUIRED PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENTS .............................................. 16
6.1 Format Overview...................................................................................................... 16
6.2 Submission............................................................................................................... 17
7 ABILITY TO MEET REQUIREMENTS OF THE RFP ................................................. 18
7.1 Management ............................................................................................................ 18
7.2 Safety ....................................................................................................................... 19
7.3 Scheduling ............................................................................................................... 19
7.4 Rider relations .......................................................................................................... 20
7.5 Fleet ......................................................................................................................... 20
7.6 Data collection ......................................................................................................... 20
7.7 Technology............................................................................................................... 20
7.8 Other ........................................................................................................................ 21
8 PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE ............................................................. 22
9 EXPERIENCE OF PROVIDING SERVICES SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE SCOPE
OF WORK .................................................................................................................... 22
9.1 Description of firm's structure .................................................................................. 22
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9.2 5311 Experience ...................................................................................................... 22
9.3 Subcontractors ......................................................................................................... 22
10 QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF PROPOSED PERSONNEL .................. 23
10.1 Key Personnel ................................................................................................... 23
10.2 Subcontractor Personnel .................................................................................. 23
11 INSURANCE ................................................................................................................ 24
11.1 Indemnification .................................................................................................. 24
11.2 Insurance Requirements ................................................................................... 24
11.3 Minimum scope and limits of insurance ........................................................... 25
11.4 Endorsements and Waivers.............................................................................. 25
11.5 Commercial General Liability ............................................................................ 26
11.6 Workers' Compensation and Employers' Liability ............................................ 26
11.7 Additional Insurance Requirements ................................................................. 27
11.8 Notice Of Cancellation ...................................................................................... 27
11.9 Acceptability Of Insurers ................................................................................... 27
11.10 Verification Of Coverage ............................................................................... 27
11.11 Subcontractors .............................................................................................. 27
11.12 Approval ........................................................................................................ 28
11.13 Exceptions ..................................................................................................... 28
12 COST PROPOSAL ...................................................................................................... 29
13 SCOPE OF WORK ...................................................................................................... 30
14 ADDITIONAL NOTES .................................................................................................. 30
14.1 Legal Statements, Proposal Review, and Contract Implementation ................. 30
14.2 Federal Clauses ................................................................................................ 30
14.3 Withdrawal of Proposals ................................................................................... 30
14.4 Rejection of Proposals ...................................................................................... 30
14.5 Pre-Bid Conference .......................................................................................... 30
15 TENTATIVE SELECTION SCHEDULE....................................................................... 31
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - Scope of Work
Attachment 2 - Legal Statements, Proposal Review, and Contract Implementation
Attachment 3 - Federal Clauses
Attachment 4 - Acknowledgement of Receipt of All Addenda
Attachment 5 - Sample Professional Services Agreement
Attachment 6 - Proposed schedule change for 2027
Attachment A - Negotiated Scope of Work - to be added on award
Attachment B - Contractor's Proposal - to be added on award
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Bisbee (CITY) is requesting technical and cost proposals from qualified and
experienced firms or teams of firms (CONTRACTOR) to provide turnkey operation services for
the Bisbee Bus program.
The CITY seeks experienced approaches to operating their rural public transit program which
has been in operation since 1998 and presently operates as a fixed-flex-route with deviations
system.
As such, prospective CONTRACTORS may submit a proposal (consisting of both Technical and
Cost proposals) for the CITY's consideration regarding components further described within the
Scope of Work section in Attachment 1.
2 INTRODUCTION AND PROGRAM BACKGROUND
2.1 Commitment to Excellence
The City of Bisbee takes great pride in the public transit services it provides to people living,
working, or visiting in Bisbee and unincorporated Naco AZ. Many residents, including students,
older adults, and people with disabilities, have come to rely on these services as their means of
transportation to school, work, food access/shopping or medical appointments. The City remains
committed to providing services that are effective in meeting the needs of the community,
provide value to the overall community, and make prudent use of the City's transit-dedicated
funds.
2.2 Historic Overview
Bisbee's public transit began as a rail line in 1907 that connected the now Warren
neighborhood to Bisbee (known now as old Bisbee), transporting mine managers and workers,
business owners and their employees between the new Warren neighborhood and the mine in
Bisbee. In 1928, the rail system was converted into a bus line and ran consistently through the
1950s and into the sixties. When the mines closed in 1974, public transit services were no
longer made available.
In 1986, Catholic Community Services began providing basic transit services to the community
focusing on rides for seniors and persons with disabilities needing transportation for medical
appointments and shopping. This service was funded, in large part, through the FTA 5310
program targeting transportation for seniors and people with disabilities.
In October 1998, The City of Bisbee took responsibility for the transit service, hiring Catholic
Community Services as the contracted operator. Over time, a fixed route system was established,
and additional federal funding through the 5311 program was made available to support the
more robust system.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
In October 2015, Catholic Community Services could no longer provide operations services for
the system and the City of Bisbee hired, through an RFP process, the City of Douglas to take
over the day-to-day operations of the Bisbee Bus. Douglas continues its contract with Bisbee
through September 30, 2026, having provided 10 years of service to the system.
The National Transit Database (NTD) shows an historical decline in ridership for the system that
may be a result of declining population, COVID-19 impact, and minimal marketing efforts. In 2024
and 2025, however, ridership began to grow and at the end of the calendar year, 2025, ridership
was at 28,452 with a population of 4,904. In 2015 ridership was at 50,803 and population at
5,575. Ridership has increased approximately 17% since 2020. In this same period, operations
costs have risen 18%
In 2025, the Southeastern Arizona Governments Organization (SEAGO) conducted a system
efficiency study for the Bisbee Bus. While operations systems were found to be acceptable,
headways for riders in Naco and the San Jose neighborhood were exceeding 2 hours.
Additionally, the City's administration of the bus required restructuring including the hiring of a
transit manager (the position had been vacant since 2018). As a result of this examination, it was
suggested that the City, in an effort to ensure that public funding was used as efficiently as
possible, issue an RFP for operations as it had been ten years since the City had reviewed the
contract costs. The City Council directed staff to request proposals and determine the best
course of action related to operations.
3 EXISTING SERVICES
The City is seeking a Contractor to provide turnkey operation of its "fixed-flex-route with
deviations" transit services.
3.1 Fixed-Flex-route with deviations service
The City's fixed-flex route with deviations service is provided as a public service to all residents
and visitors in the service area which includes Bisbee and Naco, AZ. The service presently
operates Monday through Friday from 5:54 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until
4:00 p.m. A single run of the scheduled route is 32.6 miles in length with a headway of
approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes (without deviations) with alternating routes to Naco and
San Jose which increases the headway for those riders. The service route distributes transit
service so that 90% of all city residents in the service area are within a 12 mile walk of bus service.
The route includes all four neighborhoods of Bisbee including old Bisbee, San Jose, Saginaw, and
Warren, as well as the community of Naco AZ, located 4 miles south of the San Jose
neighborhood. A route map and schedule are here and in Figures 3-1 and 3-2 below. The
service does not operate on CITY-designated holidays.
The City does not provide a paratransit service. Rather, deviations are available to the general
public (not limited to seniors and disabled) and available within one-half mile from the nearest
scheduled stop and must be arranged through the operations contractor's dispatcher(s) via a
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
phone line provided by the contractor. Presently, there is no electronic application for riders to
see the bus location or to make deviation requests. Deviations are allowed from both rider
origination points and also to destination points within the half-mile boundary. Deviations can
be, but are not required to be, limited to no more than 3 per day - dependent on availability and
ability to meet "on schedule" performance goals (See Scope of Work Section 3.2). Deviations are
scheduled on a first come first served basis, however, the contracted operator may provide
priority scheduling for seniors or persons with disabilities.
The operations contractor is also responsible for deviation requests from the Cochise County
Sheriff's Office to provide rides for released inmates from the County Jail (located at 203 N. Judd
Dr. in Bisbee) off Hwy 80 which is 1.2 miles from the nearest scheduled stop (B St. in the Saginaw
neighborhood). These riders are typically connected to the Cochise Connections route operated
by the City of Douglas which connects Douglas, Bisbee, and Sierra Vista via the Lyric stop in old
Bisbee. These requests are integrated into the regular bus schedule like any other deviation.
Advance reservations for deviation requests are generally required, although same-day requests
and requests for immediate service will be accepted on a space-available and scheduled basis
(subject to the order in which the trip request is received and the ability of the driver to recover
time on the schedule). No same-day ride requests will be accepted on Saturday.
A late cancellation is defined as one that is received less than two hours before the requested
pick-up time. A no-show is defined as a trip that is not cancelled or one that is cancelled after the
vehicle has arrived at the pick-up location. Excessive late cancellations or no-shows may result in
suspension or loss of deviation privileges.
3.2 Eligibility and Fares
Bisbee Bus operates its programs and services to the general public without regard to race, color,
national origin, or disability in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
However, riders may be denied ridership if engaging in violent, seriously disruptive, illegal
conduct, or representing a direct safety threat to the health or safety of others.
Fares are required for each rider each time the passenger boards. The following are the cash fare
and monthly bus pass fees.
Adult Senior (60+) Disabled Student (8-18)
One way cash fare $ 1.00 $ .50 $ .50 $ .25
Monthly Pass $25.00 $15.00 $15.00 $7.50
Deviation fare $ 1.00 $ .50 $ .50 $ .25
Annual bus passes are available to seniors and/or persons with disabilities through funding made
available to the City from the SEAGO Area Agency on Aging (AAA). These passes are free to
eligible riders and require an application to be submitted. A personal care assistant (PCA) may
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
accompany the rider at no charge. Those traveling as a companion must pay the same fare as
would be charged the rider they are accompanying. A picture identification card with a QR code
is presently issued so that drivers can scan the pass in an operator-owned, electronic ridership
data collection system. Proof of eligibility requirements are provided in the AAA grant agreement
and guidance provided by SEAGO. Passes are issued by the contractor in coordination with the
City of Bisbee.
Figure 3-1 Schedule Map - https://bisbeeaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2778/Bisbee-Bus-Schedule-
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Figure 3-2 Bus Schedule -https://bisbeeaz.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2778/Bisbee-Bus-Schedule-
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3.3 Schedule
The Bisbee Bus operates one bus during the service day. This bus completes a northbound and
southbound route that is 32.6 miles in length including service to Naco, Arizona which is 5.2 miles
south of the City. The route consists of five scheduled stops, twenty-four individual flag stops,
and four stops that are "Call for Pickup" only, for a total of thirty-three identified stops. One run
of this circular route takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete without deviations and without
onboarding or offboarding riders needing assistance (wheelchairs or other mobility needs). The
schedule includes alternating routes to Naco and to the San Jose neighborhood which creates a
2-plus-hour wait for persons wishing to return to those destinations.
The efficiency study completed in 2025 identified potential alternatives to the current schedule,
reducing headway for riders impacted by the alternate route system currently used. The study
and its recommendations can be found here.
3.4 Service days and hours
Currently, the service operates Monday through Friday, 5:54 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Saturday
service operates 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. These service hours do not include pre- and post-inspection
periods, deadhead miles, and times for other administrative and maintenance duties expected
from the contractor.
3.5 Ridership history
Annual ridership history for the Bisbee Bus is presented below:
Ridership surveys are conducted and analyzed annually and include, but are not limited to,
inquiries regarding destination and origination, service quality, staffing quality, on-time
performance, accessibility, comfort, safety, fares, suggestions, and concerns. Survey data is
compiled, analyzed, and summarized within a report provided to ADOT.
3.6 Fleet and route assets
The City of Bisbee presently owns the fleet of vehicles used for the service and takes responsibility
for its maintenance, repairs, and replacement.
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