Janesville Transit RFP for Bus Advertising Services

The email subject line shall state: "Proposal for JT-RFP-2026-2". Use of an online file-sharing software
(e.g., Microsoft OneDrive; Dropbox) is encouraged to ensure large file sizes do not interfere with receipt.
The proposal file format shall be Portable Document Format (PDF).
The proposal shall be emailed to smithr@ci.janesville.wi.us
Submitting a proposal to any email address other than smithr@ci.janesville.wi.us does not constitute
receipt of a proposal by JT. It is the Proposer's responsibility to verify that JT has timely received the
emailed proposal before the due date and time above. JT is not responsible for late receipt of a proposal,
regardless of the reason for the delay. Proof of transmission does not constitute proof of receipt. The
Proposer is responsible for confirming that JT has successfully received their emailed proposal and is
encouraged to do so due to the strict email filters used at the City of Janesville.
Submission of a proposal shall constitute a firm offer by the proposer to JT for one hundred twenty (120)
days from the proposal opening. Once awarded, prices shall remain firm for the duration of the contract.
Prices MUST also be free of federal, state, and local taxes unless otherwise imposed by a governmental
body, and applicable to the material on the proposal.
No person or entity submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, nor any officer, employee, agent,
representative, relative or consultant representing such a person (or entity) may contact through any
means or engage in any discussion concerning the award of this contract with any member of JT staff or
any employee of JT during the period beginning on the date of proposal issue and ending on the date of
the selection of the contractor. Any such contact would be grounds for disqualification of the proposer.
Contact with JT staff during such time period must be limited to technical questions. The exception to
this rule would be when the proposer being a current service provider is making contact concerning the
current services being provided under a separate and current contract.
Optional Site Visit
Proposers may attend an in-person site visit to view a JT bus on display that is eligible for advertising. No
questions will be taken at this visit. No other site visits will be scheduled. Proposers are not required to
attend the site visit. However, it is the Proposer's responsibility to completely understand the available
fleet vehicles and the proposer's responsibilities, in order to facilitate a full understanding of all
requirements associated with this RFP's Scope of Services.
Failure to participate in the visit will in no way relieve the successful Proposer from providing all services
that may be required to carry out the intent of the resulting contract.
The site visit is scheduled for April 7, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the Transit Services Center, 101 Black Bridge
Road, Janesville, WI. Proposers are asked to park in the visitor parking section. Attendees are welcome
to bring their own ladder and tape measure for use during the site visit, as no equipment will be provided
during the site visit. Proposers shall also be advised the site visit will take place outdoors.
Clarification & Amendment Process
A Proposer may submit to the City a written request for an interpretation or clarification of, or addenda
to, this RFP.
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The City will review and prepare a response to each request made by a proposer pursuant to this section.
The responses will be posted on the City's website and Vendor Net to ensure all interested parties
receive the same information.
The City reserves the right to make modifications or addenda to this RFP. If the City determines it is
appropriate to revise any portion of this RFP, either at the request of a proposer or upon the City's own
initiative, the City will issue, and make available to all prospective proposers, a written addendum setting
forth this revision. Proposers shall acknowledge receipt of addenda by written notice thereof returned to
the City as a component of the proposal (see Form H). Without acknowledgement of addenda, proposals
may not be considered. Where addenda require changes in the work to be performed under the Contract,
the date set for receipt of proposals may be postponed by the number of days the City determines are
appropriate in order to enable prospective proposers to revise proposals.
The City is not bound by any oral interpretations, clarifications, or changes made to this RFP by any City
employee. Any clarification or change to the RFP must be provided in writing pursuant to this section.
Direct questions concerning this Request for Proposals to Rebecca Smith, Transit Director, in writing and
submitted via e-mail to smithr@ci.janesville.wi.us by Friday, April 10, 2026 .
Timeline
RFP Issued Tues, Mar 31, 2026
Tues, Apr 7, 2026
Site Visit Opportunity: 101 Black Bridge Rd Janesville, WI
@10am
Deadline for Proposer Questions, Comments, & Requests for Fri, Apr 10, 2026
Clarification
JT Responds to Questions/Addenda Tues, Apr 14, 2026
Tues, April 21, 2026 at
Proposal Submittal Deadline
12PM Noon
Interviews/Negotiation Period (Anticipated) Apr 27-30, 2026
Notice of Contract Award (Anticipated) Tues, May 5, 2026
Introduction to Janesville Transit
Janesville Transit (JT) is a public transit system owned and operated by the City of Janesville (CoJ) as a
division of the CoJ's local, municipal government. JT provides fixed-route bus service throughout the
corporate boundaries of the CoJ with a connecting route to Beloit. JT is operated out of the Transit
Services Center located at 101 Black Bridge Road in Janesville, WI 53545 and the public facing hub of JT
is the Transfer Center, located at 123 S River Street in downtown Janesville.
JT operates daytime routes Monday through Saturday; weekday evening routes; and Extra Service Routes.
Current routes and service area can be found at www.janesvilletransit.com. (Extra Service Routes, or
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"tripper routes" are operated during the academic year to assist with the passenger load at our peak times
before and after school. The School Transportation page is located here:
https://www.janesvillewi.gov/departments-services/neighborhood-and-community-services/bus-
transit-jts/school-transportation)
JT enjoys community, city administration, and elected body support. JT has provided consistent service
levels for decades, with the most significant change being the addition of evening weekday bus services
in the calendar year 2000.
JT has participated in exterior bus advertising for 20+ years using a contract advertising vendor approach
with positive results. JT only allows advertising wraps on the exterior of the buses; no framed signs or
placards may be placed on the exterior of the buses.
Ridership Summary
Annual Fixed Route ridership at JT is the following:
2021 280,298
2022 345,362
2023 398,119
2024 402,208
2025 366,682
Revenue Summary
JT received the following revenue amounts annually from the contractor:
2021: $40,555
2022: $28,393
2023: $53,555
2024: $37,437
2025: $43,875
JT receives a 50% revenue share from the current advertising sales contract and a guaranteed monthly
payment minimum of about $2,900.
Fleet Summary
Below is the fleet of buses Janesville Transit will have available for bus advertising at the start of the new
contract. JT expects the fleet to remain as described for the duration of the contract.
Make Model Year Series Length Quantity
Gillig Low Floor 2019 450s (450-455) 35 FT. 6
Gillig Low Floor 2020 460s (460 - 468) 35 FT. 9
Gillig Low Floor 2022 470s (470 - 471) 35 FT. 2
Gillig Low Floor Fall 2026 480 40 FT. 1
Note: In October 2026 the fleet size will increase to 18 buses, with the acceptance of a 40' bus.
Spares
JT reserves two buses as spares, serving as replacement buses in support of the entire fleet.
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Bus Assignments
JT predominantly maintains the 450 series of Gillig Buses on Extra Service Routes/Tripper routes. The
buses assigned to these routes rotate on a cyclical schedule to ensure assignment to all tripper routes
and areas of Janesville. All 450 series buses are assigned daytime, evening or spare routes as needed.
JT maintains the 460 and 470 buses on daytime, evening and spare assignments. The buses assigned to
these routes rotate on a cyclical schedule to ensure assignment to all routes and areas of Janesville. All
460 and 470 series buses are assigned tripper routes, as needed.
Service Hours
Monday - Friday 6:15 AM - 10:15 PM
Saturday 8:45 AM - 6:15 PM
Weekdays, including Tripper Service
Number of Buses Time Hours Service
12 AM Peak 6:45AM - 8:15AM Fixed Route Service with
Tripper Service
7 Midday 6:15AM- 6:45AM & Fixed Route Service
8:15AM - 3:00PM
14 PM Peak 3PM - 4:30PM Fixed Route Service with
Tripper Service
7 Late Afternoon 4:30PM - 6:15PM Fixed Route Service
3 Evening 6:15PM - 10:15PM Deviated Route Service
Saturday Service
6 Weekend 8:45AM - 6:15PM Fixed Route Service
No service is provided on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day,
Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
The seven daytime route buses currently operate 86.75 hours and 1,258 miles each weekday; and 60 hours
and 809 miles on Saturdays. The three evening routes total 12.75 hours of operation and 171 miles each
weekday. Extra Service/Tripper routes total 16.50 hours of operation and 165 miles each school day. We
expect the daily hours and mileage to remain consistent during the contract.
Scope Of Services
Janesville Transit is seeking a contractor to sell advertisements on the exterior and interior of the City's
buses and provide payment to the City for a portion of the revenue generated from these activities. The
Contractor shall be responsible for collecting and retaining all money and compensation paid or agreed
to be paid by third parties for any and all advertising on the City buses. Upon execution of this contract,
the Contractor may begin bus advertising sales activities for the City including selling of ad space that
will be available on or after approximately June 1, 2026.
In addition to providing the service of bus advertising sales and collections of the revenue from those
activities, the Contractor will also be responsible for the following:
* Setting of Rates and Executing Ad Contracts
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* Monthly Payments
* Recordkeeping
* Transition for Existing Advertisers
* Design, Creation, Installation, Maintenance & Removal of Bus Ad Signs
* Compliance with All Applicable Governmental Regulations
* Marketing & New Sales Ventures
* Unused Space
* Termination/Expiration of Contract
Setting of Rates and Executing Ad Contracts
The Contractor will have the right to set the rates for advertising on the buses and the length of contracts.
The Contractor will be responsible for executing all bus ad contracts with advertisers. The Contractor will
be the sole contact for all advertisers.
Monthly Payments
The Contractor will be required to pay the City the amount agreed upon. There are three components to
the monthly payments. The proposer shall identify that amount in Form J, "Revenue Proposal", whether
there will be a minimum amount per month per year, or a percentage of the gross monthly receipts from
the sale/rental of space, or a combination of guaranteed and percentage of gross monthly receipts. No
guaranteed minimums or percentage of gross monthly receipts minimums are expressed in this Request
for Proposal.
Payments must be made by the 30th of the month following the month of which the guarantee is based.
Payments shall be made to the following address:
Janesville Transit
Attention: Rebecca Smith, Transit Director
101 Black Bridge Rd
Janesville, WI 53545
Reporting/Recordkeeping
The Contractor will be required to submit a monthly report to the City that will include detail by advertiser
of the following:
* Name of Advertiser
* Number and Size of Signs with Associated Bus Number(s)
* Duration of Contract
* Gross Billings and Net Collections
* Total Gross Billings and Net Collections per Month
The successful Proposer shall maintain records of all transactions and make such records (including all
advertising contracts) available to JT within a reasonable amount of time upon written notification.
Design, Creation, Installation, Maintenance & Removal of Bus Ad Signs
The contractor is required to design, create, install, maintain and remove all advertisements from the
Janesville Transit bus fleet. The Contractor is solely responsible for all labor and expense of creation,
application, and removal of each advertisement. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to ensure
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that all advertisements are maintained in a neat and proper condition. The City at its sole option may
direct the Contractor to repair or replace ads that are worn or damaged and the Contractor will be
responsible for all costs associated with these repairs.
All exterior advertising shall be constructed of direct application exterior vinyl of a high quality (ex. 3M or
Avery). The materials used must be easy to apply and remove, be durable, and readable. The Contractor
is permitted to set ad sizes but is encouraged to use industry standard-sized ads where applicable.
Custom-sized ads are also acceptable and there is no cap on the number of full or partial bus wraps
sold. JT encourages creative products to maximize revenue generated. JT is open to exploring options for
interior bus advertisement material but requires paper signs to be laminated for durability.
All advertisements and other items affixed to or in the City's buses by the Contractor shall not interfere
with the normal operation, safety, or routine maintenance of said buses. Full and partial bus wraps with
ad material that covers bus windows must be designed to not inhibit the driver's ability to view vehicle
and/or pedestrian traffic, and to allow passengers to see outside of the bus. No wrap ad material shall be
placed upon or forward of the front entrance door or in the window panel directly behind the front
entrance door. If covered by a created ad, the bus numbers at the front, sides, and rear shall be included
in the design in comparable size and placement to ensure visibility. If covered by a created ad, the sign
"Right Turn in Front of Stopped Bus is Illegal" on the rear of the bus shall be included in the design in
comparable size and placement to ensure visibility.
The contractor must comply with all policies when at the Transit Services Center, 101 Black Bridge Road,
Janesville. Installation and removal of advertising signs performed at the Transit Services Center must
be completed between the hours of 7 am to 8 pm Monday - Friday. Changes to these hours may occur
upon approval of the Maintenance Supervisor. Installation and removal may occur at an offsite location
at the discretion of the Transit Director.
The Contractor must maintain a record of all advertising posted and removed by bus number.
If any damage occurs to the bus as a result of installation, maintenance or removal of an advertisement,
the Contractor will be responsible for restoring the buses to their original condition, including repainting
and reapplying of any signs or equipment damaged, etc. if necessary. If any advertisement is damaged
for any reason, including but not limited to accident, vandalism, or routine washing, the Contractor shall
be responsible for all labor and expense in performing touch-ups or repairs. The City and/or its agents,
insurance carriers, etc. may assist the Contractor in attempts to recover the cost of replacement/repairs
to ad signs caused by other parties.
Coordination
The Contractor shall coordinate the approval of new ads with the Transit Director and the installation or
removal of ads with the Transit Maintenance Supervisor. Coordination shall typically be completed via
email and 48 hours' notice shall be given when requesting installation or removal dates and times.
Compliance with All Applicable Governmental Regulations
The Contractor must agree to post ads that conform to the City policy regarding the appropriateness of
advertising graphics and content as well as the total ban on tobacco product, and political advertising. A
copy of the City's policy on transit advertising is available in Appendix B. The Contractor must also
comply with all other applicable local, state, and federal regulations.
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Marketing & New Advertising Sales Ventures
The Contractor will be responsible for marketing the sale of advertisements on the City's buses. The City
will assist in providing information on the City of Janesville website regarding bus advertising with the
information provided by the Contractor. In addition, the Contractor should provide the City with the
contact information for the Contractor's ad sales staff that transit staff can direct interested advertisers
to contact.
The Contractor also may propose additional sales ventures for consideration during the contract (Ex. ads
at the Downtown Transfer Center, on service vehicles, on fare media, digital advertisements, etc.).
Unused Space
The City reserves the right to use any unused bus ad space for advertisements for Janesville Transit. All
costs associated with the creation, installation, and removal of these ads shall be paid to the Contractor
by the City. The Contractor is under no obligation to maintain any amount of ad space for the City and
the use of the space would be only as available.
Transitioning of Existing Advertisers
The newly awarded contractor will be responsible for handling the transition of all existing transit
advertisers having contracts with the current Bus Advertising Contractor (if different) and will assume all
active transit advertising contracts held by the current contract on the starting date.
Termination/Expiration of Contract Regarding Continuity of Advertising Services
Upon termination of the Contractor for any reason or upon the expiration of this Agreement, the
Contractor agrees that it will furnish to the City, for the City's use or delivery to a successor Contractor,
a list of all advertisers which were under contract immediately prior to the termination or expiration,
including with respect to each such advertiser: (i). its name,. (ii). the principal contact at the advertiser
for purposes of negotiating an advertising contract, (iii). its address, phone number, and email and, if
different, the address, phone number, and email of the principal contact. Along with this list, the
Contractor shall provide to the City, to the extent not previously provided, a copy of the most recent
contract between each identified advertiser and the Contractor.
Proposal Content
The following information must be contained in your response to this solicitation:
Experience
Maximum of 2 pages: Describe in detail your experience in and knowledge of the transit bus advertising
business. This description should include a brief history of the company, a description of the ownership
structure and legal status of the organization, and, name of the Chief Executive Officer. Contractors
should describe their involvement with media advertising, such as exterior advertising, electronic
displays, billboards, mobile, etc. Provide the total number of transit properties served by your firm for
each of the following years: 2023, 2024 and 2025 and detail how many new accounts were added each
year. In addition, provide the total number of expired or terminated contracts each of these years.
Provide the name, email address, and telephone number of at least three client references. The City of
Janesville reserves the right to contact any other references it finds on its own.
Personnel
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