Agenda Item Wording:
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Authorize Purchase of Passenger Transit Vans - Authorize the City Manager to utilize the California Association for Coordinated Transportation Morongo Basin Transit Authority cooperative contract for Class P passenger transit vans to enter into a contract in the amount of $685,389 with Model 1 Commercial Vehicles, for the purchase of four (4) Braun-Lonestar Class P passenger transit vans for the Visalia Transit Dial-A-Ride service.
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Deadline for Action: 9/2/2025
Submitting Department: Administration - Transit Division
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Caleb Bowman, Transit Management Analyst, Caleb.Bowman@visalia.city, (559)713-4594
Angelina Baker, Transit Manager, Angelina.Baker@visalia.gov, (559)713-4591
John Lollis, Assistant City Manager, John.Lollis@visalia.city, (559)713-4323
Department Recommendation:
Staff is recommending that the City Council authorize the City Manager to utilize the California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CalACT)/Morongo Basin Transit Authority (Basin Transit) cooperative contract for Class P passenger transit vans to enter into a contract in the amount of $685,389 with Model 1 Commercial Vehicles, Inc., formerly Creative Bus Sales, Inc., for the purchase of four (4) Braun-Lonestar Class P passenger transit vans for the Visalia Transit Dial-A-Ride service.
Background Discussion:
Visalia Transit currently operates ten (10) cutaway buses; eight (8) buses of are required to support peak demand on the Dial-A-Ride (DAR) service that serves the City of Visalia, unincorporated community of Goshen, City of Farmersville, and City of Exeter. Currently, the DAR fleet has an average age of eleven (11) years and average lifetime miles of 173,000, with half of the buses being over fourteen (14) years old with over 200,000 miles, which is past their useful life. The useful life is determined by age and mileage requirements set by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). FTA has determined that light-duty mid-sized buses (cutaways, 25-35-foot buses with a seating capacity of 16-25 passengers) have a useful life of 5-years and/or 150,000 miles. With that being said, buses don't necessarily need to be replaced simply because they're 5 years old. Buses that are properly maintained can typically have more useful life than what is determined by the FTA making it more fiscally responsible and beneficial to keep them in service longer. Additionally, the cost of parts for buses during repairs is covered by the Operations and Maintenance contractor. This means that the negotiated maintenance price between RATP Dev and The City of Visalia, when established, took into consideration the age of the vehicles. With each of these elements considered, it is more fiscally responsible for the City to get as many useful life years out of each of the vehicles as possible. Lastly, the ability to get more useful life years out of a vehicle, also aids in spreading out vehicle replacements rather than creating a situation where a large number of buses or vehicles would need to be replaced all at once. This is strategic in budgeting and planning for fleet replacement.
At this time, staff recommends the purchase of four (4) new Braun-Lonestar Class P passenger transit vans to replace four (4) 2011 model year CNG cutaway buses with over 200,000 miles which have outlived their useful lives. Transit staff have looked at the maximum passenger load of the DAR service to see if the 18-passenger cutaway is needed for the service. Contracted (RATP) staff confirmed that there are no more than eight (8) ambulatory passengers and no more than two (2) passengers in a wheelchair onboard the buses at any given time. The cutaways being replaced are 12-18 passengers with 2-3 wheelchair positions and double the price of the Class P passenger transit van. Transit staff is recommending the downsize of most of the DAR vehicles from 18-passenger cutaways to 8-passenger transit vans. The details of each vehicle to be replaced under this project are listed below in Table 1
Table 1
Fleet #
Fixed Asset #
Mfr. Year
Bus Make
Fuel Type
Length (ft.)
No. of Seats
Date In-Service
Age
Useful Life (yrs.)
Odometer Reading (mi.)
Useful Life (mi.)
1102
F12562
2011
Elkhart Coach
CNG
23
18
8/29/11
14|1010|218,128
150,000
1104
F12564
2011
Elkhart Coach
CNG
23
18
8/29/11
14|1010|220,082
150,000
1105
F12565
2011
Elkhart Coach
CNG
23
18
8/29/11
14|1010|227,773
150,000
1106
F12566
2011
Elkhart Coach
CNG
23
18
8/29/11
14|1010|245,232
150,000
The grant allocations and appropriations in the current CIP VH0317 budget for this purchase are shown below in Table 2.
Table 2
Funding Source Allocation
FTA Section 5339 $411,233
FTA Section 5307 $137,078
LTF $137,078
Total Project $685,389
Fiscal Impact:
The funding for this vehicle purchase is currently appropriated in CIP VH0317, which has a total budget of $1,674,200. It is noteworthy to mention that the 5307 funds in the amount of $137,078 have a lapsing funds date of 09/30/2025.
Prior Council Action:
None.
Other:
None.
Alternatives:
Council can elect to reject this purchase which would delay the fleet replacement schedule.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize the City Manager to utilize the California Association for Coordinated Transportation/Morongo Basin Transit Authority contract for Class P passenger transit vans to enter into a contract in the amount of $685,389 with Model 1 Commercial Vehicles, for the purchase of four (4) Braun-Lonestar Class P passenger transit vans for the Visalia Transit Dial-A-Ride service.
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Environmental Assessment Status:
None.
CEQA Review:
None.
Attachments:
1) Model 1 Quote Sheet
2) CalACT Letter of Assignment to Purchase
3) Morongo Basin Transit Authority Contract No. 20-01
4) Creative Bus Sales, Inc. Notice of Name Change