REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO PROVIDE AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATION (AVL) / REAL TIME PASSENGER INFORMATION SYSTEM

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO PROVIDE AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATION (AVL) / REAL TIME PASSENGER INFORMATION SYSTEM, The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority is requesting bid proposals for the delivery and installation of an Automatic Vehicle Location / Real Time Passenger Information system for 121 fixed route transit buses, 10 workstations and 4 mobile supervisor vehicle workstations, including support equipment. Passengers will be able to disseminate information via the internet, cellular devices or through passenger information signs. The selected vendor agrees to hold pricing for a period of three years for future bus procurements. Interested parties may obtain a complete copy of the Request for Proposal by contacting: Stacey Clink Secretary-Treasurer P.O. Box 792 Toledo, OH sclink@tarta.com Sealed Bids are due by 4:00 p.m. local time on December 1, Bid award by TARTA is expected to occur after the TARTA Board of Trustees meeting on January 5, Thereafter, TARTA will issue purchase orders for the equipment specified. TARTA reserves the right to postpone, to accept or to reject any and all proposals, in whole or in part. All proposals shall be subject to all applicable state and federal laws. The contract to be awarded under this solicitation is subject to financial assistance contracts between the Procuring Agency and the Federal Transit Administration of the United States Department of Transportation and the State of Ohio. All bidders must certify they are not on the Comptroller General s list of ineligible contractors. The successful bidder(s) shall be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations. Disadvantaged Business Enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bid proposals and compete for subcontracting work and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability. Page 1 of 57

2 The following is the solicitation schedule: Activity Release RFP Advertise and Direct Mail Receive Requests for Clarification Completion Time / Date (Location) October 4, 2011 November 18, 2011 Answer Requests The week of November 21, 2011 RFP Deadline December 1, 4:00 p.m. EST Bid Award January 5, 2012 GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS It is the intent of the attached minimum specifications to describe the said equipment, apparatus, supplies, or materials to be purchased for TARTA. All items described within the specifications must be new, unused, and of the manufacturer s latest design and model unless otherwise specified. All standard equipment must be provided. All necessary parts not mentioned, but needed for the full operation of the item(s) specified must be supplied. Unnecessary, (optional) items may be priced separately if not specified. All items are to be delivered FOB Toledo, OH to the location provided when ordered. All items are to be delivered safely, or shipped in a protective carton, fully assembled, and serviced ready for operation. Bidders must submit literature with manufacturer s specifications with the bid proposal. All equipment and supplies must meet all safety regulations, guidelines, and specifications such as OSHA, US DOT, ODOT, NFPA, UL, etc., if so regulated. OBJECTIONS AND EXCEPTIONS TO SPECIFICATIONS The specifications were not written to intentionally eliminate any one bidder, but to be used as a guide for the size and quality of the equipment requested. In some instances, a particular manufacturer and model may be specified with or without an approved equal. If there is an objection to any of the specifications as listed, the bidder must notify in writing TARTA s General Manager no later than ten (10) working days prior to the bid opening. There will be no pre-bid meeting for this project. If an offeror would like to visit the TARTA Central Avenue garage and proposed sites for signage, the offeror shall make arrangements with the TARTA Director of Planning to ensure staff availability. Failure to object in accordance with the above procedure shall constitute a waiver on the part of the bidder to protest the solicitation. All concerns, questions, clarifications, or other correspondence must be directed only to TARTA s Director of Planning. Information obtained from other sources will not Page 2 of 57

3 be considered in the evaluation and award of this bid. All objections or request for approved equals will be evaluated promptly and all potential bidders will be notified of any changes to the specifications or other approvals in the form of an addendum. This addendum will be provided to all offerors who receive the original RFP. Bidders must note clearly any and all exceptions taken to the specifications as an attachment. It is noted that different manufacturers will have differences in engineering and design of equipment. Bidders must note these differences as an Exception and attach detail information explaining how the exception is equal to or exceeds the intent of the specification. All exceptions and items submitted as an equal will be evaluated. The agency reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any irregularities or technicalities in bids received whenever such rejection or waiver is in the best interest of TARTA. BID CONTRACT EXTENSION TARTA reserves the right to extend all bid pricing contracts for a period up to two (2) additional years from the date of the award of the original contract if agreed upon in writing by the contract vendor. The extensions may be for additional quantities or for an additional time period as agreed. No price adjustments may be made unless stipulated in the original bid specifications. SELECTION CRITERIA This procurement will be conducted using competitive proposal procedures. It is the intent of TARTA to conduct technical evaluations of proposals received, hold vendor interviews, conduct negotiations with one or more vendors, and select a vendor, with the goal of promoting fairness and competition. The General Manager shall appoint a Selection Committee to evaluate and determine which proposals are responsive and will rank them according to the evaluation criteria. The Committee shall make its findings to and award recommendations to the Board of Trustees. The Board shall award all competitive proposal contracts to the responsible firm whose proposal is most advantageous to the Authority considering price and technical requirements. The Board, however, reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.. The following criteria will be used to evaluate the proposals. Responsiveness of the technical proposal to 60% the requirements stated in the RFP including functionality and ease of use, references, and experience / qualification of the project team, Service and Warranty Information Cost 30% Innovation 10% Page 3 of 57

4 INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS One original, three hard copies, and an electronic version of the proposal must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, December 1, Your proposal should be mailed or delivered to the following address and clearly marked Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) / Real Time Passenger Information System : Stacey Clink Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority West Central Avenue Toledo, OH Your proposal must provide the following information: A list of the scope of service you will provide relating to the Minimum Specifications. A list of at least three references of fully implemented projects similar in scope to this project. The line item costs per component, installation, training, licenses, contracts, etc., and total cost for entire project. All items listed under Contents of Submission (page 24). The contents of the offeror's proposal, including all terms and conditions set forth in this Request For Proposal and any other terms and conditions agreed upon in negotiation, will become contractual obligations should a contract ensue. All technical questions, or questions relating to TARTA s purchasing procedure must be addressed to TARTA s Director of Planning, Bill Kelly, at (419) The agency reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. It is anticipated that a firm will be selected and notified by January 6, 2012 Page 4 of 57

5 A. System Background: Minimum Specifications The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) functions as the primary mass transit operator in the Toledo metropolitan area and provides approximately four million trips per year. Service is provided weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. with additional service on weekends and holidays.. TARTA s current fleet consists of 121 vehicles with capacity ranging from 19 passengers to 45 passengers. TARTA is soliciting bid proposals to provide Automatic Vehicle Location services and a Web Based Passenger Access System with Arrival / Departure signs for four transit stations. Selection will be based on a combination of ease of integration, utilization of existing equipment, design and price which is in the best interest of TARTA. Descriptions of service are: TARTA Transit System Fleet Inventory (132 vehicles) # Manufacturer Year Fare box Head sign Stop Annunciation Automatic Passenger Counter 13 Gillig 1998 GFI Centsabill Luminator N/A N 20 Gillig 1999 GFI Centsabill Luminator Digital Recorders DR600 N 36 Thomas 2003 GFI Centsabill Luminator Digital Recorders DR 600 N 10 Bluebird 2005 GFI Centsabill Luminator Digital Recorders DR-600 N 10 Bluebird 2008 GFI Centsabill Luminator Digital Recorders DR-600 N 5 Ford 2006 GFI Centsabill Luminator Digital Recorders DR-600 N 7 Chevrolet 2009 GFI Centsabill Luminator Digital Recorders DR-600 N 3 Chevrolet 2010 GFI Centsabill Luminator Digital Recorders DR-600 N 18 El Dorado 2010 GFI Centsabill Luminator Digital Recorders DR 600 N 8* Gillig 2011 GFI Centsabill Luminator Digital Recorders DR-600 Y 2* Gillig Hybrid 2011 GFI Centsabill Luminator Digital Recorders DR-600 Y *The 10 Gillig buses are on order and should be received toward the end of They will have Automatic Passenger Counters on board. Page 5 of 57

6 B. TARTA AVL System Procurement and Installation Scope of Work System Features and Capabilities TARTA requires a CAD/AVL System and Web-based Passenger Information with Arrival/Departure signs for selected shelters and stations. The proposed System must be fully implemented in a similar configuration at a minimum of four locations. The final system components shall include: Computer Assisted Dispatching/Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) Cellular Mobile Data Communications (GPRS) Integration with Digital Recorders Automatic Vehicle Announcement System (AVAS) and mobile data terminal Integration with Luminator Destination Signs Integration with existing GPS antennas on board the vehicle Integration with GFI Centsabill fareboxes Internet Passenger Information Display arrival and departure times on signs for specified Shelter / Bus Stop Signs Display arrival and departure times on end-user initiated text messages The CAD/AVL component of this project shall display bus locations on a digital map on selected workstations. Data from the vehicles shall be collected in real time to provide Dispatchers and Supervisors with a view of the overall operational status of all TARTA vehicles. The system shall be color coded to TARTA s specifications in support of our operational needs. The Cellular Mobile Data Communications component of this project shall provide an interface for transmitting data between the dispatcher and the vehicle fleet. These data elements shall include: Location, Canned and Free-text messages, Logon and Logoff messages, vehicle Schedule Adherence/Route Adherence and real-time Covert Emergency Alarm. The Vehicle Logic Unit component of this project shall provide the driver with a single point of login for all interfaced components. This includes the Digital Recorders AVAS, the Luminator Destination signs, the GFI Centsabill fareboxes (with an option for an upgrade to GFI Odessey fareboxes) and the CES Wireless radio system. Page 6 of 57

7 The Passenger Information component of this project shall provide the public with real-time vehicle location information on a digital map and arrival/departure predictions via their own personal computers connected to the Internet. Furthermore, arrival/departure predictions will be presented to riders at selected TARTA shelters and transit stations. The Internet system shall also provide computer users with the ability to set alarms that will notify them by a popup alarm on their computer when their bus is a specified distance away as well as tie in with TARTA s existing Intelligent Voice Response (IVR) system to automatically generate phone calls to a cellular phone. Finally, the bus stops will be coded with signage that will allow our passenger to text TARTA s existing Textmarks service to get real-time information for the next three buses that are scheduled to arrive at that stop. When multiple routes intersect at the same stop, it should be possible to text the stop number and the route number to get the next three times that the bus will arrive at the location. The vendor shall also create an application for use with smartphones that will give all functionality of the website interface. This application shall be compatible on both the Android and the ios platforms. To the greatest extent possible, vendors are encouraged to utilize the existing on-vehicle equipment. In the event that a vendor is unable to use the equipment that is already on board the vehicle, TARTA requires the equipment used on our vehicles to be resistant to shock, particle contaminants and to inclement temperatures. Computer Aided Dispatching/Automatic Vehicle Location Component Requirements The Computer Aided Dispatching/Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) is comprised of all of the hardware and software used to provide CAD and AVL displays and functions to the dispatcher, determine schedule adherence of the vehicles, and calculate departure estimates. The vendors are required to explain how their proposed system will maximize use of existing on-vehicle hardware and software components. Computer Assisted Dispatching Display Overview The CAD/AVL shall provide the workstation user with easy access to vehicle status and other data elements described below. These shall be presented in a variety of ways including text or list displays, map displays, pop-up displays, reports, etc. The applications shall be provided within the traditional Microsoft Windows paradigm. These include: dockable windows, drop-down menus, toolbars, mouse clicks, mouse-over, etc. Functions shall be available from menu, list or maps as appropriate. That is to say, that a commonly used function like track Page 7 of 57

8 vehicle should be available from the menu bar, a map view and a text view. The workstation software shall support desktop expansion across multiple monitors. Specific details of the interface and function requirements are provided below. The system administrator software, within the AVL system, should provide a software suite of tools that enables the AVL administrators to create, provide and manage the system information/data used to configure the CAD/AVL System. Information and Data such as: security, scheduling and route adherence, dispatcher user account maintenance, incident capture and reporting, such as vehicles traveling over the speed limit, leaving time points early, or going off-route maintain maps and map loading manage vehicles, vehicle types, and routes, define and maintain user accounts and information access, operator accounts and information access, List Views The system shall provide dispatch with configurable text-based list windows to view the status of each vehicle in service. In addition, these windows should have the ability to be logically grouped for east of use of the dispatchers. These windows shall allow TARTA Dispatchers to filter the views of vehicles based upon various criteria including but not limited to: Vehicle type Vehicle IDs Operator IDs Status o Schedule Adherence o Route/Pattern o Emergency o Off-Route o Out of Service Page 8 of 57

9 o In Service Communications Pending Each entry in the list view will be colorized to reflect the highest priority status of the vehicle. For example, if a vehicle is running ten minutes late and has an Emergency Alarm (EA) active, its list view will be colorized to reflect the EA status. When the EA is resolved, the colorization will reflect the ten minutes late status. Priorities and colorizations will be fully configurable by TARTA staff. A variety of real-time information shall be available to workstation users including but not limited to: Vehicle ID Driver Name Workpiece Pattern Schedule status (on-time, early, late, Early Departure, Late Pull-out, etc.) Number of minutes of schedule deviation Indicator of vehicle reporting performance (reporting latency) Operational Status (In Service, Out of Service, Emergency, Off-Route, etc.) The schedule status shall be updated at each time-point along the route at a minimum. The text lines for each vehicle displayed shall be color coded according to status. This color code shall match the colorization of the vehicle on the map. The dispatcher shall have the ability to choose a vehicle from the map or from any of the text windows and log the selected vehicle off. Vendors are required to provide a description of the information available on this display, as well as screen snapshots of this display and an explanation of how the dispatcher would access this information. AVL Map Display The CAD/AVL shall provide an integrated mapping component that will allow configurable displays of the various map layers to include streets, highways, points of interest, routes, and vehicle data. The mapping system shall be capable of displaying vehicle data on multiple filtered windows. The vendor will specify the map source used for this application, and the proposal shall identify a method that TARTA staff can use in order to update the schedule information. Page 9 of 57

10 The mapping views shall provide standard map display features such as zoom in or out, pan in any direction, and point-and-click on features and vehicles to get information. Map details shall be reduced as the user zooms out to minimize clutter on the map displays. In addition, each map window shall be able to be manipulated independently of the others. The vendor is required to describe in detail the interaction of the workstation user with the map displays. Mapping data displays shall track and display vehicle locations in near real time, and shall update automatically as vehicles report their locations and status. The vehicle icon on the map shall use shape, color, and labels to indicate a configurable subset of the following: Vehicle Type Vehicle ID Operator ID Operator Name Route Workpiece or Route Block Direction of travel Communications Status Modem IP and MAC address Time of last report GPS Status Operational Status Speed Latitude Longitude Those data elements not chosen for vehicle icon labels shall be available via a mouse click to activate a pop-up dialogue. The map interface shall allow the user to create multiple views. Views are map windows with user defined filters with full map capabilities that act independently from the other map windows/views. The user shall be able to add and delete views, select a view from a list of previously defined views, and delete a view. However, access to this function may be limited by the system administrator. The map interface shall provide the ability to find and/or track a specified vehicle or vehicles. This function may be launched by selecting a vehicle or group of vehicles from a drop down menu, from one of the list views or Page 10 of 57

11 from one of the map views. Once selected the vehicle(s) shall be centered on a map at an appropriate zoom level. If tracking, the map shall pan and zoom as needed to keep the selected tracked vehicle(s) on the map display without the requirement for the user to manually scroll or re-size the window. The map interface shall be available while directly working within any software module, that is, the Dispatcher should not have to exit the dispatching application to view mapping data. The details of how the vendor s mapping components work with the other components of the system shall be clearly explained in the proposal. Vendors shall include screen shots of map displays in the proposal. Schedule Adherence/Route Adherence The CAD/AVL component shall provide the ability to monitor the route and schedule adherence of all fixed route vehicles that are logged in and being tracked. The threshold values for declaring a vehicle as off-schedule and off-route are configured and adjusted by the system administrator. Schedule adherence should be calculated on the fixed end and reported to the dispatcher in real-time. The tolerance levels (what is early, late, etc.) shall be defined and configurable by system administrator. The granularity of performance to schedules shall be minutes plus or minus the schedule. The vehicle s schedule adherence should be presented to the user via map and tabular display. The status indicators for schedule adherence on the map shall be graphical in nature, and should be easy for operational staff to quickly scan the map and identify problems that need recourse. In addition, the CAD/AVL system shall calculate and display headways for all vehicles to aid TARTA in detecting and managing vehicle clustering; and as a potential primary measure of performance for loop routes. Data Management Vehicle Data The CAD/AVL system shall log all data coming from or going to the vehicles and activities initiated by the workstation users in a MS SQL database. This data shall be the property of TARTA and available for use in real time or stored for reporting and play-back uses. The data shall include but not be limited to: Vehicle definition data Driver identification data Vehicle location data Page 11 of 57

12 Driver log on/log off Operational data Messaging data Incident data Schedule adherence data The vendor shall describe what data their system will record and store. Route and Schedule Data The CAD/AVL system shall be able to integrate with a Trapeze FX database to garner the following information Workpiece IDs Routes Patterns Trips Stops Time-points Arrival/Departure times The information shall be used by the CAD/AVL system to determine vehicle schedule adherence. The schedule adherence shall be communicated to the CAD/AVL server for display on the CAD/AVL workstations. Actual arrival and departure times shall be communicated to the CAD/AVL server in real-time over the cellular wide area network. TARTA requires 100% of TARTA bus stops to be mapped and integrated into the system. The vendor shall describe in detail how this schedule data is entered into the system. The CAD/AVL vendor shall also be able to export the collected information into the Google Transit Feed Specification Reports The CAD/AVL system shall be ODBC compliant, and shall provide the ability to generate canned and Ad Hoc reports from the stored data. The system shall be able to create automatic reports on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. The reports shall include the following at a minimum: Late pullouts Logon/log off reports Speed reports Page 12 of 57

13 Average trip time Excessive dwell times Schedule Adherence including early/late departures for each monitored stop with counts for each and percentages of on-time performance Route Adherence W-LAN Bulk Data Transfer Management Reports o Schedule update reports o Vehicle software update reports o Data Off-load reports The vendor shall describe in detail the reports available with the CAD/AVL component, including sample reports. The reporting sub-system shall have a menu available to authorized users to manually generate canned reports. Where appropriate, the system shall provide authorized users with a canned Report Wizard that will let the user select filtering data such as: Driver ID(s) Vehicle ID(s) Time Data Ranges Time of day ranges Route(s) Workpiece(s) Combinations of the above These selections will be used to refine the data the each report will use. It is the goal of TARTA that these selection criteria be available so that it would be possible to look at specific subsets of data. The Administrator of TARTA shall be able to create ad-hoc reports using a report writing tool, such as Crystal Reports. This report writing tool shall be included in the proposal. NOTE: Each of the above reports shall be run from the Report Wizard described above to limit the data it reports on. The canned reports must be approved by TARTA before final acceptance of the CAD/AVL system. Ownership and Hosting of the Applications TARTA will own the software and have full rights / ownership of the data inputs and outputs from the application. It is the desire of TARTA to have the selected vendor host the server that the application resides on, and provide 24/7 operations support including system backup and Page 13 of 57

14 recovery and general system maintenance. The proposal shall also delineate the ongoing operational cost of hosting this data. Real Time Passenger Information Internet Passenger Information TARTA requires that vehicle location and Arrival/Departure information be accessible to the public via the internet, through text messages and on selected bus shelters. Arrival/Departure estimations may be presented in the future at additional bus shelters / bus stops on appropriate LED signs. Internet Interface The Internet interface for the system shall be a browser based, mapcentric view of all vehicles and timed stops within the TARTA system. Colors and icons as well as other content and links should be available to the public. The system shall use digital maps, and each proposal shall define where the maps will originate from. TARTA requires a system that provides actual arrival and departure information to their transit riders through the web, text messages to cell phones, computer alerts and Dynamic Message Signs installed at selected stops. The system will provide real time information to not only the transit riders; but also will be used by transit staff to support their operational activities. Expected benefits include increased user satisfaction, as this system provides accurate arrival/departure information: reduces the passengers anxiety of not knowing when the next vehicle will arrive at their stop; and assists the agency to build a positive image. Some of the benefits of these systems come from both perceived and actual reductions in passenger waiting time. Real time information systems are expected to have a significant and positive impact on the transit riders, which improves customer satisfaction. This drives the improved image of a transit agency as it promotes efficiency and improved delivery of transit information to the public. The web based passenger Information system software shall include, at a minimum, the following features and functionality: System should conform to modern Web Standards, and should perform well in any modern browser that is Standards Compliant.(such as; Firefox (version 2.0 and later), Safari (version Page 14 of 57

15 3.1 and later), Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 6 or Chrome 1.x). Graphical map view of entire TARTA service area utilizing Google Maps service and including standard Google navigational tools and view options o Zoom controls o Pan controls o Street, Satellite, and Terrain map views Unique icons should be displayed on map indicating geographic position of all TARTA stops and AVL-equipped vehicles. o TARTA Buses shall be represented on the map with a unique vehicle icon which indicate the approximate location of the bus. The positions of the buses shall be updated automatically, every fifteen seconds. Additional bus information can also be displayed such as estimated arrival times at upcoming nearby stops. TARTA also requires the direction of the vehicle to be shown on map. o Bus Stops shall also be represented on the map with its own unique icon which likewise indicates their locations. Additional stop information can also be displayed, such as estimated arrival times of the next one or two buses for that stop TARTA will furnish vendor all stops (timed and non timepoints) with corresponding route assignments, geographic coordinates, schedule times, and which are serviced by AVL-equipped vehicles To minimize the amount of clutter on webpage, vendor s system shall have the flexibility of combining individual stops into one icon. By using the zoom control, the user should be able to drill down to see the individual stop. Information labels for stops and vehicles within map view and are updated in real time as predication updates, route assignments, and vehicle positional data re received from system. o Labels appear while cursor hovers over icon, disappear when cursor moved off. Labels may be made sticky by clicking icon, o Vehicle Labels include information such as: Route number & name being served by bus followed by next 2 stops of vehicle (name, date and predicted time of arrival or departure. o Stop Labels include information such as: Stop name, Route number and name served by stop followed by next predicted time of arrival or departure for each route. TARTA requires a system that delivers multiple user controls for their passengers which involve minimal clicks and does not take the user outside the TARTA website. Additional user controls and tools such as: Page 15 of 57

16 o List of all TARTA routes, number and names served by AVL-equipped vehicles, including a unique assigned color for each o Route Filtering: Enable the user to filter the map view to show just those vehicles currently serving a selected route(s) and stops assigned to the route selected. Also provide the ability to enable all routes to be selected/deselected with a single click. o Agency URL Links: Provide ability for TARTA to have clickable URL s to link to agency-hosted route schedules, maps, etc. o Alerts system should provide a way for the user to setup a notification above a given: Route/Schedule/Stop/Time combination and have the browser or cell phone via text messaging to notify the user when its approximate time to catch the vehicle. Alerts should be setup within the overall website of the agency. o Search: provide the user the ability to search for a TARTA bus stop within the system. Once identified, the user selects the desired stop and map should automatically show the stop and provide the predications of the stop. Transit authority logo: TARTA requires the agency s logo to be displayed prominently at the top center of the webpage above the map area. System also needs to show the local time and date as referenced by the displayed predications and alerts Shelter Signs The system shall provide integration with LED signs at the selected locations. CAD/AVL will communicate via cellular technology. LED Signs shall display the departure estimation for the next vehicle on each route that services its location. This shall be done for a configurable look ahead which will default to 30 minutes. The bus stop shelter signs will display the arrival estimation for the next vehicle on route. TARTA would like to install Departure / Arrival Estimation Signs at Park Station, Seagate Station, Government Station, the University of Toledo Transportation Center, and at future selected bus stops. The signs will be used to display estimations to passengers when the next route will be departing/arriving the (large, 10 line sign) and each of the XX bus stops (two line signs preferred). TARTA will be responsible for providing power to the deployed signs. Vendor is to provide per sign pricing for a 2, 4 & 8 Multiline sign for TARTA to consider. The number of signs installed will be determined as part of future negotiations. The rate at which the cellular signs are updated shall be user programmable in 1-minute or less increments. Page 16 of 57

17 The signs shall be capable of displaying either the destination of the route, or the route name, as specified by Rider. These signs shall also be capable of displaying the current time, and a text message entered by a dispatcher or system administrator on one line. The signs shall be in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and shall meet indoor and outdoor illumination requirements. The system shall operate in the harsh transit environment, including typical weather conditions on outdoor-deployed equipment. The display signs shall be watertight, vandal proofed and sealed. The characters shall be a minimum of 2" high, and each line of the sign shall be a minimum of 16 characters. Dispatcher Graphic User Interface TARTA s dispatcher shall be provided with the GUI interface with the ability to see estimations being shown on each sign and that will allow TARTA to send AD-HOC messages (as an option) to any sign or set of signs. These displays shall be overlaid on a map of TARTA s service area so that staff can easily locate each sign. In addition there shall be a text display that will give TARTA information as to the status of each sign and its communication status, similar to that available for each vehicle. The display shall at a minimum give the IP, location, time of last communication with the sign. The system shall allow TARTA to select stops that may not have signs installed to have virtual signs. These are stops that display route data Route ID, next vehicle departure/arrival prediction for each route, colorized indications for on-time or overdue, etc. See more details about sign requirements in Section Titled: Departure and Arrival Estimation Sign Requirements Departure and Arrival Estimations The system shall contain an algorithm for predicting vehicle arrival/departure at selected stops of TARTA s service area within a 30 minute look-ahead window. The exact period may be adjusted by TARTA. For stops serviced by multiple routes, this estimation shall be performed for each route. The algorithm shall use daily schedule data, as well as real time location information for calculating these estimates. For each vehicle, departure/arrival estimations shall be made for all remaining timed stops in that vehicle s current trip that fall within the look ahead window. Vendors shall describe the departure/arrival estimation algorithm in detail. This description shall cover frequency of recalculations and when Page 17 of 57

18 these are posted to the database and to transit shelter displays. The departure/arrival time displayed should not jump back and forth with each update, if the time estimate has changed by just a small amount. The amount of change required before updating the display shall be user programmable, in minutes. General Requirements Hardware Requirements All hardware shall be manufactured, fabricated, assembled, finished, and documented with workmanship of the highest production quality and shall conform to all applicable quality control standards of the original manufacturer and the Vendor. All hardware components shall be new and suitable for the purposes specified. All hardware provided shall be commercially available, standard, off-the-shelf products manufactured by well-established and reputable manufacturers. Spares and expansion items shall be readily available for at least seven years after installation. Delivered hardware shall include all applicable engineering changes and field changes announced by the equipment manufacturer since it was produced. Equipment Performance It is the intent of this specification to provide for high-quality, state-of-theart, commercially-rated equipment that is designed, manufactured, and installed for public transit service, which requires long life and high reliability under adverse conditions. The following are specific requirements: The overall CAD/AVL equipment construction shall meet the highest current standards for continuous-duty operation in public transit service, unless otherwise specified. Components shall operate within the manufacturer's specified limits under all reasonably expected operational conditions. Vehicle equipment shall be new, current model year, and in first class condition, unless otherwise noted. All electronic equipment shall be solid-state design, with the exception of any relays necessary, which shall be sealed. The Vendor shall guarantee that all equipment and material furnished meets or exceeds all the requirements of this specification and of the manufacturer's specifications, unless compliance is waived by TARTA. Acceptance of the equipment or material will not constitute waiver of this requirement. Page 18 of 57

19 Vehicle Equipment All vehicle equipment proposed by the Vendor shall be constructed to meet the harsh operational conditions found in the transit environment. All Vendor-provided on-board equipment shall operate properly under the environmental conditions encountered on board the vehicles including conditions pertaining to temperature, humidity, dust/dirt, power variations, shock, vibration, altitude, and EMI/RFI interference. The Vendor shall provide all vehicle wiring and connectors required for the equipment. The wiring and connectors shall be appropriate to the transit environment where the equipment is to be installed. Shielded cables shall be provided where necessary to avoid interference problems. Software Requirements It is the intention of TARTA to procure a system solution that uses offthe-shelf technologies to the highest degree possible and that takes full advantage of the existing installed hardware and software on TARTA vehicles, but also minimizes any operational impacts to passengers, bus operators, and dispatchers. The vendor should minimize system customization in favor of off-the-shelf solutions but should identify any impacts to desired operations that the off-the-shelf solution may have on system users. If new or custom software must be developed to meet these requirements, this shall be indicated in the proposal. All network, database, and operating system software shall be standard off-the-shelf products produced by well-established and reputable companies. All software shall be provided on removable media that could be used to reinstall the software if necessary. Installation and Training TARTA requires that the vendor provide a detailed explanation of the proposed Installation and Implementation plan. TARTA prefers a phased approach to implementation and product acceptance. Vendors shall also specify training periods to be conducted. Mobile Data Communications Requirements All mobile and sign data communications shall be via GPRS cellular service. TARTA shall acquire the data service that is part of a pooling plan. The vendor shall specify the service type and data requirements in Mbytes per vehicle per month. The vendor shall also specify the data requirements for bus stop signs in Mbytes per sign per month. Fixed-End Equipment. Vendor shall clearly specify the services that are provided to fully maintain the AVL fixed end equipment on TARTA s behalf. Page 19 of 57

20 Dispatcher Workstations The CAD/AVL system shall be installed on 10 TARTA supplied workstations and 4 mobile vehicle workstations (laptops) that can be used simultaneously. Vendor shall provide TARTA with workstation specification requirements. These workstations shall access common data so that they all display the latest information available. TARTA may also choose to operate the dispatch workstation software on additional PCs and laptops attached to the TARTA LAN. When providing prices for workstations, vendors shall include as a separate line item any additional license fees that will be incurred on a per workstation basis. Additional Capabilities Vendors should describe any additional capabilities provided by their proposed CAD/AVL system not otherwise defined above. Vehicle Equipment Vehicle Logic Unit (VLU) Requirements The Vehicle Logic Unit (VLU) shall control the in-vehicle components, and provide a user interface for the vehicle operators. The VLU may contain one unit that houses both the user interface devices (screen, keypad, etc) and the processor for controlling the in-vehicle components. The following sections describe the various functions expected to be performed by the VLU. GPS The vendor shall make an effort to integrate with existing equipment on board our buses, including a GPS receiver hrough the DR600. This unit is capable of sending GPS status and location in NEMA and Rockwell binary formats. If this is not possible, vendors are welcome to propose their own GPS antenna equipment to put on the vehicles. Please note there are ten buses that have no DR 600 equipment on board, so all vendors should propose equipment to put on board those vehicles. Log On/Log Off The VLU shall provide a means for the operator to log on to the vehicle. This log on shall include the driver s ID and the route/block or workpiece that the driver will be operating. This log on information shall be sent to the CAD/AVL system over the cellular based mobile data communications network. The VLU shall also provide a means for the operator to log off of the vehicle at the end of the operational period. Page 20 of 57

21 The vendor shall also provide the capability of text messaging. Only canned messages will be allowed from driver to dispatch. Dispatch must have the ability to not only send canned but free text messaging to one or all vehicles on the road. Dispatcher should be able to select which type of message to send and than upon message selection type, the operator should have the ability to check mark if a response is required, whether an acknowledgement is required or if a response is needed from the Operator. Once the dispatcher has sent the message, the message should be able to be monitored accordingly, documenting the time the message was sent, to which vehicle(s) and the time of operator acknowledgement. Automatic Vehicle Location This function shall report the bus locations based on time and event. The function shall use the GPS to determine the vehicle location, time, heading, and speed. It shall report the information over the mobile data communications network: at regularly scheduled intervals (programmable in seconds) at time-point arrival and departure as part of significant events such as emergency alarms (EA) If the Vendor uses technology other than GPS for determining location, the vendor shall describe why the technology used is as good as or better than GPS. Initiating AVL Reporting The system shall generate AVL location data when the ignition is turned on and the GPS receiver locks on to the vehicle s position. The system shall then periodically send a location message based on programmable intervals. Location Reporting The VLU shall generate a location message consisting of the current GPS status and last known vehicle location, time, heading, and speed. The current GPS status (3D, 2D GPS or Dead Reckoning) shall reflect the latest condition of the GPS receiver when the location report was generated. A Dead Reckoning status shall be used to identify that the GPS receiver was unable to acquire a 3D or 2D fix due to blockage of the satellite signals (vehicle is inside a garage or under an overpass, trees or parked next to a tall building) and is determining its location by Dead Reckoning. The Dead Reckoning shall be the result of using both, distance and direction changes. Page 21 of 57

22 Location Report Rates The VLU shall generate the location messages at programmable intervals. TARTA prefers to have the location report intervals be programmable as defined below. The vehicles shall initiate a location message once every x seconds, where x is a programmable whole number programmed at system setup. Location reports shall be sent at least every 30 seconds. If the vehicle is in an Emergency status, the reporting interval shall increase to the maximum reporting interval (a configurable interval usually twice the standard rate). Vendors shall describe in detail the location reports that are generated (including the data that is in the report) and the intervals at which the reports are generated. If the interval rates differ from that defined above, the vendor shall describe why the interval rates provided are as good as or better than defined here. Interfaces to Other Components Integration with existing equipment is mandatory for all responders, This product will act as a single point of log on for all major systems on our vehicles, including the GFI Centsabill farebox, the Luminator destination signs, and the Digital Recorders DR-600 products. Departure and Arrival Estimation Sign Requirements TARTA would like to install Departure / Arrival Estimation Signs at future selected bus stops. The signs will be used to display estimations to passengers when the next route will be departing/arriving. Vendor shall quote 2,4,6, and 8 line signs for TARTA s consideration. Vendor should also provide optional quotes for solar powered signs for remote bus stop installation. The number of signs installed will be determined as part of future negotiations. The rate at which the cellular signs are updated shall be user programmable in 1-minute increments. The signs shall be capable of displaying either the destination of the route, or the route name, as specified by TARTA. These signs shall also be capable of displaying the current time, and a text message entered by a dispatcher or system administrator on one line. The signs shall be in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and shall meet indoor and outdoor illumination requirements. The system shall operate in the harsh transit environment, including typical weather conditions on outdoor-deployed equipment. The display signs shall be watertight, vandal-proofed and sealed. The characters Page 22 of 57

23 shall be a minimum of 2" high, and each line of the sign shall be a minimum of 16 characters. Fixed-End GUI Interface for Shelter signs The AVL dispatcher workstations shall provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to monitor the signs. This user interface shall include a window to display the status of each sign, including what is currently being displayed on the sign. The user interface shall also provide a means for a dispatcher to create a text message to display on a sign or a group of signs. This message can be a pre-defined canned message or a free form text message. The sign controller software shall also provide a means for the user to specify when each sign should start displaying data. Vendors shall explain in their proposals how access to sign text and control shall be given to only authorized TARTA employees. Data Management The vendor shall describe how data updates, such as schedule changes or route changes will be managed for the AVL system. Vendor shall provide an annual data services agreement within this RFP response. System Assurance Software Licenses and Programs All software licenses shall reside with TARTA and shall be delivered at final acceptance. All original copies of programs provided shall also be delivered at final acceptance. Ongoing Technical Support After final acceptance of the system, the Vendor shall provide continuing technical support on an as-needed basis for a minimum of 1 year. Consultation with knowledgeable technical support personnel and trained field service personnel shall be readily available to assist TARTA in maintaining the system. This is for all equipment. Programming Hardware and Software The Vendor is responsible for procuring all specialized programming hardware and software needed for developing and testing the components being supplied. Documentation Complete documentation of the procured equipment shall be provided. Documentation will be prepared in accordance with the Vendor's documentation standard and this specification. Page 23 of 57

24 A document number will identify each document. Where a document is revised for any reason, each such revision will be indicated by a number, date, and subject in a revision block, along with an indication of official approval by the TARTA project manager. In addition to providing all documentation in hard copy form, documentation shall be provided in an electronic media with the exception of published manuals. Vendor shall specific the file format(s) of the electronic media. The Vendor shall provide TARTA with all documentation originally supplied with standard commercial equipment and software purchased from others. The Vendor shall describe the documentation included with the proposed components. Project Management All Vendors shall appoint a project manager who will be permanently assigned in this capacity for the entire duration of the project, unless TARTA requests otherwise. The project manager assigned to the project shall have the authority to make commitments and decisions that are binding on the Vendor. TARTA will designate a project manager to coordinate all CAD/AVL project activities. All communications between TARTA and the Vendor will be coordinated through the project managers. Project Schedule TARTA has a strong desire to have the CAD/AVL system installed and running by May, The Vendor shall include in the proposal a project schedule showing, in weeks after Notice to Proceed, the completion of the components of the project. The Vendor's Activities The project schedule will include all Vendor activities related to the CAD/AVL project, including the following, where applicable: Software design, coding, implementation, and integration Component integration Factory testing Shipment TARTA Activities The project schedule will include all TARTA activities required for the Vendor to complete the project, including the following: Route and Schedule Data submission Document review and approval Page 24 of 57