RFP-DV-2026-021 - Micro-Transit-Service

Department of
Finance
515 North Avenue
New Rochelle, NY
10801 (914) 654-2072
Adam F. Ross Ivonne Droese-Solomon
Deputy Commissioner Purchasing Specialist
City of New Rochelle
New York
Specification No.
RFP-DV-2026-021
Request for Proposal:
Micro-transit Service
1) INTENT/BACKGROUND
The City of New Rochelle invites qualified firms to submit proposals for the operation of a zero and
lowemission micro-transit service serving the downtown area. This service will be provided at no
cost to the public. While the City does not require a specific percentage of ADAcompliant vehicles,
proposals that include wheelchairaccessible vehicles are strongly encouraged and will be evaluated
favorably.
The City seeks to expand accessible mobility options for residents and visitors, ensuring convenient
travel throughout New Rochelle regardless of personal vehicle ownership. The City anticipates
awarding a fiveyear contract, with optional renewals contingent upon available funding, to the
proposer whose submission best aligns with the requirements of this RFP and advances the City's
goal of improving transportation accessibility.
2) PROPOSAL DUE DATE
Sealed proposals will be accepted up until 3:00 p.m. on July 1, 2026 in the Purchasing Office, City of
New Rochelle, City Hall, 515 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801 and mailed to the attention of
Ivonne Droese-Solomon, Purchasing. Please note Spec # "RFP-DV-2026-021" on your outside mail
package.
The City of New Rochelle is a sponsor of the Westchester Affirmative Action Equal Employment
Agreement and strongly encourages all firms qualified and certified as Women/Minority Business
Enterprises (W/MBE) to submit proposals.
3) PRE-PROPOSAL QUESTIONS
All questions must be submitted in writing via e-mail, no later than noon, May 29, 2026 to
aross@newrochelleny.gov and idroese@newrochelleny.gov. The City will post the answers to the
questions received on the City's website no later than 4:30 p.m., June 4, 2026.
The City reserves the right to amend the RFP based on questions and issues raised at any time prior to
the RFP submission deadline.
4) ADDENDUMS
A Respondent, prior to submitting its Response, shall check the City's website to see if any Addendum
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or Addenda has/have been issued for the RFP and, if so, the Respondent must establish in writing that
they have received any and all Addendum or Addenda issued for the RFP. See attached Exhibit D.
5) CONE OF SILENCE
Cone of Silence, means a prohibition on any communication regarding a particular Request for
Proposal ("RFP"), Request for Qualification ("RFQ") or Request for Bid ("RFB").
Pursuant to State Finance Law 139-j and 139-k, this solicitation includes and imposes certain
restrictions on communications between the City and a Bidder during the procurement process. A
Bidder is restricted from contacting, other than designated staff, from the earliest notice of intent
to solicit offers through final award and approval of the Procurement Contract by the Designated
Contracting Officer ("Restricted Period") unless it is a contact that is included among certain statutory
exceptions set forth in State Finance Law 139-j(3)(a). City employees are required to obtain certain
information when contacted during the Restricted Period. The designated staff contact is the Deputy
Finance Commissioner or his/her representative, telephone (914) 654-2072. Bidders responding to
this RFP must familiarize themselves with these State Finance Law requirements and will be
expected to affirm that they understand and agree to comply in their Proposal.
6) SCOPE OF WORK
The City aims to provide a nocost, zero or lowemission electric micro-transit service that offers
a convenient alternative to personal vehicle trips, supports individuals who need additional
mobility options, and contributes to reducing vehicle miles traveled, dependence on private
automobiles, and the City's overall carbon footprint.
Responses should demonstrate the respondent's ability to perform the following core functions
related to program operation:
1. Ability to provide on-demand micro-transit service to a defined service area, to be
approved by City Staff, within the City of New Rochelle, available to users via a smart
phone app, hail or both.
a. Service must be operational during weekday peak commuting hours and on
weekends (7 AM - 9 AM and 4 PM - 6 PM). Ideal hours of operation are at minimum
7AM to 7PM Monday through Thursday, 7AM to 10PM Fridays, 12PM to 10PM on
Saturdays, and 12PM to 7PM on Sundays. Hours of operation should be scalable based
on demand and coordination with the City.
b. Disclaimer: Service area subject to change at the request of the City of New Rochelle
as needed.
2. Demonstrated ability to procure and operate an appropriate number of vehicles to be
used within the service area when service is operating. Electric or hybrid vehicles are
preferred across all passenger vehicle models and sizes that may be proposed. Please
provide full details on the proposed vehicle type.
3. Demonstrated relevant experience operating a service similar in size is preferred.
4. Implementation plan which details steps for initiating micro-transit service, and
strategy for potential expansion.
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The vendor must supply an adequate number of vehicles at all times to ensure reliable service
within the designated zones. The vendor must also maintain sufficient backup vehicles to replace
any primary vehicles that become unavailable due to mechanical or operational issues. The total
number of required vehicles will be mutually determined and is subject to final approval by the
City.
A minimum number of vehicles must be in operation whenever the service is running, with this
minimum to be agreed upon by both parties to ensure that service standards are consistently met.
The City does not have a preference regarding vehicle size (e.g., sixpassenger vans versus larger
shuttles). Vendors are encouraged to propose vehicle types and capacities that best support their
service model.
The vendor must demonstrate access to adequate charging infrastructure and outline a charging
strategy capable of supporting the minimum service levels required under this RFP. The vendor will
be responsible for all costs associated with establishing charging stations, as needed, as well as
ongoing electricity expenses for vehicle charging.
As part of the implementation plan, the vendor shall identify proposed charging station locations
within the City of New Rochelle, subject to City review and approval. Vendors may utilize either
public or private facilities for vehicle parking and charging. Any use of Cityowned infrastructure
will require prior City approval.
The vendor is solely responsible for securing independent utility arrangements and for all costs
related to electricity usage and charging infrastructure.
The vendor may request that the City of New Rochelle evaluate potential opportunities to use
Cityowned property-including municipal parking facilities and existing or planned electricvehicle
charging infrastructure-to support service operations. Any such use of City facilities for vehicle
parking or charging will be subject to City approval, availability, and the execution of any required
agreements.
Nothing in this RFP obligates the City to provide parking or charging facilities. The vendor remains
fully responsible for securing sufficient parking and charging capacity to meet all operational
requirements, including any necessary infrastructure investments or improvements, which shall be
at the vendor's sole cost and expense unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the City. The vendor
must adhere to all applicable local building codes, comply with National Electrical Code (NEC)
requirements, and use equipment that meets relevant safety certifications, such as ULlisted
charging hardware.
The vendor may establish overnight parking locations for micro-transit vehicles, subject to approval
by the City.
During peak commuting periods-defined as 7:00-9:00 a.m. and 4:00-6:00 p.m.-the selected
vendor must deploy the maximum number of vehicles, as mutually determined with the City,
excluding backup vehicles. The vendor may reduce the number of vehicles in service during
nonpeak hours. The vendor must provide reports verifying vehicle deployment and operations,
along with supporting documentation. Billing will be adjusted as appropriate to reflect any vehicle
outages.
The vendor is responsible for hiring and training all drivers. Proposals must describe the vendor's
driver recruitment process, training policies, and vetting procedures. All driver qualifications,
RFP-DV-2026-021-3

training protocols, and backgroundcheck procedures will be subject to approval by the City and
the New Rochelle Police Department. Crowdsourced drivers are not permitted for this micro-
transit program. The vendor is fully responsible for ensuring that all drivers meet required
licensing, safety, and operational standards.
The vendor must purchase and maintain all vehicles, including completing New York State
registration, emissions inspections, and all required maintenance. The vendor must maintain
detailed maintenance records for each vehicle and submit these records to the City on a quarterly
basis. The City will not be responsible for any costs related to vehicle procurement, maintenance,
or damage. The vendor is also responsible for designing and funding vehicle wraps and marketing
materials. All branding and publicfacing materials must be developed in coordination with, and
approved by, the City.
While historical ridership data is available upon request, the City encourages innovative
approaches to fleet sizing and service design rather than reliance solely on past figures. Proposals
may incorporate advanced tracking technologies, such as GPSbased monitoring, to support
operational reporting requirements.
7) PROPOSAL FORMAT/REQUIREMENTS
Proposal shall include your completed Exhibit A, and a completed Vendor Responsibility Form as
provided.
Your proposal must include the following in the same order as herein:
a) Company name, address, telephone number, fax number and email of the firm, as well as
the primary contact individual.
b) Narrative about the history of the firm, including the date of inception, and experience with
relevant transit services provided in the United States.
c) State the size of the firm, the location of any main offices and the number and nature of the
professional staff to be employed in this engagement.
d) Organizational chart for this project and one-page resumes for key team members to be
assigned to this effort.
e) Identify any professional affiliations, licenses and other relevant qualifications.
f) Detail experience in providing transit services for locations similar in size to New Rochelle.
g) Identify the accessibility of the proposed designated lead staff member, and the response
time that individual offers to the City.
h) Narrative about the resources of the firm/individual, to include clerical and support staff,
research capabilities, and other relevant information.
i) Has the firm been in bankruptcy, reorganization or receivership in the last 5 years? If so,
please explain current status.
j) Has the firm/individual been disqualified or terminated from any public agency? If so, please
explain under what circumstances this disqualification or termination occurred.
k) The budget for completing all tasks and deliverables associated with this project should
include all costs associated with the operation of the micro-transit service, overhead, and
other expenses. Please include hourly rates for all employees likely to be assigned to this
project. Please itemize (in table format) all costs for tasks and/or deliverables outlined in the
RFP. Please identify any other direct project costs. Photocopies, faxing, postage, office
supplies, and all administrative tasks should be included in the overhead. Travel expenses,
including, but not limited to, airfare, lodging, transportation, mileage, tolls, and parking, will
not be reimbursed by the City. Meals, entertainment, and incidental expenses such as cell
RFP-DV-2026-021-4

phones are also non-reimbursable. Proposers shall also include a year-by-year billing
projection for the full term of the contract, including any optional renewal periods, clearly
identifying anticipated annual costs.
l) Acknowledgment that the proposed service area is subject to modification at the request of
the City of New Rochelle. Proposers shall describe their ability to adjust service boundaries,
vehicle deployment, and operational plans in response to such changes. Proposers are also
encouraged to present alternative service area configurations or scenarios; proposals that
demonstrate thoughtful consideration of multiple service area options will be viewed
favorably.
8) AWARD CRITERIA
The City's RFP Evaluation Committee will award the contract based on the qualifications of each
respondent, including but not limited to cost of service, references, demonstrated understanding of the
City's needs, and relevant experience. Firms may be invited to meet with the Evaluation Committee and
the City Council as part of the review process.
Proposals will be evaluated and scored according to the following criteria:
EVALUATION MAXIMUM
CRITERIA POINTS
PROPOSED FEE SCHEDULE 20 Points
Evaluators will assess the clarity, completeness, and competitiveness of the
vendor's proposed pricing structure, including all operating, maintenance, and
administrative costs. Proposals should present a transparent fee schedule that
aligns with the service model and demonstrates costeffectiveness over the full
contract term.
RESPONSIVENESS TO THE SCOPE OF SERVICES REQUESTED 20 Points
Evaluators will assess how thoroughly and accurately the proposal addresses the
full scope of services outlined in the RFP. Proposals should clearly demonstrate
an understanding of the City's objectives, operational requirements, and
performance expectations, and present a service model that aligns with those
needs.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 30 Points
Evaluators will review the clarity, feasibility, and thoroughness of the proposed
implementation plan, including timelines, staffing, vehicle deployment, charging
strategy, and operational readiness. Proposals should demonstrate a realistic and
wellstructured approach to launching the service and meeting all requirements
outlined in the RFP.
EXPERIENCE OPERATING HYBRID, ELECTRIC, ZERO-EMISSION MICRO-TRANSIT 30 Points
SERVICE
Evaluators will consider the vendor's demonstrated experience operating hybrid,
electric, or zeroemission micro-transit or comparable fleet services. Proposals
should highlight past performance, and operational successes, with an emphasis
on safety, reliability, and effective fleet management in low or zeroemission
environments.
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Firms may be asked to meet with the Evaluation Committee and the City Council.
The City reserves the right to waive any minor deviation in proposal responses received when such
waiver is in the best interests of the City, and reserves the right to modify any requirements, terms or
conditions as outlined in this request for proposal (RFP) when such modification(s) is in the best
interests of the City.
Proposals will only be accepted from thoroughly competent and experienced individuals or entities as
determined solely by the City of New Rochelle. Respondents are responsible for submission of
accurate, adequate and clear descriptions of the information requested. Omissions, vagueness or
inaccurate descriptions or responses shall not be interpreted in favor of the bidder and shall be
grounds for bid rejection.
This document is not an offer to contract but is an RFP as defined herein, to satisfy specific user
requirements of the City of New Rochelle. Neither the issuance of the RFP, preparation and submission
of a response, nor the subsequent receipt and evaluation of any response by the City of New Rochelle,
will commit the City to award a contract to any vendor even if all the user requirements in the RFP are
met. Only the execution of a written contract will obligate the City in accordance with the terms and
conditions contained in such contract.
9) RIGHT TO REJECT PROPOSALS
This Request for Proposal (RFP) does not commit the City to award a contract, pay any cost incurred
in the preparation of a proposal in response to this RFP or to procure or contract for services. The
City intends to award a contract(s) on the basis of the best interest and advantage to the City and
reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this RFP, to negotiate
with any or all qualified proposers or to cancel this RFP in part or in its entirety, if it is in the best
interest of the City to do so.
10) QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
The following list is the minimum qualification requirements:
* A firm with at least three (3) years of experience with providing free, zero-emission micro-
transit services in a similar sized municipality or larger.
* At least three (3) references from clients currently/previously served for which similar
services have been provided. At least one of the references must be from a New York
State city/county/state project. All reference should be for projects completed within the
last three years. Please include:
Client organization's name.
Client organization's address.
Contact individual, title, project role, phone number and email address.
Project start and end dates.
Brief description of services provided.
Links/and or electronic files of any publicly-available deliverables or reports.
Dollar value of work.
11) TERMS OF CONTRACT
The selected vendor will be required to execute an operating agreement with the City. The City intends to
award a fiveyear contract, with the option to extend for additional oneyear terms or longer as mutually
agreed upon. Potential future service expansions beyond the initial downtown service zone may be
addressed through subsequent contract amendments and do not need to be fully defined in the initial RFP
response.
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12) PROPRIETY INFORMATION
The New York State Freedom of Information Law, Public Officers Law, Article 6, provides for public
access to information. Public Officers Law, Section 87(d)(2) provides for exceptions to disclosure for
records or portions thereof that are "trade secrets or are submitted to an agency by a commercial
enterprise or derived from information obtained from a commercial enterprise and which if disclosed
would cause substantial injury to the competitive position of the subject enterprise." Information
that the proposer wishes to have treated as proprietary and confidential trade information should be
identified and labeled "Confidential" or "Proprietary" on each page at the time of submittal. This
information should include a written request to except it from disclosure, including a written
statement of the reasons why the information should be excepted.
13) CANCELLATION CLAUSES
Any violation of the terms, conditions, requirements and/or non-performance of the agreement resulting
from this RFP shall result in immediate cancellation. The agreement may be cancelled by the City for any
other reason(s) upon sixty (60) days written notice.
14) ASSIGNMENT
The awarded vendor shall not assign the contract or any part thereof without the written approval
from the City.
15) LIABILITY REQUIREMENTS
The successful bidder shall supply and maintain insurance which defends, indemnifies and holds
harmless the City of New Rochelle, its officers, employees and agents from and against any and all
liability, damage claims, demands, costs, judgments, fees, attorney's fees or loss arising directly out
of acts or omissions hereunder by the contractor or third party under the direction or control of the
contractor. The successful bidder must furnish the City with Certificate of Insurance and Endorsement
prior to commencement of work. The required coverage shall not be less than the following:
Workers Compensation (Form C105.2) Statutory Requirements
NY State Disability (Form DB120.1) Statutory Requirements
General Liability (Acord-25) $2,000,000
Excess Umbrella (Acord-25) $5,000,000
Automobile Liability (Acord-25) $5,000,000 Owned, Scheduled, Hired, Non-Owned
Endorsement Page CG-2010 Lists the City of New Rochelle as additionally insured on a
primary and non-contributory basis. 30-days' notice of cancellation endorsement.
"Contractual Liability" Must be printed on Certificate
Errors & Omissions $1,000,000
The certificate holder should be listed as:
City of New Rochelle
515 North Avenue
New Rochelle, NY 10801
Description box on COI (Acord-25):
City of New Rochelle is included as an additional insured on a primary and non-contributory basis.
30-days' notice of cancellation endorsement.
INSURANCE CERTIFICATES SHALL NAME THE CITY OF NEW ROCHELLE, AS ADDITIONAL INSURED
PARTY AND SHALL STATE THAT ALL COVERAGE SHALL BE PRIMARY TO ANY OTHER INSURANCE
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COVERAGE HELD BY THE CITY.
"The City of New Rochelle is named as an additional insured party for all general and excess liability
coverage based on the contractual liability of the named insured. Such general and excess liability
coverage shall be primary to any other coverage carried by the City of New Rochelle with respects
to acts or omissions of the named insured."
It is intended by the parties hereto that the general and excess liability insurance provided by the
contractor shall be primary to any other coverage carried by the City of New Rochelle with respect to
liability coverage arising out of any act or omissions by the contractor. The City of New Rochelle will
be named as an additional insured. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as making said
general and excess liability insurance primary insurance for acts or omissions of the City of New
Rochelle.
16) GENERAL
a) Vendor shall execute Non-Collusive Bidding Certificate enclosed (Exhibit A).
b) Vendor shall complete Vendor Responsibility Form and Questionnaire enclosed (Exhibit B).
c) Vendor shall complete enclosed Exhibit C.
d) Vendor shall complete enclosed Exhibit D.
e) Vendor shall complete enclosed Exhibit E.
f) The proposal, as presented, shall remain valid for a period of ninety (90) days from proposal due
date.
g) No charge will be allowed for federal, state, municipal sales, and excise taxes from which the City
is exempt. Exemption certificates, if required, will be forwarded.
h) Any deviations from the specifications are to be so noted and fully explained. Deviations will be
analyzed, and if deemed to be in the best interests of the City, specification requirements may
be waived.
i) It shall be the responsibility of each vendor to call to the attention of the City any apparent
discrepancy in the specifications or any question of interpretation thereof. Failure to do so
constitutes acceptance as written.
j) The City reserves the right to "revise" or "amend" the proposal specifications prior to the proposal
due date by "written addenda".
k) In addition, all City contractors not incorporated in the State of New York shall produce a
Certificate to Do Business in the State of New York from the New York Secretary of State prior
to executing their contract with the City.
17) NEW YORK LAW AND VENUE
The contract/agreement resulting from this RFP shall be construed under the laws of the State of New
York. All claims, actions, proceedings, and lawsuits brought in connection with, arising out of, related
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to, or seeking enforcement of this contract/agreement shall be brought in the Supreme Court of the
State of New York, Westchester County.
18) IRAN DIVESTMENT ACT
By submission of this bid, each bidder and each person signing on behalf of any bidder certifies, and
in the case of a joint bid, each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of
perjury, that to the best of its knowledge and belief that each bidder is not on the list created pursuant
to paragraph (b) of subdivision 3 of section 165-a of the state finance law.
19) PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Proposals should be placed in a sealed envelope with the Spec No. RFP-DV-2026-021 and the
name of the firm clearly labeled on the envelope. Sealed bids should be delivered to the
Department of Finance, Office of Purchasing.
Please provide two (2) hard copies and one digital version (USB Flash Drive) of your proposal.
The proposal should address each item as listed in each section and numbered/labeled identical
to this RFP.
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RFP-DV-2026-021
EXHIBIT A
NON-COLLUSIVE BIDDING
CERTIFICATE
All terms, conditions and requirements as set forth in this Request for Proposal are acceptable as specified
therein. Yes _____ No _____
If "NO", please provide a detailed description and/or explanation of any deviation in your proposal from the
specification detailed in the Request for Proposal with your proposal response.
By submission of this proposal, each bidder, and each person signing on behalf of any bidder, and in the case of a
joint bid, each party thereto as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, certifies that to the best of its
knowledge and belief:
A. the prices in this proposal have been arrived at independently without collusion, consultation, communication
or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other
bidder or any competitor; and
B. unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this proposal have not been knowingly
disclosed by the bidder prior to the opening, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder or to any competitor; and
C. no attempt has been made or will be made by the bidder to induce any other person, partnership or corporation
to submit or not to submit a bid for the purpose of restricting competition.
The bidder certifies that this proposal is made without any connection with any other person making a proposal
for the same purpose, and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud, and that no elected official or other
officer or employee or person whose salary is payable in whole or in part from the City of New Rochelle treasury
is directly or indirectly interested therein, or in any portion of the profits thereof.
As an authorized representative of the identified company, I accept all the terms and conditions identified in
Request for Proposal RFP-DV-2026-021 except as identified.
Company Name and Address
Signature Date
Name & Title Phone Number
Email Address Fax Number
RFP-DV-2026-021-10