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The National Academies

TCRP B-52 [RFP]

Intercity Bus: The State Role Updated

Posted Date: 2/26/2024

  Project Data
Funds: $450,000
Contract Time: 24 months
(includes 3 weeks for TCRP review and approval of the interim report and 6 weeks for TCRP review and for contractor revision of the final report)
Authorization to Begin Work: 10/15/2024 -- estimated
Staff Responsibility: Mariela Garcia-Colberg
   Email: mgarciacolberg@nas.edu
RFP Close Date: 4/12/2024
Fiscal Year: 2023

BACKGROUND

Requests to the states by intercity bus carriers for financial aid during the COVID-19 pandemic have raised questions about the role of the intercity bus service. States are obliged to follow the requirements of the Section 5311(f) program concerning the 15% set-aside requirement, including the need for a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) compliant consultation process. 

Many key reference documents regarding the state role and intercity bus service, including TCRP Report 79: Effective Approaches to Meeting Rural Intercity Bus Transportation Needs (2002), were completed decades ago and need to be updated. Since publication of these documents, additional models for intercity bus programs have been developed, such as using the value of connecting unsubsidized intercity bus service as the in-kind required match.

Some states are expanding their roles with branding and marketing for state-funded or state-operated services and developing models that contract services and provide grants to rural operators for feeder routes. Other major developments include the restructuring of intercity bus routes in 2005-06; the growth of curbside bus transportation; the loss of privately owned terminal locations; and the major impact on ridership and revenue resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The intercity bus network is increasingly fragmented and is being reinvented. There is a need to update strategies and determine best practices on the state’s role in administering the FTA intercity bus program mandated by 49 U.S.C. § 5311(f). State program managers and interested stakeholders need to fully understand the options available to them and have tangible examples of successful scenarios and best practices.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to update TCRP Report 79 and provide strategies and tools necessary to plan, fund, build, deploy, operate, and expand sustainable intercity bus services and facilities. 

RESEARCH PLAN

The TCRP is seeking proposals on how best to achieve the research objective. Proposers are expected to present a research plan that can realistically be accomplished within the constraints of available funds and contract time. Proposals must present the proposers' current thinking in sufficient detail to demonstrate their understanding of the issues and the soundness of their approach to meeting the research objective.

This research project should include a review of the FTA program requirements, a comprehensive survey of the states regarding their intercity programs with an inventory of the program attributes and the services funded, an analysis of their responses, and the development of recommendations. Proposers shall identify ways to present the information and consider including, but not limiting themselves to, the following. 

  • Intercity bus industry 
    • Brief history of intercity bus service
      • Regulation and deregulation
      • Major intercity bus lines downsizing
      • Pooling, fragmentation, brokering, and ticketing platforms
    • Current role of intercity bus service
      • Description of intercity bus service
      • National intercity bus network and its place within the larger transportation system
      • Intercity bus service connecting cities and connecting rural communities
      • Types of services
      • Passengers' limitations (e.g., affordability, disability, inability to fly, lack of driver license, or private vehicle access)
      • People’s ability to access service/discrimination in the siting of bus stops
      • Safety, security, and social services issues affecting passenger’s experience
    • Government regulation: federal (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [FMCSA]/ Surface Transportation Board [STB]), state, and local 
      • Economic regulation
      • Safety regulation (including Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations [FMCSRs])
      • The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) regulation (U.S. Department of Transportation [DOT]/ U.S. Department of Justice [DOJ])
    • Funding programs (federal, state, local, and private)
      • FTA intercity bus program requirements and options (registration, certification, consultation, in kind-match, etc.) 
      • Other DOT eligible programs
  • Planning
    • Identifying existing services
    • Identifying state needs
      • State transportation plans, including intercity bus plans
      • Inclusion of intercity bus needs in statewide and metropolitan planning organizations planning documents
      • Passenger data (e.g., demographics, geographic, trip purpose)
    • Service planning
      • Designing routes to be productive (well-used or profitable) vs. designing routes to provide geographic coverage
      • Alternative service designs (e.g., on-call service)
      • Multiple carrier service: interlining (through ticketing) and equipment interchanging (through bus service)
      • Service coordination and connectivity
      • Addressing rural transportation needs
      • Meeting mobility needs through technological advancements and integration of new services
    • Intermodality concerns
      • Intercity bus access to intermodal transportation centers and other hubs, including FTA requirement for reasonable access to intercity buses
      • Intercity bus access to rail stations, airports, ferry, and other vessel terminals
      • Relocation of city-center bus terminals, or their complete closure, and mitigation strategies
    • Tension between public and carriers’ interests
      • Assessing the profitability of the service
      • Equitable access to hospitals, universities, essential services and public amenities
      • Building equitable mobility inclusive of intercity bus services
      • Safety, security, and comfort in accessing bus services
    • Strategies and recommendations to improve and support intercity bus services, including associated feeder services (improved service coordination and connectivity, real-time traveler information, etc.)
  • Operational issues
    • Barriers and challenges to using, providing, and improving intercity bus transportation
    • Challenges in funding and serving rural connectivity across state lines
    • “Meaningful connections” at transfer points 
    • Branding of services and marketing
      • Federal, state, and local regulations mandating carrier identification
    • Safety and security
    • Accessibility and equal access components
      • Accessibility requirements, including small mixed-service operators
      • Identification of underserved populations and geographies
  • State of the practice
    • Examples of states administering intercity bus programs successfully 
    • Types of performance metrics used, including their purposes
    • Coordination of federal, state, and local mobility investments
  • Program management and oversight
    • Traditional models
    • Alternative models 

Proposers should present a project approach and deliverables that would support the development of strategic action plans that can be used by state DOTs, MPOs, and other stakeholders to successfully implement, operate, and expand intercity bus service. 

The research plan shall be divided into tasks that present, in detail, the work proposed in each task. The research plan shall describe appropriate deliverables that include, but are not limited to, the following (which also represent key project milestones):

  • An interim report (i.e., a technical memoranda or report) and panel teleconference, which occurs after the expenditure of no more than 40 percent of the project budget,
  • Draft report,
  • Final report, and
  • Technical memorandum, titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” (see Special Note K).

The research plan may include additional deliverables and panel meetings via teleconference. The research plan shall have a schedule for the project that includes 3 weeks for panel review of the interim report, 3 weeks for panel review of the draft final report, and 3 weeks for contractor revision of the draft final report.  

SPECIAL NOTES

A. Proposals should demonstrate knowledge relevant to this project and experience dealing with intercity bus service. 

B. The Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs were revised in May 2023. Please take note of the new and revised text which is highlighted in yellow.

C. Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF file with a maximum file size of 10 MB. The PDF must be formatted for standard 8 ½” X 11” paper, and the entire proposal must not exceed 60 pages (according to the page count displayed in the PDF). Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. For other requirements, refer to chapter V of the instructions.

D. The Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs have been modified to include a revised policy and instructions for disclosing Investigator Conflict of Interest. For more information, refer to chapter IV of the instructions. A detailed definition and examples can be found in the CRP Conflict of Interest Policy for Contractors. The proposer recommended by the project panel will be required to submit an Investigator Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Form as a prerequisite for contract negotiations.

E. Proposals will be rejected if any of the proposed research team members work for organizations represented on the project panel. The panel roster for this project can be found here . Proposers may not contact panel members directly; this roster is provided solely for the purpose of avoiding potential conflicts of interest.

F. Proprietary Products - If any proprietary products are to be used or tested in the project, please refer to Item 6 in the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals.

G. Proposals are evaluated by the TCRP staff and project panels consisting of individuals collectively knowledgeable in the problem area. The project panel will recommend their first choice proposal considering the following factors: (1) the proposer's demonstrated understanding of the problem; (2) the merit of the proposed research approach and experiment design; (3) the experience, qualifications, and objectivity of the research team in the same or closely related problem area; (4) the plan for ensuring application of results; (5) how the proposer approaches inclusion and diversity in the composition of their team and research approach, including participation by certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises; and, if relevant, (6) the adequacy of the facilities. A recommendation by the project panel is not a guarantee of a contract. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS - the contracting authority for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine) will conduct an internal due diligence review and risk assessment of the panel’s recommended proposal before contract negotiations continue.

Note: The proposer's approach to inclusion and diversity as well as participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises should be incorporated in Item 11 of the proposal.

H. Copyrights - All data, written materials, computer software, graphic and photographic images, and other information prepared under the contract and the copyrights therein shall be owned by the National Academy of Sciences. The contractor and subcontractors will be able to publish this material for non-commercial purposes, for internal use, or to further academic research or studies with permission from TRB Cooperative Research Programs. The contractor and subcontractors will not be allowed to sell the project material without prior approval by the National Academy of Sciences. By signing a contract with the National Academy of Sciences, contractors accept legal responsibility for any copyright infringement that may exist in work done for TRB. Contractors are therefore responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions for use of copyrighted material in TRB's Cooperative Research Programs publications. For guidance on TRB's policies on using copyrighted material please consult Section 5.4, "Use of Copyrighted Material," in the Procedural Manual for Contractors.

I. The text of the final deliverable is expected to be publication ready when it is submitted. It is strongly recommended that the research team include the expertise of a technical editor as early in the project timeline as possible. See Appendix F of the Procedural Manual for Contractors Conducting Research in the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Program for technical editing standards expected in final deliverables.

J. Proposals should include a task-by-task breakdown of labor hours for each staff member as shown in Figure 4 in the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals. Proposals also should include a breakdown of all costs (e.g., wages, indirect costs, travel, materials, and total) for each task using Figures 5 and 6 in the brochure. Please note that TRB Cooperative Research Program subawards (selected proposers are considered subawards to the National Academy of Sciences, the parent organization of TRB) must comply with 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. These requirements include a provision that proposers without a "federally" Negotiated Indirect Costs Rate Agreement (NICRA) shall be subject to a maximum allowable indirect rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs. Modified Total Direct Costs include all salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each lower tier subaward and subcontract. Modified Total Direct Costs exclude equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each lower tier subaward and subcontract in excess of $25,000.

K. The required technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” should (a) provide recommendations on how to best put the research findings/products into practice; (b) identify possible institutions that might take leadership in applying the research findings/products; (c) identify issues affecting potential implementation of the findings/products and recommend possible actions to address these issues; and (d) recommend methods of identifying and measuring the impacts associated with implementation of the findings/products. Implementation of these recommendations is not part of the research project and, if warranted, details of these actions will be developed and implemented in future efforts.

L. If the team proposes a Principal Investigator who is not an employee of the Prime Contractor, or if the Prime Contractor is proposed to conduct less than 50% of the total effort (by time or budget), then section five of the proposal should include: (1) a justification of why this approach is appropriate, and (2) a description of how the Prime Contractor will ensure adequate communication and coordination with their Subcontractors throughout the project.

M. All budget information should be suitable for printing on 8½″ x 11″ paper. If a budget page cannot fit on a single 8½″ x 11″ page, it should be split over multiple pages. Proposers must use the Excel templates provided in the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs


Proposals must be uploaded via this link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/pF5zG9touwUce7OEAljw 
Proposals are due not later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on 4/12/2024.

This is a firm deadline, and extensions are not granted. In order to be considered for award, the agency's proposal accompanied by the executed, unmodified Liability Statement must be in our offices not later than the deadline shown, or the proposal will be rejected.

Liability Statement

The signature of an authorized representative of the proposing agency is required on the unaltered statement in order for TRB to accept the agency's proposal for consideration. Proposals submitted without this executed and unaltered statement by the proposal deadline will be summarily rejected. An executed, unaltered statement indicates the agency's intent and ability to execute a contract that includes the provisions in the statement.

Here is a fillable PDF version of the Liability Statement. A free copy of the Adobe Acrobat PDF reader is available at https://www.adobe.com.


General Notes

1. According to the provisions of Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 21, which relates to nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs, all parties are hereby notified that the contract entered into pursuant to this announcement will be awarded without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability.

2. The essential features required in a proposal for research are detailed in the current brochure entitled "Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals". Proposals must be prepared according to this document, and attention is directed specifically to Section V for mandatory requirements. Proposals that do not conform with these requirements will be rejected.

3. The total funds available are made known in the project statement, and line items of the budget are examined to determine the reasonableness of the allocation of funds to the various tasks. If the proposed total cost exceeds the funds available, the proposal is rejected.

4. All proposals become the property of the Transportation Research Board. Final disposition will be made according to the policies thereof, including the right to reject all proposals.

5. Potential proposers should understand that follow-on activities for this project may be carried out through either a contract amendment modifying the scope of work with additional time and funds, or through a new contract (via sole source, full, or restrictive competition).


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