Specifications include, but are not limited to: a. Comprehensive Routing Analysis: One study (data simulation) that establishes an optimal combination of runs (trips) so as to minimize the number of vehicles (routes) required. Employing the most representative data set at the time of simulation, the firm/consultant shall try various forms of clustering of routes so as to determine geographic zone (corridor) configurations and the most efficient bell times. Based on the vehicle usage determined by the combination of trips, the optimal unit of payment to the transportation vendor shall be established. This shall become the framework for preparing the content portion (definitions, etc.) of the Transportation Bid or RFP, and become the “Bid Addendum” to the Bid Specifications. Bid Addendum: Preliminary computerized routing analysis through linear programming algorisms. Routing shall be broken into “route corridors” so that each transporter can be more readily controlled; the “route corridors” may be broken into tiers so that lower prices can be bid because the transporter does not have to presume every trip is from the furthest point in the “route corridor.” Bidders/proposers shall be provided with information that includes a visualization of the “route corridors and tiers, historical student count and towns of origin, and an estimate of the number and type of vehicles that will be required. It is intended that this will allow the transporters to more accurately determine potential costs, and in turn, reduce their need to inflate prices (i.e. cost safety factor). A technical framework shall be designed that sets the stage so as to allow professional vehicle routers to minimize the number of vehicles required, which is expected to improve the opportunity for controlling and/or reducing costs. This service shall include customizing the software screen to portray the customized “route corridors.” b. General Bid Specifications: i. Draft bid specification language every three (3) or four (4) years that includes updates and modification of New York State Dept. of Health, New York State Dept. of Social Services, Dept. of Motor Vehicles, and Dept. of Transportation regulations, and transportation parameter definitions; review bid specifications with County departments. c. Interim Bid Specifications: It is presumed that the Bid Specification Service will be provided only once during a three- to five-year period. If this service is selected, in the event the County desires to bid more than once during this period, or to re-bid a portion of the transportation vendor services at any time, the firm/consultant shall update the bid specification document it initially drafted, or prepare supplemental bid documents. In consultation with the County a specific zone or zones might be rebid in the event the opening or closing of several center based programs would allow for the combining of a single transporter’s routes so as to reduce the number of vehicles required. Interim bids might be requested when a new center based program opens at a location more than a “reasonable” distance from any other center based program, and therefore, the routes to such new center based program cannot be included under an existing contract with any transporter.
