UDOT RFP- Intercity Bus Service (two routes)

The Utah Department of Transportation, Rural Public Transit Team, announces the availability of assistance funding for feeder route intercity bus services. [...] Through this analysis, UDOT has identified two intercity bus routes as the priority for service implementation at this time. These routes include:

• U.S. Routes 191 & 6 corridor beginning/terminating in Blanding, continuing to Green River via Monticello and Moab, with connections to Provo and beginning/terminating at the Salt Lake City intermodal Center
• U.S. Route 40 corridor beginning/terminating in Vernal, continuing to Heber City via Roosevelt and Myton, with connections beginning/terminating at the Salt Lake City intermodal Center

UDOT seeks proposals for the Blanding and Vernal corridors. Offerors may propose on either corridor individually or both corridors combined. UDOT reserves the right to evaluate and award corridors separately to different vendors, or jointly to a single vendor if determined to be in the best interest of the State.

The purpose of this RFP is to select a vendor(s) to operate the above mentioned routes. Federal funding has been allocated by UDOT to subsidize both routes through payment of the net operating expenses (gross operating expenses – minus revenue).

UDOT is seeking turnkey intercity bus services, in which the Offeror will provide the following:

• All vehicles and equipment
• Sufficient staffing to provide daily operation of the services
• Regularly scheduled, year-round service on the proposed intercity route(s)
• Obtain all required permits and authority (as necessary)
• Required insurance
• Conduct appropriate maintenance and retain records
• Enter into agreements with other carriers as required to support the use of interline ticketing and connections to the national intercity bus system.
• Obtain access to private or public intermodal terminals of connecting services
• Obtain access to and enter into agreements with private property owners when necessary
• Obtain access to and enter into agreements with local jurisdictions when necessary

A minimum of one round-trip per day, seven days-a-week is required. Service must be year-round and include service on holidays.

All vehicles used to provide services for the proposed routes must be fully Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. Offerors must have sponsored membership in the National Bus Traffic Association (NBTA) revenue clearinghouse to enable single-ticket, multi-carrier sales across the national network.

On-Time Performance (OTP): Minimum 90% monthly target (defined as arrival/departure within 15 minutes of published schedule).

Offerors are responsible for proposing a competitive, distance-based fare structure along the corridor. Offerors must include a complete sample fare table (origin-destination matrix) with their proposal submittal.

Reimbursement will be based on the bid cost-per-mile rate for actual miles operated, minus actual monthly farebox revenues collected by the operator.

**Mandatory** pre-proposal conference: Monday November 9, 2026.

Offerors are required to complete all six parts and attach all mandatory documentation listed. Failure to do so will result in the proposal being rejected.

Offer the technical proposal sections: Offerors Information and Key Personnel; Experience/Past Performance (This section will be evaluated and rated at twice the weight of the other sections); Financial Status and Insurance; Management Plan (This section will be evaluated and rated at twice the weight of the other sections); Maintenance, Safety and Emergency Response; Description of Proposed Service.

Offerors must also submit a completed financial matrix on *Appendix B* (Proposed Budget and Cost Per Mile) for each proposed route. Contracts will be awarded based on the offeror's bid rate per mile.

The selected Offeror will have to provide liability insurance at the levels required by FMCSA for interstate trips: $5 million for vehicles with passenger capacities equal to or exceeding 16 passengers, and $1.5 million for vehicles with passenger capacities between nine and 15 passengers.

UDOT recognizes that passenger ridership requires time to develop over the 2-year contract term. UDOT may conduct a site visit to review such records.