Request for Proposal: Loudoun County Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour

Request for PROPOSAL: Loudoun County Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour

Tour Transportation

BACKGROUND: Loudoun County, in partnership with Visit Loudoun, is promoting a transportation pilot to take visitors from Metro and transportation hubs to towns and commerce centers for guided experiences within the county. According to a recent study commissioned by Visit Loudoun as a part of their strategic planning process, 31% of visitors cited transportation challenges as a barrier to visiting Loudoun. Examples shared identified inconsistent rideshare, lack of public transportation as well as a lack of direct cross-county options as the most common challenges. When coupled with an additional 20% stating that the distance between attractions constituted a barrier, a large contingent of visitors have expressed concerns of getting from areas of public transportation (i.e., Metro) to attractions.

The first phase of the transportation pilot occurred the weekend of October 21st and 22nd as part of the 30th anniversary of Loudoun’s Fall Farm Tour. Two 28-passenger buses ran a dedicated route along Route 9 and Harpers Ferry Road in Western Loudoun, making 5 stops along the way. More than 60 people utilized the service to experience “life on the farm” without the hassles of navigating traffic. For those who took the bus service in Hillsboro:

• 100% of respondents said that given their experience they were very likely or likely to use a similar service in the future if offered.
• 60% of respondents said they’d be interested in a shuttle that included Ashburn Metro station.
• Almost 70% of respondents said the primary motivation for using the service was the convenience of using alternative transportation.
• Survey respondents also added:
  • “Our toddler had a lot of fun and so did we. Staff is nice and friendly. Please do it again! Thank you very much :)”
  • “Amazing service and very helpful staff. So proud that the county is doing this.”
  • “Tour guide we had was so nice and knowledgeable about the places we were visiting. It was a fun time and very convenient!”

PHASE 2: Given the success of Phase 1, the next phase is offering two additional weekends of shuttle services to coincide with significant events and offer a hub and spoke model for moving visitors across Western Loudoun. Transportation will include routes to and from the Ashburn Metro station, an increased number of buses, and a more curated experience both on the buses and at individual stops. This RFP is seeking support for the final weekend of phase two on May 18^th and 19^th 2024.

Locations chosen as hubs will be pick-up and drop-off spots with adequate parking and in centralized locations like the Towns or County facilities. Smaller buses or vans will then provide dedicated routes to pre-determined businesses or secondary event sites. The program will again emphasize the customer experience with bus giveaways and encourage riders to take a survey that will gather data on the riders and the success of the program. Hubs and spokes will be chosen from a combination of steps, but with the final decision being made based on the safety and efficiency of the overall program and its participants.

DATES FOR THIS RFP:

1. MAY 18 and 19: Spring Farm Tour

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: Loudoun Economic Development (DED) is seeking proposals to provide transportation to small groups of visitors during a dedicated weekend, with times and locations predetermined.

Project Date: May 1, 2024-May 19, 2024

Actual Event Dates: May 18-19, 2024

Tour Timing: All transportation is planned for 8:30am-6:30pm with tours leaving from hubs at 9am and leaving final destinations by 5pm. The time before and after the stated times is to ensure all passengers can be returned to their original starting point.

In order to support the Spring Farm Tour, DED is seeking transportation options to provide vehicles sufficient to transport small groups (up to 15 people) through dedicated routes. Passengers will be dropped off by Loudoun County 28-passenger buses or waiting at designated locations in up to four locations known as a “hub.” From the hub vehicles covered under this project will be stationed for tours. Each vehicle will have a dedicated tour route that upon completion will return to its assigned hub to take another group etc. with as many runs as the designated tour time will allow. Each vehicle will have a dedicated tour guide and must be able to accommodate/allow passengers to bring purchased items, and non-alcoholic beverages and food items onto the vehicles. Vehicles must be able to communicate with and/or through the dedicated tour guide to the project team as well as the County Transit buses to ensure smooth operations and to accommodate any traffic or event updates throughout the weekend. DED estimates the need for 6-10 vehicles.

Budget: This project is made possible by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)[i] funds and must be in compliance with all rules therein as well as all procurement rules of Loudoun County. Please provide a breakdown of the costs of providing the above services that includes, but is not limited to, your hourly rate, mileage rate, fuel costs, fees, other services or expenses. Please provide these costs as individual line items as the final tour route and number of stops have not been determined.[1]

Other: Please include in all responses any terms, conditions, or standard contracts/agreements that are required for your services. Loudoun County reserves the right to reissue, award zero, one or multiple awards under this project, cancel or alter the project based upon the responses provided but before final approval with the chosen vendor(s).

Submission: Email proposals to [email protected] no later than COB, Monday April 22, 2024. Questions may be emailed to [email protected] through NOON Friday, April 19, 2024. Please respond to this email detailing your plan for meeting the transportation needs listed above, total number of available vehicles including photos of the vehicles that would be used, information regarding the team who would support the project, any other support services you would recommend, and a detailed budget with the items listed above. If you are interested Iin this project, your response must also include a current, signed W9 so that your company can be processed as an approved vendor of Loudoun County. This project must be paid using a purchase order issued through Loudoun County. Please be aware that Loudoun County’s standard Purchase Order Terms are net 30 payment and any requests for variation must be included in your proposal but are not guaranteed.

[1] For planning purposes, the tour will include 2-4 “hubs” located in towns in Western Loudoun and 1-2 “spokes” or tour routes from each town each with 3-4 individual stops before looping back to the hub. All potential stops are listed within the Loudoun Farm Tour map and can be reviewed for planning purposes at https://loudounfarms.org/farmtour/.

[i] The chosen vendor will be receiving payment from the County of Loudoun of revenues from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program (SLFRF) established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) pursuant to sections 602 and 603 of the Social Security Act, as added by Section 9901, Public Law 117-2, codified at 42 U.S.C. 802 et. Seq. (March 11, 2021).

The third party’s use of funds received as direct payment from the County pursuant to sections 602(c)(1) and 603(c)(1) of the Social Security Act will be used only to cover those costs that:

• Respond to its negative economic impacts, and;
• Have been approved by County Staff.

Funds received as a direct payment from the County pursuant to this agreement must adhere to official federal guidance issued or to be issued regarding what constitutes a necessary expenditure.

As a condition of receiving the SLFRF funds pursuant to this contract/certification, the chosen vendor shall retain documentation of all uses of the funds, including but not limited to payroll records, invoices, and/or sales receipts and must report on all uses of funds, and must maintain proper accounting records.