Bus Transportation Services for DHSP

The City of Cambridge would like to invite you to submit a bid for Bus Transportation Services for DHSP. If submitting electronically, Bids are to be submitted through the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cambridgema. Bids are to be submitted no later than 11:00 am on Thursday, April 9, 2026.

Project Details

• Reference ID: COC-IFB-FY26-30841
• Department: Department of Human Services (DHSP)
• Department Head: Ellen Semonoff (Assistant City Manager)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-03-25T15:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• SPECIFICATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES —

  All Human Services Department trips will be scheduled through this contract. During the past twelve months, the City's Human Services Department spent approximately $300,000 for transportation services. Other City departments may schedule trips under this contract during the contract period, at their discretion, subject to the contract's maximum obligation.

  The types of trips taken are both educational and recreational, with approximately 90% of all trips being within a 60-mile radius of Cambridge and 10% being out of state travel (or greater than 60 miles). The estimated number of trips is between 300-350 trips per year.

  • The number of buses needed will also vary from month to month. It will be the contractor's responsibility to subcontract with another bus company to provide services if necessary, and detailed invoices must be submitted to the City by the contractor, not the subcontractor. The contractor assumes all liability for subcontractors.
  • The City reserves the right to reject the use of a particular subcontractor in performance of this contract. Subcontractors shall be required to provide certificate of insurance at the request of the City.

  Buses will be ordered in writing, a minimum of five days before the date they are needed. Written bus orders will provide details regarding trips, which may be cancelled in the case of inclement weather, or exigent circumstances. In all other cases, notice of cancellation must be a minimum of 24 hours in advance. In the event a cancellation occurs with less than 24 hours' notice, the contractor may assess the City up to $25.00 per day per trip. Such penalty is subject to review, by the City, if the City protests the penalties in writing.

  Certificates of insurance must be provided upon execution of the contract.

  Contractor agrees to conform to all the General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to the rules and regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission and to the rules and regulations of any other governing body when applicable to the transporting of people.

  Contractor must have same size wheelchair accessible (ADA Complaint*) buses available at no additional cost. If vehicles are not owned by the contractor, they must specify owner & location of garage.

  *COMPLIANT WITH 36 CRF 1192

  All operating and safety equipment including, but not limited to, wheelchair securement devices*, speed indicators, seatbelts, windshield wipers, defrosters and odometers must function properly. Windows must be intact and must open and close. Seats must be secure and whole. Heating and air­ conditioning must be in good working order. Seats and aisles must be free of debris; seats and windows must be clean.

  • Driver and trip leader will be required to complete a written evaluation of the buses' condition at the beginning and end of each trip.
  • Contractor must always have a replacement vehicle available and will indicate on bid where the replacement vehicle will be garaged.
  • The number of riders on each trip will be confirmed by the City in writing prior to trip. No standees will be allowed. No one will be allowed on the bus except members of the group, their chaperons, and the driver. The driver is not to bring passengers (guests) on trips.

  All buses are expected to arrive prior to the scheduled departure time. The City shall not be kept waiting for a rental vehicle more than 15 minutes beyond the time previously stipulated in writing for departures and/or returns. The City designated contact person on the bus order should be contacted by the Contractor if there are any issues with the bus or if it is running late. After 15 minutes beyond the time stipulated in its request, the City, in its sole discretion, may choose to cancel a bus order, without penalty, and seek alternate transportation for a renter group. If a bus breaks down or becomes non-functional for more than one hour during the course of a trip, there will be no charge to the City for that trip.

  • All drivers must be well versed in correct travel routes prior to each assignment, and the trip leader reserves the right to designate route to travel.
  • For all pick up and drop off trips within Massachusetts, the MapQuest mileage guide will be used. For trips outside Massachusetts, AAA will be used.

  The Contractor is required to cooperate in allowing the City to make random unscheduled inspections of vehicles and services at a time and date of the City's choosing.

  All authorizations for scheduling trips through the City of Cambridge Human Services Department rests solely with the Assistant City Manager for Human Services or the Assistant City Manager's designee. The City will provide a list of designees upon execution of the contract. The City reserves the right to amend this list as necessary and will provide written notice of such changes. No orders shall be accepted from any Human Services Department employee, without the consent of the Assistant City Manager or the Assistant City Manager's designee. All complaints or requests for interpretations under the contract awarded as a result of this bid must be in writing, to the Purchasing Agent with a copy to the Assistant City Manager for Human Services.

  In the event that Contractor's actions {such as tardiness or failure to appear as scheduled) result in cancellation of an activity which has incurred a non-refundable expense to the City of Cambridge Human Services Department {such as, but not limited to, admission fees), the Contractor shall be liable for that expense.

  Buses must be equipped with fully operational communication equipment and must be in communication with the Contractor's central office at all times except when the trip's destination is out of range of the equipment.

  Contractor will accept the contract under the acknowledgment that increased usage will occur during summer months July and August and two school vacation weeks and occasional full day programming days as scheduled by the Cambridge School Department. Contractor must make accommodations to service all requested trips during these time periods under the same notification requirements as other trips.

  Under this contract the bus may not leave the site unless written authorization is obtained from the user Group leader. If the bus leaves the site without securing the required authorization, the contractor will waive all charges for that trip.

  The City will not pay a minimum charge for trips.

  The number of hours and trips referenced in the price proposal is an estimated number and it's provided so that the City can compare bids in a uniform format. Start and end times of trips will vary.

  The City, in its sole discretion, may decrease the number of trips as needed. Contractor shall be paid only for actual services provided. The City will not pay gratitude charges. All prices are to remain firm for the full term of the contract.

  Successful bidder and City agree to meet and confer concerning an appropriate billing schedule.

   

  Prevailing Wage

  The Contractor shall pay school bus drivers employed under this contract in accordance with the attached prevailing wage rate as determined by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Occupational Safety.

Submission Requirements

• BIDDERS INFORMATION
• My business is a: (required) —

  Please select one

• Please insert the requested information: (required) —

  If a corporation, include the State in which you are incorporated in.

  If a partnership, include the names of partners.

  If an individual, include relevant information.

• Bidder's Federal ID#:
• Authorized representative information: (required) —

  Please include the name, title, telephone and email address of the authorized representative

• This bid includes addenda numbered:
• Debarment or Suspension (required) —

  The Vendor/Contractor certifies that it has not been and currently is not debarred or suspended by any federal, state, or municipal governmental agency under G. L. c. 29, § 29F or other applicable law, nor will it contract with a debarred or suspended subcontractor on any public contract.

• QUALITY REQUIREMENTS —

  An unchecked response, a failure to respond, or a failure to meet to any of the following Quality Requirements will result in a rejection of your bid. Please check each of the following Quality Requirements as confirmations. 

• Quality Requirement 1 (required) —

  Bidder has been in business under this company name for at least five years.

• Quality Requirement 2 (required) —

  Bidder confirms that none of the drivers to be utilized for this contract has been convicted of any moving violations within the last 5 years.

• Quality Requirement 3 (required) —

  Bidder confirms that none of the drivers for this contract has been convicted of driving under the influence within the last 5 years.

• Quality Requirement 4 (required) —

  Bidder confirms that all current drivers have had a Criminal History Offender Information (CORI) checked and performed.

• Quality Requirement 5 (required) —

  Bidder confirms that all new employees will have a CORI performed before start of Employment.

• Quality Requirement 6 (required) —

  Bidder can provide bus transportation services for out of state field trips

• REFERENCES —

  Bidders shall submit a list of three references for which the bidder has supplied similar services. References shall include contact information including contact name, addresses and telephone numbers for each to inquire as to their satisfaction with the bidders’ product and service. In addition, the City reserves the right to use itself as a reference, to contact references not listed and to otherwise perform its own due diligence when making a responsibility determination. A bid maybe rejected on the basis of one or more references reporting less than excellent past performance.

• Reference 1 (required) —

  Include contact name, address and telephone #

• Reference 2 (required) —

  Include contact name, address and telephone #

• Reference 3 (required) —

  Include contact name, address and telephone #

• City of Cambridge Standard Compliance Forms
• Please Upload the Signed Standard Compliance Forms (required) —

  Please electronically sign and upload the following documents using this URL: https://cambridgema.na4.adobesign.com/public/esignWidget?wid=CBFCIBAA3AAABLblqZhCD4UnZSN3XyfqZi9ZxGyvlhSnIlYThymiofiiHN4CtIXU4t2tYM27cVaMk7bVx6AI* 

• Non Collusion Statement (required) —

  Bidder certifies that this bid is made without collusion with any other person, firm or corporation making any other bid or who otherwise would make a bid. 

• Bid Submission Requirements
• Bid Submission Requirement 1 (required) —

  Bidder shall submit a copy of the ICC rights, D.P.U. License with its bid

• Bid Submission Requirement 2 (required) —

  1. No. of School Buses owned/leased by bidder

  2. No. of School Buses with seat belts:

  3. Capacity of School Bus with seat Belts

  4. Day and times available School Bus with seat belts: 

  5. School Buses owned/leased by bidder will be garaged at:

  6. No. of years in Business:

  7. No. of Wheelchair Accessible School Buses:

  8. Capacity of each Wheelchair Accessible School Bus.

  9. Day and times available Wheelchair Accessible School Buses.

  10. Locations Wheelchair Accessible School buses are garaged.

  11. Owner of School Bus if other than Bidder: 

  12. No. of owner of School Bus if other than bidder:

  13.Location(s) where replacement vehicle(s) is (are) garaged :

• Is this contract/solicitation for a commodity or service? (required)
• Enter commodity: (required) —

  Example: Office Supplies

• Enter service(s): (required) —

  Example: Janitorial Services

Questions & Answers