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Riverside County Transportation Authority board approves Transdev microtransit contract for Hemet–San Jacinto Valley
Summary
The Riverside County Transportation Authority board on Oct. 23 authorized staff to award agreement S25066F to Transdev Services Inc. for microtransit service in the Hemet–San Jacinto Valley. The six‑month base contract with a one‑year option carries a base price of $3,023,342 plus a 10% contingency of $302,334 (total $3,325,676).
The Riverside County Transportation Authority board of directors on Oct. 23 authorized staff to award agreement number S25066F to Transdev Services Inc. to operate the agency's microtransit service in the Hemet–San Jacinto Valley. The board approved the award unanimously.
Staff said the contract before the board is a six‑month base term with a one‑year option. Melissa Blankenship, the agency's director of contracts, told directors the vendor would provide "everything necessary for a turnkey operation, including management personnel, reservations and scheduling, dispatching, operations, the facility, maintenance of the buses, and fuel." The base price reported to the board was $3,023,342; staff also recommended a 10% contingency of $302,334 for a total project authorization of $3,325,676. Funding for the request is included in the agency's FY26 operating budget, and continued funding will be requested in future fiscal budgets.
The microtransit pilot was approved by the agency's board in September 2022, staff said, and the current contract expires Dec. 31. Staff described the procurement timeline: the RFP was issued June 12, a single proposal was received July 17, and the evaluation committee (operations, maintenance, IT and purchasing staff) reviewed the proposal and requested a best and final offer. As part of its review, staff performed a cost analysis, contacted two other transit agencies that operate similar microtransit services, and concluded Transdev's rates were fair and reasonable.
During discussion, a director asked whether the board was approving six months or 12 months; Blankenship clarified the action is a six‑month base with a one‑year option, giving a possible 18‑month total term. A director representing Harupa Valley praised the award and said the arrangement would produce significant cost savings, stating it would save "2,000,000 annually." Blankenship also said the short base term aligns with a separate long‑range planning study (a comprehensive operational analysis) so staff can incorporate recommendations into future procurements.
The board voted to authorize staff to award agreement S25066F to Transdev Services Inc. as presented. Staff indicated Transdev, the incumbent operator, would maintain operations to ensure continuity of service.
