BOARD MEETING DATE: March 5, 2004
AGENDA NO. 8

Issue RFP to Purchase 84-Passenger CNG School Bus for School Bus Loaner Program and Authorize Staff to Transfer Ownership of Ford E450 Demonstration Bus to Transportation Foundation of Los Angeles

SYNOPSIS:

Staff proposes to issue an RFP to purchase an 84-passenger CNG school bus and to initiate a school bus loaner program to facilitate the introduction of CNG fuel to school bus fleets. This demonstration will provide an opportunity for entities to experience alternative fueled school buses in actual fleet operations. Staff also pro-poses the donation of AQMD’s natural gas-powered Ford E450 Demonstration Bus to Transportation Foundation of Los Angeles as in-kind participation in a joint study with the City of Hope on incidences of cancer and mortality rate in the south coast region.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, February 27, 2004, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

1. Approve issuance of RFP #P2004-20 to solicit proposals to purchase an 84-passenger CNG school bus and develop school bus loaner program.
    
2. Authorize the transfer of the AQMD’s natural gas-powered Ford E450 Demonstration Bus to Transportation Foundation of Los Angeles as in-kind participation in a joint study with the City of Hope.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

Loaner Program
Exhaust emissions from high emitting diesel-fueled school buses are harmful to children and are a source of public exposure to toxic diesel particulate matter and smog-forming pollutants. Most recently, the AQMD’s Multiple Air Toxic Exposure Study (MATES-II) found that mobile source emissions are major contributors to the potential cancer risk from air pollution. In addition, recent findings from long-term epidemiological studies of school age children conducted by University of Southern California and University of California at Los Angeles indicate that nitrogen oxides, acids, and particulate matter have much greater impacts on limiting lung growth in children than believed in the past. Mo-bile source emissions have become the major emission contributor to these problems. In turn, the Board has initiated incentive programs to accelerate the turnover of older diesel school buses and retrofit newer diesel school buses with particulate control devices.

In an effort to reduce children’s exposure to pollution and to minimize emissions from public and private school buses, many public school districts and private school bus ser-vice providers have taken advantage of available AQMD incentive programs for the purchase of less polluting alternative-fueled school buses. However, several school districts, as well as private school bus service providers, have no experience with alternative fuels such as CNG. By loaning a CNG school bus to entities with no previous experience using an alternative fuel, first-hand knowledge regarding the positive benefits of alternative-fueled school buses will be gained.

Bus Donation
With regard to the Ford E450 Demonstration Bus, the Transportation Foundation of Los Angeles (TFLA) requested AQMD participation in a joint study with City of Hope (COH) on the incidences of cancer and mortality rates in the South Coast region. The use of a mobile medical bus to facilitate data collection was identified in this request as a potential means for AQMD study participation. The TFLA and COH will use the bus as a mobile unit to obtain medical data from children at targeted schools. The AQMD currently owns two natural gas-powered demonstration buses; one could be used for this purpose.

Proposals

1. Staff recommends that the Board authorize the purchase of a 2004 84-passenger CNG school bus and initiate a CNG school bus demonstration/loaner program that will intro-duce natural gas school buses to public and private school districts and school bus transportation providers. Such a demonstration program will provide owner/operators with a “hands-on” exposure to a fully equipped CNG school bus. This program will enable a school bus fleet operator to use the CNG school bus on an assigned route during a normal school day in order to experience the operational and refueling characteristics of a natural gas vehicle prior to any purchase. Specifically, fleet operators will gain experience regarding the performance of CNG school buses in terms of drivability, range, fuel consumption and overall comfort as compared to corresponding diesel school buses. Each participant in the demonstration program will have use of the CNG bus for a 30- to 45-day period. Staff estimates that seven school districts or school transportation providers would have use of the CNG school bus during a calendar year. Staff proposes to utilize a John Deere 8.1 liter compressed natural gas powered engine, Type D transit style school bus.
   
   A qualified school bus vendor will promote the program along with AQMD staff to school bus fleet operators that have hesitated to try CNG school buses heretofore. In addition, a qualified school bus vendor will letter and number the bus according to CHP regulations, inspect the bus every 45 days, domicile the bus between users, perform all required service and warranty repairs, detail the bus prior to delivery to each user, deliver to each user and provide training for the users. Upon completion of the School Bus Demonstration Program (estimated to be one to two years), the 84-passenger CNG school bus would be donated to a school district using the same criteria that is applied for award-ing school buses in the Lower-Emission School Bus Program.
    
2. Staff also recommends the transfer of ownership of AQMD’s Ford E450 Demonstration Bus to TFLA. The bus would be used to facilitate data collection as part of joint TFLA/COH study on cancer incidences and mortality rates in the South Coast region.

Benefits to AQMD

This project will help demonstrate and introduce natural-gas engine technology to school districts. Staff believes that this demonstration program will positively address concerns regarding alternative-fuel school buses as school districts and school bus transportation providers gain first-hand experience with this advanced technology.

Outreach

In accordance with the AQMD’s consulting and contracting policies, a public notice advertising the RFP and inviting bids will be published in the following publications:
 

1.	Antelope Valley Press	10.	Korea Central Daily	19.	Precinct Reporter
2.	Black Voice News	11.	La Opinion	20.	Press Enterprise
3.	Chinese Daily News	12.	La Prensa Hispana	21.	Rafu Shimpo
4.	Desert Sun	13.	La Voz Publications	22.	San Bernardino Sun
5.	Eastern Group Publications	14.	Los Angeles Daily News	23.	State of California Contracts
6.	El Chicano	15.	Los Angeles Sentinel		Register
7.	El Informador	16.	Los Angeles Times	24.	The Excelsior
8.	Inland Empire Hispanic News	17.	Orange County Register	25.	The Signal
9.	Inland Valley Daily Bulletin	18.	Philippine News	26.	Wave Community Newspapers

Additionally, potential bidders will be notified utilizing the Los Angeles County MTA and Cal Trans Directories of Certified Minority, Women, Disadvantaged and Disabled Veterans Business Enterprises; the Inland Area Opportunity Pages Ethnic/Women Business & Professional Directory; AQMD’s own electronic listing of certified minority vendors; and AQMD Purchasing’s mailing list. Notice of the RFP will be mailed to the Black and Latino Legislative Caucuses and various minority chambers of commerce and business associations; and placed on the Internet at AQMD’s Web site [http://www.aqmd.gov, "Business and Job Opportunities" icon] and AQMD’s bidder’s 24-hour telephone message line (909) 396-2724.

Bid Evaluation

Proposals received will be evaluated by a diverse, technically qualified panel in accordance with criteria contained in the RFP.

Resource Impacts

Funding to conduct the demonstration/loaner program is available from the Lower-Emission School Bus Fund balance at a cost not to exceed $145,000. Staff will seek the least cost proposals by tasks from the bidders. Transferring ownership of the Ford E450 Demonstration Bus from AQMD to TFLA not may have associated minor administrative costs.

Attachment

RFP #P2004-20 – Purchase an 84-Passenger CNG School Bus and Develop School Bus
     Demonstration/Loaner Program

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