APTA Releases New Standard Bus Procurement Guidelines

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has released updates specifications providing details for the procurement of buses 30 feet to articulated bus lengths and multiple propulsion and fuel types. The document contains language for a full RFP including Terms and Conditions and Technical specifications. The outline has been created to facilitate the development of a bus package that is consistent throughout the industry, providing a uniform format for numbering and organizing such documents. The use of standard formats for commonly used procurement contracts will improve the ability of industry participants to prepare contracts that contain all necessary provisions and that facilitate the incorporation of best available practices.  Click here to download the document.

Association Teaming Up with APTA
to Seek Updated Spare Ratio Requirement

This year, representatives from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and members of the California Transit Association have worked together to develop new recommendations for the federal Spare Ratio requirement.  APTA is asking that transit agencies nationwide reach out to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and share the following documents in order to promote discussion of updating the regulation.

Long-standing Federal policy has limited the “spare ratio” allowed to transit systems with 50 or more buses to 20 percent (i.e., the total fleet cannot exceed 120 percent of the peak requirement for vehicles in service). This policy is applied to virtually every bus system in the industry, since most buses are procured using Federal capital assistance. The purpose of the spare ratio limitation is to ensure that an inordinate number of buses are not sitting idle (either because they are not needed or because they are not operable). The 20 percent spare ratio has been the industry standard at least since 1991, and has been informally practiced since the 1970’s. During that period, significant changes have taken place that affect bus fleet management, and that warrant a reconsideration of the spare ratio standard. Based on the results of a study in which APTA partnered with the Transit Cooperative Research Program, APTA has published formal recommendations for updating the Spare Ratio rule.

APTA Position On Spare Ratios

Report: Bus Fleet Management in an Era of Increasing Technical Complexity

CHP WEBINAR FILES:
Click here to download files from the April 29, 2010 webinar on "The Successful Annual Terminal Inspection"

Documents and Files

Maintenance Committee meeting agendas

Maintenance Commitee meeting minutes

Maintenance Committee membership
 

Important Links for Regulatory or Procedural Information

American Public Transportation Association (APTA)

California Air Resources Board

ASE Website

California Code of Regulations: http://ccr.oal.ca.gov

California Vehicle Code: http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/vc.htm 

Find California Code Search Engine: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html 

Code of Federal Regulations Main Page: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html 

Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49 - Transportation: http://www.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/cfrassemble.cgi?title=200849 

Code of Federal Regulations: Title 49, sections 300 - 399 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA):
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_08/49cfrv5_08.html
 

Vendor Links

Visit these business members of the California Transit Association for all your purchasing needs
 

Shop Talk

Ask questions, trade tips or discuss issues of importance with other maintenance professionals here >>>