Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 19, 2024
Subject
SUBJECT: BRAKE CALIPER ASSEMBLIES
Action
ACTION: AWARD CONTRACT
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to award a two-year, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contract No. MA113925000 to Zen Industrial Services, Inc., the lowest responsive and responsible bidder to supply Brake Caliper Assemblies in the not-to-exceed (NTE) amount of $3,015,693.07, inclusive of sales tax, subject to the resolution of any properly submitted protest(s), if any.
Issue
ISSUE
This procurement is for brake caliper assemblies, a major component used on both the front and rear braking systems on Metro’s fleet of North American Bus Industries (NABI) and El Dorado buses, to maintain the safe and reliable operation of the bus fleet. The El Dorado and NABI buses have been in service for several years, and the brake caliper assemblies are failing at increased rates with the increased age and mileage on these buses fleets.
The award of this contract will ensure the operating divisions have adequate inventory to repair and maintain the buses according to Metro maintenance standards, which is necessary to ensure service continuity and avoid any interruption to Metro operations.
Background
BACKGROUND
The brake caliper assemblies are a major component of the braking systems used on buses to slow, stop, and provide emergency braking. These brake caliper assemblies are used on buses that were purchased several years ago, and the buses are experiencing higher failure rates of the brake caliper assemblies. The replacement of the brake caliper assemblies is extremely important in ensuring the proper functioning of the braking system and the safety of Metro’s bus fleet.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The caliper assembly is part of the disc brake system that houses the brake pads and piston. Its function is to apply pressure to the piston that activates the brake pads to slow or stop the bus by creating friction between the brake pads and rotors. During the service life of buses in normal driving conditions, the caliper assemblies wear due to the constant braking in heavy stop-and-go traffic conditions to slow or stop the buses.
The brake caliper assembly is one of the critical components of the bus braking system. Replacing the brake caliper assemblies as part of Metro’s preventive maintenance program reduces operating costs by reducing in-service failures and road calls while keeping buses in revenue service.
The contract to be awarded is a “requirements type” agreement in which Metro commits to ordering only from the awardee up to the specified quantity for a specific duration of time. However, Metro is not obligated or committed to ordering any specific quantity of the caliper assemblies that may currently be anticipated. The requirements type agreement will ensure that Metro only purchases the quantity of parts needed to repair equipment with damaged components. The bid quantities are estimates only, with deliveries to be ordered and released as required.
The brake caliper assemblies will be purchased and maintained in inventory and managed by Material Management. The appropriate budget project numbers and accounts will be charged as the caliper assemblies are issued.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The award of this contract will ensure that all operating divisions have adequate inventory to maintain the brake systems on the NABI and El Dorado bus fleets according to Metro Maintenance standards. This ensures the safety of bus passengers and Metro employees by maintaining the bus fleet’s ability to stop in accordance with Federal and State regulatory requirements.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The funding of $1,507,846.54 for the various caliper assemblies - disc brakes is included in the FY25 budget under multiple bus operating cost centers in project 306002 Operations Maintenance under line item 50441, Parts - Revenue Vehicle.
Since this is a multi-year contract, the cost center managers and Chief Operations Officer will be accountable for budgeting the cost in future fiscal years, including any option exercised.
Impact to Budget
The current funding sources for this action are Federal 5307, Proposition A, Proposition C, Measure R, Measure M, and Transportation Development Act. These sources are eligible for Bus Operating projects. Using these funding sources maximizes the project funding allowances given approved provisions and guidelines.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The benefits of this action are to ensure the bus fleet that serves most regions in Los Angeles County, including many Equity Focus Communities, can provide vital transportation services to neighborhoods where disparities within the region can exist between residents’ access to jobs, housing, education, health, and safety. Bus transportation provides an essential lifeline for the residents in EFCs, and the Metro bus maintenance programs ensure the proper State of Good Repair of the bus fleet to provide transportation for these communities.
The Diversity and Economic Opportunity Department (DEOD) established a 2% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal for this procurement. Zen Industrial Services, Inc., a DBE Prime, made a 100% DBE commitment and as a regular dealer is eligible to receive 60% DBE credit.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals.
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The caliper assemblies support Strategic Goal 1: Provide high-quality mobility options that enable people to spend less time traveling. They will help maintain the reliability of the bus fleets and ensure that our customers are able to arrive at their destinations without interruption and in accordance with the scheduled service intervals for Metro bus operations.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The alternative is not to award the contract and procure the caliper assemblies as needed, using the traditional “min/max” replenishment method. This strategy is not recommended since it does not require a commitment from the supplier to ensure availability, timely delivery, continued supply, and a guaranteed fixed price for the parts.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Upon approval by the Board, staff will execute No. MA113925000 for the procurement of caliper assemblies for the NABI and El Dorado bus fleets with Zen Industrial Services, Inc.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Procurement Summary
Attachment B - DEOD Summary
Prepared by
Prepared By: Harold Torres, Senior Director, Central Maintenance, (213) 922-5714
James Pachan, Senior Executive Officer, (213) 922-5804
Matthew Dake, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, (213) 922-4061
Debra Avila, Deputy Chief Vendor/Contract Management Officer, (213) 418-3051
Reviewed by
Reviewed by: Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer (213) 418-3034
