COTTAGE GROVE – Lane Transit District announced on July 22 that it is restarting the procurement process for a rural shuttle program after an internal review found the evaluation “was not consistent” with LTD’s standards, according to Anni Katz, LTD’s public information officer.
On June 18, Lane Transit District adopted a resolution that allowed its CEO, Jameson Auten, to enter into a contract with Direct Medical Transportation to operate a rural shuttle pilot, replacing South Lane Wheels, which has been providing similar services in the community for 43 years. The services are primarily designed to take individuals to doctors’ appointments, shopping, restaurants, recreation, work, school, and special events.
At the board meeting on June 18, where the contract was adopted, Auten clarified that an internal review of LTD’s procurement process was needed.
“The District has made the decision to restart this procurement to ensure full alignment with its standards and expectations,” Katz stated.
Direct Medical’s contract scores were protested at the meeting as a key concern. Since the program is federally funded, LTD was required to follow the protest procedures outlined in the procurement policy.
“We can’t get the details of why we were scored so low and why the other company was scored so high…I have never heard a complaint or a hint of a complaint,” said Tim Steck, South Lane Wheels president.
Michelle Webber, Lane Transit Board member representing Springfield, pointed out at the June 18 board meeting that there was no description for how points were allotted for each category during the rating process.
Now, LTD is re-issuing the solicitation. Katz said this will allow them an opportunity to revisit the training and criteria part of the evaluation process and ensure they are fully standardized.
“There was not enough training and communication about the finer details of what was in the request for proposal and what the different proposers were being evaluated on,” said Katz. “There were just a few small minutia things.”
During the wait for the procurement process, Cottage Grove and South Lane residents can expect the services they are used to from South Lane Wheels: Metro Shuttle service five days a week, a temporary continuation of Origin-to-Destination service, and even increased Route 98 service starting Sept. 8, with two additional trips between CG and Eugene on weekdays, according to Katz.
“For now, service is actually the same in Cottage Grove and will stay the same…something could always happen, but we have contingencies in place that allow us to pay…We’re basically continuing to pay South Lane Wheels,” Katz said.
However, the services in unincorporated areas of South Lane will change once the rural shuttle pilot is launched, regardless of who the contract is awarded to. Prior to this update, shuttle services and Origin-to-Destination services in South Lane and CG would have ceased on Aug.1.
Transformations are now expected to happen this winter.
