A contract to build bus benches, kiosks, and other amenities for SunTran will be considered during the next meeting of the Ocala City Council.
On Tuesday, council members will decide on whether to approve a three-year contract with engineering firm Kimley-Horn and Associates for SunTran design services.
Under the terms of the agreement, Kimley-Horn will perform a variety of services for SunTran, including the design of bus shelter and bench locations, as well as a kiosk and lavatory facility at the Union Train Station. The group will also design improvements to the SunTran Admin/Maintenance facility in the city complex, among multiple other changes.
All work will be funded by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Any task work order of $50,000 or more will be brought to the city council for prior approval, according to city records.
Earlier this year, the city’s procurement department issued a request seeking transit-related design services for SunTran. On August 5, three proposals were received from Kimley-Horn and Associates, Metro Consulting Group, Inc., and England-Thims & Miller, Inc. The proposals were reviewed by a selection committee that voted unanimously to begin contract negotiations with Kimley-Horn. The proposed contract has a duration of three years with an option for a single two-year renewal period.
SunTran recently announced that all seven of their bus routes are being redesigned starting next week to create a more streamlined process that aims to reduce ride time by nearly fifty percent.
According to Kimley-Horn, over the past five years, the organization has helped Hillsborough Area Regional Transportation (HART) expand and retrofit their existing transit facilities throughout Hillsborough County. They have completed more than 40 bus stops and nearly 10 miles of sidewalk for HART.
Kimley-Horn’s Ocala office will serve as the primary office for this contract. They opened their Ocala office in July 2000, located less than a half-mile from the SunTran Downtown Transfer Station.