CITY OF HOBOKEN
ADDENDUM TO BID DOCUMENTS
Bid 19 – 09
Lease/Purchase of Two (2 EA) New Hoboken Mini-Bus 16 Ambulatory w/ 2 Wheelchairs or 20 Ambulatory
(or Equivalent)
This Addendum # 1, dated July 9, 2019 is issued to modify the above mentioned Bid
and is hereby made part of the Bid documents. Please attach this Addendum #1 to the original
documents in your possession, and ensure same is included in your proposal.
A. Questions and answer:
Q1. Will the city give full consideration to equivalent products such as Champion Bus who meet and
in most instances EXCEED these specifications as an alternative to Elkhart Coach whom these
specifications were written for? (Champion Challenger brochure attached)
A1. Yes. The City will evaluate all the proposals receive. All exceptions and deviations must be
fully explained on the bidder’s letterhead and shall reference each paragraph number where a
variation exists. Comments such as “Differences may occur” or “We are equal to your
specifications” without substantiation will result in the bid offer being deemed unresponsive.
Q2. Section 2.3.6.- Will the cab section of the bus be required to be undercoated? Specs are
written to indicate “understructure” which only points to the body under steel structure and floor
being sprayed. Please indicate if the cab portion underbody should also be sprayed.
A2. Optional.
Q3. Section 2.4.1.- Champion bus uses a urethane adhesive as well but they use an industry accepted
method called pressure lamination opposed to vacuum lamination which can be inconsistent when
humidity levels are high. NJ Transit has always accepted both of these manufacturing methods.
Please advise if you will accept pressure lamination in addition to the vacuum lamination
specified.
A3. Yes. Optional. City will evaluate the bid proposals.
Q4. Section 2.4.4.- Aluminum skirts are an Elkhart Coach standard, Champion Bus uses Steel skirts.
Will you accept Steel skirts in lieu of aluminum?
A4. Yes. Optional. City will evaluate the bid proposals.
Q5. Section 2.4.8.- Champion Bus uses an industry accepted diamond plated slip-resistant drivers’
running board, would this be acceptable? If not, would you please provide a brand name and model
number for the running board you are requesting?
A5. Yes. Optional. City will evaluate the bid proposals.
Q6. Section 2.4.9.- Champion Bus utilizes Transign digital destination signs as a standard, would
this brand be acceptable as an equivalent to your specified Mobilite digital signs? Industry
perspective indicates these are equivalent products.
A6. Yes. Optional. City will evaluate the bid proposals.
Q7. Section 2.6.1.- Champion Bus has a standard clear opening of its doors at 30-31” wide depending
upon adjustment of opening mechanism. Our stepwell is 34” wide but the doors thickness, and swivel
on the pins can have a +/- 1” on the actual clear opening. Thirty to Thirty-two inch clear opening
is an industry standard and the difference is negligible, would 30” clear opening be acceptable?
A7. Yes. City will evaluate the bid proposals.
Q8. Section 2.11.1.- Champion bus does not offer carpet on the ceiling because of the dense weight
causing ceiling sagging. Champion offers auto-cloth with under-padding as a sound absorbing and
insulating material alternative to carpet. Would Auto-cloth wrapped panels be an acceptable
equivalent to the carpet which can be problematic over the years of vehicle operation? A8. Yes.
Q9. Section 2.11.3.- Ribbed rubber flooring is an Elkhart Coach standard and typically found in
older school bus construction. A more common industry standard on commercial buses is a smooth
slip-resistant flooring made by Gerflor and has been specified by NJ Transit among most other large
transit agencies for many years now. The advantages are a smooth finish so anything that makes a
mess on the bus floors can easily be swept out. Also, the floor is perfectly flat and
slip-resistant across the entire floor of the bus. The downfalls of ribbed rubber flooring is that
it has grooves in the steps and aisles which traps all dirt and messes which cannot be cleaned out
of the cravaces. Also, the rubber does not have slip resistant compounds within it so while the
water and dirt go into the ribbed parts they can still be slippery. The Ribbed rubber is only on
the steps and aisle so under the seats and in the wheelchair areas there is smooth rubber with no
slip-resistance so the flooring can cause slips and falls when wet. Please advise if Gerflor
Anthracite 6727 flooring will be acceptable as a no-charge upgrade from our manufacturer. (See
attached Gerflor information)
A9. Yes. Optional. City will evaluate the bid proposals.
Q10. Section 2.13.4.- Rohrer Bus prefers to use ACT-Pro-Air air conditioning for better support and
parts availability. Would an ACT-Pro-Air 70k BTU system (equivalent capacity to TA-733) be accepted
as an alternative brand?
A10. Yes. City will evaluate the bid proposals.
B. The City will not accept questions/RFI at this time. Deadlines of submission remains the same:
July 19, 2019 at 2:00 pm prevailing time
This addendum will be published in the newspaper and posted on the City of Hoboken website to
ensure compliance.
There are no other changes to this Bid documents as part of this addendum.
ATTEST: Date:
July 9, 2019
AL B. Dineros, QPA
Purchasing Agent
