City Administrators Gift First Transit with A New "Can't-Fail" $1,400,000 Contract Despite Pitiful Performance

By the time First Transit Vehicle Services of Pompano Beach, Florida neared the end of their two year maintenance contract with the City of Brownsville to maintain Brownsville Metro's bus fleet, they were languishing at a pitiful 1,409 miles between major breakdowns on Brownsville city buses.

The contract that ended in October 2013 called for a performance measure of 4,500 between major breakdowns.  First Transit never came close to that yardstick and city passengers have suffered for it. Think about the elderly with a doctor's appointment waiting for a city bus in the hot sun, a bus that never came.  That has happened more often than any city's metro system should allow.

With major bus breakdowns far exceeding the contractual specifics, city administrators wisely placed First Transit on a month to month relationship to monitor their performance.  During those three months, the mileage numbers between major breakdowns got worse, not better, finally dipping to a mere 825 miles between major breakdowns.

As we illustrated in an earlier story:
"If you lined up the large city buses for Brownsville Metro's 19 routes and told the drivers to drive to El Paso, none of the buses would reach their destination, based on bus maintenance/breakdowns records released at the Brownsville Metro Advisory Board meeting June 4, 2014. Brownsville Metro buses currently average 825 miles between major breakdowns. The distance between Brownsville and El Paso is 829.6 miles."

City Manager Charlie Cabler

Incredibly, despite First Transit's performance getting worse, not better, city administrators including Lupe Granado in Finance, Robert Luna in Purchasing and City Manager Charlie Cabler agreed to a new, reworked contract with First Transit commencing January 14, 2014.(January was one of Brownsville Metro's worst months in recent memory in terms of major breakdowns with over 150 during the month.)

City Finance Director Lupe Granado told me in private conversation that the new contract was tougher, specifying 8,000 miles between major breakdowns.

Brownsville Metro Director Norma Zamora

Brownsville Metro Assistant Director Andrew Munoz told the Brownsville Metro Advisory Board that performance was getting "better and better" and was "twice as good" as the previous maintenance contract holder.(It should be pointed out that Munoz and Brownsville Metro Director Norma Zamora are employed by First Transit, being part of a "management contract" with the City of Brownsville.)

Those claims about the new contract and Brownsville Metro's performance are simply untrue.

Upping the mileage between major breakdowns from 4,500 to 8,000 looks good on paper, but means nothing if the city doesn't hold First Transit to that standard.  During the month of January, the very month the contract was signed, Brownsville Metro's buses serviced by First Transit were having breakdowns every 825 miles, nearly TEN TIMES THE CONTRACT REQUIREMENT.

Actually, on closer examination, the new contract "negotiated" between the City of Brownsville and First Transit is much weaker from the city's standpoint.  

As stated, the mileage between major breakdowns was raised from 4,500 to 8,000 on the new contract signed in January, but major breakdown's slice of the performance matrix was lowered from 20% to 15%.

Also, non-revenue vehicles, such as the sedans driven by management were separated into their own category.  Lupe Granado mentioned this proudly, as if it strengthened the contract, but, actually it weakens it.

Revenue vehicles(city buses, paratransit, etc.) are now "weighted" at 75%, while non-revenue vehicles (sedans, pickups, SUV's, etc.) are weighted at 25%.

By separating into two fleets, with the maintenance of revenue vehicles weighted at 75% of the overall contract, the major breakdown requirement is now weakened to a mere 11.25% of the total contracts.  (.75 X 15%=11.25%)  The other parameters, such as having 80% of the fleet in service, performing preventative maintenance according to the service schedule 90% of the time, completing repairs within 48 hours are so easy to meet, it's almost laughable.  Thus First Transit can meet the contract's performance matrix while buses are breaking down right and left, because the contract is so one-sided in First Transit's favor.  

We'll be sharing other details of this contract in subsequent stories, but it seems obvious that city administration did not protect the interests of Brownsville citizens, Brownsville Metro riders in negotiating this contract.