ATTACHMENT A
Scope of Work
RFP No. VRE-020-015 Page 1 VRE Mobile Ticketing System
Virginia Railway Express SCOPE OF WORK ______
01. TICKET INFORMATION A. The existing VRE fare policy is structured on a distance-based zone system. There are nine (9) fare zones on the Fredericksburg line (with no stations currently in zone 7) and six (6) fare zones on the Manassas line.
B. The validation policy for each ticket type made available on the mobile application is as follows:
1. Single-Ride, Day Pass, and Ten-Ride tickets must be validated before boarding trains. 2. 7-Day and 31-Day Passes must be validated at the time of first use. 3. Note: Calendar monthly tickets are currently not available on VRE Mobile.
C. VRE’s fare structure is available at https://www.vre.org/service/fares/.
D. VRE has a cross-honor agreement with Amtrak that allows the Amtrak Step-Up ticket to be used in conjunction with a multi-ride VRE ticket. Additional information on the Amtrak Step-Up Ticket can be found in Section 07 below and also at https://www.vre.org/service/fares/stepup/.
E. VRE also offers 50% discounted tickets termed Reduced Fare Tickets for persons with disabilities, senior citizens and youths between the ages of 11 and 18. Additional information on the eligibility requirements for discounted tickets is found at https://www.vre.org/service/fares/reduced-fare-chart/.
F. At the time of writing of this Scope of Work, VRE Mobile has monthly total sales averaging $1,000,000 and a monthly average of 20,000 tickets sold by the current moovel mobile ticketing system.
G. VRE enforces the law (Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia § 18.2-160.1) that mandates that no passenger shall board or ride a train without properly validating the train ticket prior to boarding. Failure to do so by the passenger will lead to a summons for fare evasion.
H. The rail system operates in a proof-of-payment environment. Single, multi-ride and time period-specific tickets, as well as Amtrak Step-Up tickets, are available through the current VRE Mobile ticketing app, from Ticket Validating Machines (TVM) installed at every rail station, and at authorized local vendors. Tickets and passes are verified during periodic inspections by conductors.
I. VRE operates an “open” fare system in that there is no single point of entry to control boarding and there are multiple doors on a single train through which a passenger can board or disembark. Fare inspection and verification is performed by
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Virginia Railway Express conductors, who have other responsibilities onboard the train that limit their time to inspect tickets.
J. VRE is tasked by Virginia Code and the local jurisdictions to ensure that customers board with a valid ticket. Since VRE operates an open fare system, at the request of the local jurisdictions, the Commonwealth of Virginia has mandated verification provisions to ensure that customers pay for their service and that VRE remains fiscally sound in collecting fares to reduce the burden on the Commonwealth and local funding.
02. SMARTBENEFITS PROGRAM A. Many employers within the VRE service region offer their employees a transit benefit to reduce the cost of commuting and to encourage the use of mass transportation. The Federal Transit Benefits Program allows qualified federal employees to recover the approximate cost of commuting to and from work up to prescribed limits when using certain area bus, rail, and vanpool commuter services such as VRE. Several other local jurisdictions, as well as private-sector employers, also offer their employees direct employer-paid benefits or allow employees the option to purchase transit fare with pre-tax income.
B. SmartBenefits, the region's most common form of transit benefit, is a program managed and operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) on behalf of the employers and agencies offering these benefits.
C. SmartBenefits can be downloaded directly onto a WMATA SmarTrip® card to be used on Metrorail or select bus systems. SmartBenefits can also exist as a virtual account which allows individuals to use the funds on systems that do not accept SmarTrip® cards, like VRE.
D. The dollar value of this monthly benefit is determined by the employer and the latest federal government legislation. Employers can issue these transit benefits to their employees electronically through the SmartBenefits web-based program.
E. The SmartBenefits program lets an employer digitally load the dollar value of an employee’s transit benefit directly into the employees SmartBenefits web-based account. The SmartBenefits program also allows employees to apply these funds to a reusable, rechargeable SmarTrip® card which can be used to purchase fares from transit agencies, such as WMATA, that accept SmarTrip® cards as a direct form of payment.
F. Since VRE currently cannot accept SmarTrip® cards as a direct form of payment, passengers are required to establish a SmartBenefits personal account with WMATA and assign benefits to VRE Mobile or a VRE Electronic SmartBenefits vendor.
G. Information about VRE’s SmartBenefits program can be accessed on VRE’s website at https://www.vre.org/service/fares/transit-benefits/.
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Virginia Railway Express 03. PHASED APPROACH A. This Scope of Work is divided into the following three (3) phases:
1. Phase 1: VRE Mobile’s solution shall be based on a revenue service-proven mobile ticketing technology platform. Core requirements will focus on the phases for the mobile ticketing functionality as outlined in Diagram 1 below.
Should the design meet VRE’s approval, the incorporation of the Alexandria Transit Company’s (DASH) mobile ticketing solution may be added to the timeline for Phase 1, and while leveraging the VRE contract, the Contractor would be contracted directly and solely by DASH to initially develop a standalone mobile application for DASH. In addition, any work being performed by the Contractor with a regional partner shall in no way negatively impact the Contractor’s ability to meet the agreed VRE Mobile timeline.
2. Phase 2: The optional trip tool functionality is described further herein the Scope of Work, Section 21. Task Orders will be issued on an as needed basis to support this work.
3. Phase 3: This phase refers to integrated ticketing options with any potential regional partners including WMATA, DASH, OmniRide, or others. It is a long-term objective to have a regional mobile ticketing system. The Contractor should propose a plan to integrate other regional partners in the future as others express interest in joining the platform by use of the Cooperative Rider Clause. Task Orders will be issued on an as needed basis to support this work.
B. Diagram 1 below provides an overview of the overall phased approach for the three (3) phases envisioned for VRE Mobile.
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Virginia Railway Express Diagram 1: Proposed Phased Approach
Phase 1 Phase 2 (Optional) Phase 3 (Initial Rollout) (Dependant on TOs and/or (Regional Integration 2 months after NTP Outside Developer) Dependant on TOs)
•Mobile ticketing •Trip Tool section added •Integrations with other component to launch to VRE Mobile, rolling regional public on the App Store and out tools as they are transportation fare Google Play, branded ready: offerings VRE Mobile with: •Trip planning •SmartBenefits •Parking counters integration •APC information •Step-Up functionality •Amtrak arrival •Reduced fare solution information •Customer-friendly •Incentrip reward transition from program moovel platform •Customer Web-Portal •Web-based services •Self-service site including: •Special event tickets •Financial Reporting •Customer Service
C. Diagram 2 below provides an overview of the desired design for VRE Mobile. The “Best Solution” box below refers to the Contractor’s mobile fare purchasing platform. The trip tools are discussed in further detail in Section 21 below.
Diagram 2: VRE Mobile Design
3rd Party Trip Planning apps
VRE Mobile Everbridge Push Notifications
#1 Fare #2 APC Purchasing Trip Tools Integration
GTFS
Parking
Fare Ticket Retrieval: Purchasing Digital or Paper Trip Planning Web Portal
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Virginia Railway Express 04. TASK ORDER TECHNICAL SERVICES A. For the entire term of the Contract, the Contractor shall provide Task Order technical services for VRE Mobile on an as needed basis. Refer to the Task Order Requirements included in the Special Provisions of the RFP. B. The tasks VRE may ask the Contractor to perform include those outlined in Phases 2 and 3 of this document. Other task assignments include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Provide requested training of VRE personnel. 2. Analyze or test and provide a written report for any hardware VRE proposes to add to VRE Mobile. 3. Extensions to functionality. 4. Software additions, deletions or modifications to accommodate station additions, increases in customer amenities, adding new device types or additions, removals or modifications to status, control or serial devices. 5. Assistance in the selection of alternative components or software to those originally provided for VRE Mobile. 6. Configuration of changes to the Contractor’s software provided to other clients or implemented as part of the standard system, to operate in VRE’s environment. 7. Modifications to the look and feel of the ticketing component.
C. No changes shall be made to the implemented software applications without the written approval of VRE. All changes made to the Contractor’s software which are provided to the Contractor’s other customers shall be identified by the Contractor and reported to VRE. This shall include a short description of the software functionality and how it would affect the VRE Mobile.
D. For the purposes of technical support, the Contractor shall make available technical staff knowledgeable in software development, system administration, database administration of VRE Mobile, and other technical staff as necessary, for the duration of the Contract.
05. CORE REQUIREMENTS: FARE PURCHASING (PHASE 1) A. The Contractor shall be responsible for, but not limited to, the following tasks:
1. Provide a forward-looking technology solution that supports an un-gated Proof-of-Payment (POP) operation.
2. Develop a detailed Transition Plan to seamlessly transition VRE from the current moovel-provided VRE Mobile to the new platform, for both mobile ticketing and reporting.
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Virginia Railway Express 3. Ensure electronic verification of all mobile tickets. Verification must be capable in an offline environment given current cell/data coverage restrictions on both VRE lines.
4. Exercise development best practices.
5. Deliver a system diagram for all software and hardware components for each phase.
6. Deliver a back-office system and reporting tools to capture, store and process ticket purchases, credit and debit card transactions and data, ticket usage, and verification data.
7. Provide system installation, testing, implementation, hosting, including redundancy and backups, and operation as well as software maintenance services.
B. Development Standards:
1. Provide training manuals and API documentation.
2. To the extent feasible, utilize an open source standards-based system.
3. All graphics and logos shall be subject to approval by VRE.
C. Performance Requirements:
1. Perform within the varying on-board environmental and lighting conditions experienced on rail vehicles and stations subject to adequate cellular service reception.
2. Mobile ticket activation/validation must be successfully performed in all on-board environmental conditions.
3. Scalable to support growth based on customer adoption of the system.
4. VRE Mobile shall quickly process all transactions while being highly accurate and reliable, achieving:
a. No less than 99% in service availability for all functionality;
b. No less than 99.9% accuracy for all VRE transactions; and
c. No discrepancies amongst any information reported to VRE.
5. Electronic verification of VRE Mobile tickets shall be successfully completed in no greater than seven hundred fifty (750) milliseconds using a mobile application on scanning devices. Electronic verification by scanners must be capable in an offline environment.
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Virginia Railway Express 6. Any time VRE-specific data (including all information related to VRE customers) is transmitted between systems and/or devices, all mobile ticketing related data shall be transmitted in a secure, reliable and efficient manner, with any credit/debit data transmission meeting or exceeding all Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance requirements (see Section E – Security Requirements).
D. User Interface Requirements:
1. The user display, instructions and selection keys shall be easy to read, understand and use.
2. Designed to provide quick, easy customer-initiated transactions.
3. Selection keys and other hyperlinks shall be accessible and responsive.
4. Screen layouts shall be constructed to minimize the likelihood that a user will activate the incorrect key or more than one key with one touch.
E. Security Requirements:
1. PCI Compliance and Protection of Rider Data
a. VRE Mobile shall always be implemented and operated in a PCI- compliant manner. This may include utilizing architectures that minimize or eliminate the system being subject to the scope of PCI.
b. VRE Mobile that processes payments and all communications shall be fully compliant with all applicable PCI standards, guidelines, information supplements, etc. (www.pcisecuritystandards.org) at the time of VRE’s design approval.
2. The Contractor shall provide, as part of recurring software maintenance, continual updates to maintain compliance as new versions of the PCI security standards are published.
3. The Contractor shall identify and notify VRE of any changes to the standards that are instituted between the time of the Notice-To-Proceed (NTP) and implementation and certify that their software meets these requirements.
4. The Contractor shall furnish documentation not more than thirty (30) days after the NTP to provide full details for compliance with all aspects of applicable current PCI standards.
5. If the Contractor’s design removes certain components (e.g. customer applications, back office systems, etc.) from the scope of PCI, the Contractor shall furnish applicable documentation as part of their submission not more than thirty (30) days after NTP.
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Virginia Railway Express 6. Data security for the VRE Mobile system and any interfaces shall employ the most current industry and U.S. government techniques, such as AES, 3DES, etc., to ensure that all data (online and offline) is safeguarded from unauthorized access or use and programs are protected from any known cyber-attack or computer virus.
7. All customer information, including but not limited to, financial information, names, addresses, passwords, email addresses, shall be safeguarded from unauthorized access using strong encryption or similar technologies.
8. Fare Revenue Protection: Fraud Prevention
a. Bar code images shall be secured via encryption or other method to ensure the integrity of issued tickets. The system shall utilize various features to minimize the risk of fraudulent bar codes.
b. VRE Mobile shall contain a variety of security features to allow applicable personnel to easily perform visual identification of invalid, expired or fraudulent mobile tickets. The Contractor shall provide potential alternatives to help mitigate the risk of customers making purchases on-board once the customer sees a fare inspector.
F. Fare Revenue Protection: Inspection
1. Easy-to-read ticket designs for visual inspection and verification for security purposes are essential.
2. The VRE back-office shall record, and be capable of reporting on, all pertinent information of all scanned tickets, including but not limited to, date/time, geo-location, inspector/device ID, route, ticket/fare product information, and customer ID/account.
3. VRE Mobile shall also include an administrative Fare Inspector mobile application to facilitate enforcement of fares on-board vehicles. This application shall enable inspectors to visually and electronically verify fares and operate on a mobile operating system platform approved by VRE.
4. VRE currently has forty (40) handheld scanners in operation which are intended to be re-used for the new mobile ticketing system.
5. Electronic verification by scanners shall have settable parameters and business rules for “canceling” tickets and passback controls to restrict the use of a given fare product in a VRE-determined amount of time. This shall include visual indications to Fare Inspectors as part of the Fare Inspector Application.
6. The scanners shall accept upgrades to the applications and operating system software without requiring replacement or modification of hardware.
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Virginia Railway Express 7. Multiple different devices shall be able to be used by VRE as scanners without software modification. Under no circumstance and at no time shall only a single type of scanner (whether fixed or mobile) be available for validating the mobile tickets.
G. Fare Collection Requirements: Fare Catalog
1. The Contractor must be capable of supporting all fare products in the VRE fare policy either (1.) effective at NTP or (2.) planned to be effective at the time revenue service begins. VRE will inform the Contractor of the fare policy to use within seven (7) days of the date set forth in the NTP. Specific fare products will be agreed-upon during the design review process.
2. The system shall accommodate a variety of reduced fares (Seniors, Persons with Disabilities, Youth Fares, etc.) as contained in VRE’s fare tariff. The system shall provide auditable controls on the sales of reduced-fare tickets to ensure sufficient accountability of the reduced-fare program and the application shall provide a means for customer input, and VRE validation, of basic reduced fare data (e.g. VRE ID#, etc.).
3. VRE Mobile shall support the fare types, products and policies as stated in VRE’s fare tariff, including but not limited to, the Classes of Tickets, Expiration of Tickets and the Ticket Refunds section of the tariff as well as any future fare tariffs implemented by VRE. VRE’s fare tariff is available at https://www.vre.org/about/policies/tariff/. The Contractor shall use technically feasible efforts to enforce the policies for Transferability of Tickets as stated in Section 05.04.00 of the tariff.
H. Third Party Integrations:
1. Should 3rd party applications like Transit, Moovit, Google Maps, etc. be utilized, the Contractor shall ensure that tickets have the same standards across each 3rd party platform. VRE will direct the Contractor as to which 3rd party applications to utilize and will not grant exclusivity to any 3rd party platform due to any Contractor competitor issues.
2. At present, the WMATA SmartBenefits team is developing an API to replace the current file transfer process. The Contractor’s solution shall interface with the SmartBenefits API should this become available.
3. VRE Mobile shall support the inclusion of advertisements via third-party ad networks such as Google Ads and/or third-party mobile coupons/offers.
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Virginia Railway Express I. The following table outlines the required Phase 1 Project Submittals:
No. Submittal Due to VRE 1 Transition Plan NTP + 10 days 2 Training Manuals NTP + 30 days 3 API Documentation NTP + 10 days 4 Interface Control Document NTP + 10 days 5 Project Schedule Monthly 6 Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan NTP + 30 days
06. UNIQUE VRE AND REGIONAL NEEDS A. Diagram 3 below outlines an overview of the current moovel-provided VRE Mobile and how it interacts with SmartBenefits. It is VRE’s expectation that this functionality will be replicated.
B. Currently WMATA deposits a .csv file once a month into an S3 bucket on Amazon Web Services (AWS). The .csv file is ingested as represented by “TOMS” below.
Diagram 3: Overview of VRE Mobile and SmartBenefits
C. The ability to allocate SmartBenefits to VRE Mobile customers shall be supported by the system. It is envisioned that in coordination with WMATA and VRE, VRE Mobile shall be set up as a provider to which SmartBenefits customers can allocate their SmartBenefits funds utilizing the WMATA SmartBenefits existing web capabilities as outlined in the above diagram.
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Virginia Railway Express D. Detailed information on the current SmartBenefits process for non-SmarTrip agencies and operators is available at:
https://www.wmata.com/business/smartbenefits/How-to-Use-SmartBenefits.cfm.
E. After customers have allocated their funds to the Contractor, VRE and/or WMATA can provide this allocation data electronically (e.g. files, database access, etc.) to the Contractor. Allocations shall be uploaded into the customer’s VRE Mobile accounts to allow for VRE fare product purchases. The details related to this process shall be finalized during applicable design reviews.
F. In addition to SmartBenefits funds, VRE customers shall be able to add “post-tax” funds to their VRE Mobile account via the VRE Mobile accepted payment methods to purchase fare products using a combination of SmartBenefits and post-tax funds. This shall allow for the purchase of VRE products that are priced higher than the maximum allowed pre-tax transit benefit.
G. SmartBenefits shall be in accordance with all applicable Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations. Pre-tax accounts shall be configurable (i.e. Transit-only, Parking-only, etc.) to restrict the use of funds to specific services as required by the IRS and may require unique merchant IDs or other identifiers to distinguish transit, parking and other products.
H. Additional information on the federal transit benefits program is also available on WMATA’s website at https://www.wmata.com/business/smartbenefits/For- Employers.cfm#main-content .
I. The system shall support detailed monthly reporting of SmartBenefits usage by recipient and monthly “return” of SmartBenefits funds not utilized by the customer. Any unused funds need to be removed as an available payment method each month, returning the available funds to zero on a VRE-specified date and before any new SmartBenefits funds are applied.
J. The Contractor solution shall support a multi-agency account-based approach that provides the ability to allocate SmartBenefits to other regional partners that may join the VRE Mobile platform with minimal development effort.
07. STEP-UP TICKET A. The Contractor’s solution shall support VRE’s Step-Up ticket which requires compatibility with Amtrak’s handheld scanners.
B. Step-Up tickets shall only be able to be activated/validated when a VRE multi-ride ticket is active.
08. REDUCED FARE INGESTION A. VRE uses a custom customer relationship management tool to coordinate various activities on a customer’s record, including approving a customer to receive reduced fare. The Contractor’s solution shall support VRE’s customer service staff
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Virginia Railway Express using the current customer relationship management tool to whitelist the riders that are eligible for the discounted tickets in the VRE Mobile platform.
B. Currently a script deposits a .csv file from VRE’s system nightly into an S3 bucket on AWS.
09. SPLIT PAYMENT The Contractor shall allow VRE customers to pay using split payment functionality whereby two (2) forms of acceptable payment may be used to pay for a VRE Mobile purchase.
10. BANKLESS PAYMENTS A. The Contractor shall accept pre-paid debit cards for all transactions.
B. If this option is not supported, the Contractor shall provide retail options to support cash customers.
11. CUSTOMER SUPPORT A. The Contractor shall support a tiered customer support framework. Tier One customer support will be provided by VRE’s Customer Service agents. Alternatively, the Contractor may propose to handle the majority of customer service issues directly.
B. The Contractor shall provide the following support functions:
1. Web-based on–line tools for the VRE customer service agents to document, investigate and resolve customer issues, including refunds when justified.
2. Training for customer service agents in the use of the tools.
3. Training to enable VRE technical staff to provide support to customer service agents.
4. Support for customer and technical issues that cannot be resolved by VRE personnel using the tools and training provided by the Contractor.
5. Direct means of contact with the Contractor for emergency situations or to resolve issues affecting the overall VRE Mobile system.
12. REPORTS A. Web-based report capabilities shall allow for the following:
1. Sales and financial reports that itemize the following for each transaction:
a. Payment method
b. Value
c. Payment type (credit card, debit card, ACH account, PayPal account, etc.)
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Virginia Railway Express d. Ticket type
e. Passenger type
f. Other necessary information
2. The following reports must be provided to, or generated by, VRE on both a daily and monthly basis. The Contractor’s reporting tool must have the ability to provide specific date and time ranges for reporting.
3. The Contractor’s reports must be capable of being accessed and downloaded by VRE through the VRE Mobile ticket portal and shall include the following:
a. Sales Detail Report • Transaction ID Number • Ticket Description • Rider Type (Full Fare or Reduced Fare) • Transaction Date • Transaction Time • Selling Device • Payment Type (Credit Card, SmartBenefits, etc.) • Individually Identifiable Inventory Ticket Number • Sales Amount • User Email (Rider Email) • Rail Origin • Rail Destination • Line (Manassas/Fredericksburg)
b. Sales Transaction Report • Transaction ID Number • Order Value • Transaction Date • Transaction Time • Payment Description (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) • Payment Type • Last Four Digits of the Card Number • Transaction Amount • Fees • Commission • Settlement Date
c. Refund Report • Transaction ID Number (Original Transaction) • Refund Transaction ID • Ticket Type (Single Ride, 31-Day Pass, etc.) • User ID (VRE Employee ID Number) • Refunder Name (VRE Employee Name)
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Virginia Railway Express • Rider Email • Refunder Email (VRE Employee) • Refund Value • Pay Code (Credit Card) • Card Type (VISA, Amex, etc.) • Tickets Removed Number • Refund Date • Refund Time • Notes (VRE Employee Use)
d. Courtesy Report • Transaction ID Number • User ID (VRE Employee ID Number) • Courtesy Provider Name (VRE Employee) • Courtesy Provider Email (VRE Employee) • Transaction Date • Transaction Time • Courtesy Rider Type (Full Fare, Reduced Fare) • Fare Type (Day Pass, 31-Day Pass, etc.) • Courtesy Value • Notes (VRE Employee Use)
e. Sales by Payment Type Report • Total Sales for Each Payment Type • Total Tickets Sold • Total Sales Amount • Transaction ID Number • Transaction Type • Transaction Status • Transaction Date • Transaction Time • Settlement Date • Merchant Account • Currency ISO Code • Amount Authorized • Amount Submitted for Settlement • Payment Type • Card Type • Last Four Digits of the Card Number • Credit Card Number (Encrypted) • Expiration Date • Issuing Bank
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Virginia Railway Express 4. The Contractor shall provide usage reports that provide information on all electronic scans of tickets, whether by fare inspectors using handheld devices or by customer use of tickets at fixed scanners such as those planned for buses.
5. The Contractor shall provide a detailed monthly reporting of SmartBenefits allocated by user and include usage by recipient for electronic SmartBenefits. The report must include the following fields:
a. Month b. Year c. Customer Name d. SmartBenefits Account Number e. Amount Allocated f. Amount Used g. Account Created h. Account Updated
6. The Contractor shall also provide detailed analysis into mobile-specific data, such as the customer’s technology profile (e.g. device, operating system, network, etc.), locations of use of the application and the functionality used by customers.
B. The system shall provide periodic (at least daily) raw data files containing all data for each transaction for VRE analysis, subject to PCI compliance. VRE envisions eventually integrating VRE Mobile data into the central databases of its current and/or future Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system. If VRE decides to move forward with this integration, the Contractor shall use all commercially reasonable efforts to cooperate with VRE’s AFC system provider.
C. The Contractor shall provide an Interface Control Document (ICD) of the data files that will be available for Phase 1. The ICD shall be revised as needed based on design reviews and/or additional updates to the system as agreed upon by VRE and the Contractor. An initial ICD shall be provided as part of the design review process.
13. WEB BASED SERVICES A. In addition to the web-based reporting capabilities described herein, VRE Mobile shall provide a variety of web-based services to include the following:
1. Customer Service – comprehensive tools to enable the Contractor or VRE personnel to search customer accounts, issue refunds, cancel issued tickets, and re-issue purchased fare products, etc.
2. Problem Reporting – comprehensive tools to allow VRE and the Contractor’s personnel to report technical issues and track issues through resolution.
3. System Configuration – comprehensive tools to enable VRE personnel to manage fare products, pricing, branding, etc. to manage VRE Mobile. The
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Virginia Railway Express tools shall also support tariff modifications and maintenance to permit VRE to add, delete and modify fares and other electronic products to meet its needs, including non-transit products. This shall be provided to personnel with the appropriate high-security password and privileges. For the purpose of regional integration, each agency shall be able to have control over agency-specific configurations, and a “super administrator” role shall be capable of managing data for all agencies.
14. FINANCIAL PROCESSING A. The Contractor shall be responsible for the development, testing and certification of the interface to VRE’s acquirer/processor.
B. VRE is currently utilizing Braintree to securely collect, process and settle all VRE Mobile purchase transactions in accordance with all applicable financial industry standards.
C. While VRE is familiar with both Braintree and Heartland Payment Systems, the Contractor may propose alternative acquiring/processing service providers(s) to process payment transactions as a party to the Contract. VRE will select the provider at the time the Contract is awarded.
D. The Contractor shall provide VRE access to the payment processor account to obtain sales transaction reports. The report from the payment processor must include the fields outlined in Reports (Section 12) of the Scope of Work.
E. If additional agencies are added to the system, the system shall support utilizing different acquirers/processors for each agency as required.
F. The VRE Mobile solution shall be enabled for a nightly deposit of funds into VRE’s specific bank account.
G. The VRE Mobile solution shall allow for full reconciliation by agency for all sales.
H. Software resident on the system to accommodate electronic payments shall conform to applicable ABA, ISO/IEC, Federal Regulations (including Federal Reserve Board Regulations “E” and “Z”), and standards for electronic payment processing.
15. PHASED DEPLOYMENT A. Items expected at the Phase 1 launch are as stated in the Scope of Work as well as ATTACHMENT B - VRE Mobile Technical Requirements Matrix to the RFP. The Contractor shall propose a project schedule and deployment plan that incorporates the functions for VRE Mobile.
B. At a minimum, mobile devices utilizing the prevalent versions of the mobile operating systems offered by Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) must be supported in Phase 1.
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Virginia Railway Express C. The Phase 1 functionality shall be deployed no later than two (2) months after the date set forth in the NTP, and earlier if possible, based on an agreed upon schedule that incorporates sufficient time for iterative design reviews and VRE employee/customer testing. The Contractor may propose to deploy solutions for other smartphone operating systems and non-smartphones following successful completion of Phase 1. The timeline for VRE Mobile implementation shall be in accordance with the schedule submitted by the Contractor.
D. Phase 2 and any additional phases proposed by the Contractor shall only commence after the successful completion and approval of Phase 1 by VRE.
16. DESIGN PROCESS A. An iterative process of workshops, submittals and reviews shall be conducted. The process shall include conceptual, preliminary and final software design workshops to ensure that the required software functionality and VRE employee/customer input is incorporated into the software design.
B. Workshops shall allow for participation in the design by VRE employees, customers and/or other stakeholders.
C. VRE reserves the right to utilize additional resources to assist in the “look and feel” of the application design, though the Contractor shall be responsible for all development.
D. Documents, drawings, and data furnished at each review shall be sufficient to permit VRE to easily ascertain the ability of the proposed design to satisfy all mobile ticketing requirements. VRE reserve the right to reject, without review, any document that is not in English or is not readily understandable due to lack of proper grammar, spelling, sentence structure, or punctuation. VRE is under no obligation to expend extraordinary effort to interpret poorly written or translated documents.
E. The Contractor must provide Business and Functional Requirements (BFR) as part of the Deployment Plan for VRE review and approval. The BFR shall be in accordance with preceding design reviews and workshops. The submittal must be approved by VRE prior to the commencement of testing.
17. TESTING A. The Contractor shall plan, perform, and document all tests required to prove their design and functionality of VRE Mobile, including all elements, subsystems, and the system to ensure that the requirements identified in the Scope of Work are fulfilled.
B. VRE shall have the option to monitor and/or participate in any test performed as required by this section.
C. VRE expects to participate in all testing but reserves the right to permit the Contractor to perform the testing without VRE oversight. However, VRE will
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Virginia Railway Express review all test procedures and results to ensure that the tests were performed properly and that the test results properly reflect the testing performed.
D. At a minimum and with the potential exception as noted in this section, the Contractor shall perform the following tests in the sequence as stated below and not progress to the next testing step until the results of testing have been accepted and approved by VRE:
1. Functional Test shall: a. Demonstrate and verify all functions for the applications, software and interfaces to be provided by VRE Mobile; b. Test functions resulting from the agreements reached during the final design review; and c. Be performed at a location near the VRE offices, as selected by VRE.
2. Installation/Integration Test shall: a. Occur after VRE Mobile has been installed; b. Verify the proper operation of all interfaces without loss of any functionality or performance; and c. Include a load test to demonstrate the capacity to process the required simultaneous transactions.
3. SmartBenefits Test shall: a. Verify proper operation with the WMATA-developed and operated SmartBenefits system; b. Require an interface to the existing SmartBenefits system; c. Verify proper interface and allocation of transit benefits; d. Pre-tax and post-tax as well as the reconciliation of transit benefits assigned and unused (to be returned to the employer); and e. Require coordination with WMATA SmartBenefits personnel to verify successful processing of SmartBenefits data.
4. Financial Reporting Test shall: a. Demonstrate clearly the reconciliation process of all key financial reports as outlined in Section 12.
5. Initial Revenue Service Test (4-week duration): This test shall permit the system to be fully exercised by select customers and VRE employees not familiar with its design or development. The test shall cover all aspects of the system including the following:
a. Sign up and utilization of the system, as well as issuance of valid fare products; and b. Provide for full use of the system for a select number of customers and VRE employees.
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E. Functional, Installation/Integration and SmartBenefits tests may be conducted concurrently if approved by VRE.
F. Satisfactory completion of all tests is a prerequisite for the rollout of applicable functionality. Rollout shall occur only after VRE has formally approved the test results.
G. VRE Mobile shall provide non-production (e.g. test, development) environment(s) that can be utilized by VRE without requiring Contractor intervention for common changes (pricing, products, etc.) that may be made by VRE.
H. VRE reserves the right to:
1. Monitor any test performed as described in this Section; 2. Participate in all testing; 3. Permit the Contractor to perform the testing without VRE oversight; and 4. Review all test procedures and results to ensure that the tests were performed properly and that the test results properly reflect the testing performed.
18. SOFTWARE PROGRAMS A. Once the full testing phase has been successfully completed, and prior to the start of revenue service, the Contractor shall completely install all Software as a Service (SaaS) programs necessary for successful system operation, including the appropriate commercial software and the operating system.
B. The Contractor shall provide licenses for all third-party software/service and core software that is provide in accordance with this Contract.
C. The Software License Agreement, as identified in PART IV – PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS, Section 03, Tab 12 of the RFP, shall include the above referenced software licenses.
19. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE A. The Contractor shall provide software maintenance services to include, but not limited to, the following:
1. Appropriate updates to VRE Mobile software that the Contractor has introduced to its standard mobile ticketing platform.
2. Updates and corrections to address new bugs, or regressions, in the system after changes, such as enhancements, patches, configuration changes or new versions of mobile device operating systems.
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C. The Software Maintenance Agreement, as identified in PART IV – PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS, Section 03, Tab 11 of the RFP, shall include the above referenced software maintenance services.
20. TRANSITION A. As outlined above, VRE is transitioning from its existing VRE Mobile on the moovel platform to a new solution. It is the intent of VRE to transition to a new mobile fare purchasing platform in the third quarter of 2020.
B. The Contractor shall propose an effective and detailed transition plan that details how VRE will seamlessly move from the existing platform to the new platform given the unique requirements of VRE and accommodating moovel’s transition process.
21. OPTIONAL REQUIREMENTS: TRIP TOOLS (PHASE 2) A. Should the Contractor hold the expertise and desire to execute additional work outside the primary ticketing functionality, VRE will issue Task Orders on an as needed basis to complete custom development work. The Contractor may use Subcontractors to perform custom development work upon VRE’s approval.
B. VRE Mobile will provide the following existing or new functionality through VRE- approved designed Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), RSS feeds, etc.:
1. Trip Planning Tool (e.g., Google Maps, Moovit, Transit, other GTFS applications).
2. Parking Count System – VRE currently has an existing count system installed at all VRE station parking locations that provides real time parking availability data.
3. Automated Passenger Count System (APC) - The primary objective of the APC installation is to provide more reliable passenger counting at an increased frequency than VRE’s existing process (i.e., on each train at each stop), with the base accuracy meeting the requirements for reporting into the National Transit Database (NTD). The APC solution is expected to be deployed in the fourth quarter of 2020.
4. Push Notifications – VRE has the following list of Train Talk alerts that shall be distributed through push notifications:
a. Service alerts b. Service advisories (in the future to include real-time passenger counts)
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VRE currently uses Everbridge to provide Train Talk alerts and their API documentation can be found at https://api.everbridge.net/.
5. Amtrak Arrival Information – VRE is currently installing a new variable messaging system that combines VRE and Amtrak arrival information real- time on station monitors for customers.
6. Reward Program – Commuter Connections has an Incentrip Program and can provide an API. More information about this program can be found at https://www.commuterconnections.org/incentrip-program-guidelines/.
C. End User Support: VRE anticipates a significant increase in phone calls and emails from riders upon implementation of a new VRE Mobile application. To ease the anticipated burden on VRE’s customer support team, VRE may issue a Task Order for end user phone support and/or end user email support.
D. Online Ticket Portal/E-Commerce Functionality:
1. Customer Web-Portal – secure website with comprehensive tools to enable customers to perform a variety of functions, including, but not limited to, registration, account look-up, ticket purchases, and the ability to view transactions.
2. Initially, the portal will allow customers to purchase tickets online and retrieve tickets on their mobile devices.
3. A future phase will allow customers to purchase tickets online and retrieve paper tickets at vendor locations and other delivery options.
E. Special Tickets (Santa Trains, Firecracker Trains, etc.):
1. VRE’s special event tickets, most notably Santa Trains, sell out extremely quickly (typically within three minutes). VRE currently sells the tickets through a BigCommerce site as the expanded bandwidth is helpful with the dramatic traffic spike when the tickets go on sale.
2. The future solution may employ use of a SaaS e-commerce solution and then making the tickets retrievable via VRE Mobile.
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1. The system shall have the potential to support NFC processing, including the potential for “tag-on” and “tag-off” at stations, at a future date as agreed- upon by the Contractor and VRE.
2. The Contractor shall provide a realistic and feasible “product roadmap” for using NFC, should the Contractor deem such technology to be beneficial to VRE.
3. VRE will work with the Contractor based on the Contractor’s specific timeline to update overall platforms for NFC support.
G. WMATA Integration:
The Transit Link Card (TLC), which provides for joint travel on the WMATA MetroRail system, shall not be supported initially for VRE Mobile, but may be integrated at a future date.
H. Integration with Internal VRE Systems:
VRE envisions a tool to assist with the daily reconciliation process utilizing Sharepoint as the UI to easily identify discrepancies.
22. OPTIONAL REQUIREMENTS: REGIONAL TRANSIT INTEGRATIONS (PHASE 3)
A. The system shall enable agency-designated institutional partners (e.g., high schools, colleges, social service organizations, etc.) to manage the provision of electronic fare products to select user accounts.
B. The Contractor shall describe the ability of the system’s institutional partner functionality, including:
1. Institutional Partner self-service capability and user experience with fare product management, reporting, and invoicing.
2. Agency self-service capabilities and user experience for managing the institutional partners, including ongoing partner management, reporting, invoicing, and analytics.
C. VRE Mobile shall be able to sell and support the use of different agency and regional fare products, including transfers, and provide revenue distribution and accounting across multiple participating agencies in the region based on logic/rules agreed upon by the agencies and mobile ticket usage.
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D. In addition, the trip planning and real-time information from additional agencies shall be seamlessly incorporated. VRE Mobile will support the ability to handle transfers and fare capping between participating agencies.
E. The Contractor’s solution shall enable agency-designated regional partners to manage the provision of electronic fare products to select user accounts.
F. The Contractor shall describe the ability of the system’s regional partner functionality, including:
1. Regional partner self-service capability and user experience with fare product management, reporting, and invoicing.
2. Agency self-service capabilities and user experience for managing the regional partners, including ongoing partner management, reporting, invoicing, and analytics.
3. Regional partner self-service capability for electronic validation device management to enable remote software updates and device health tracking.
4. Full individual reporting and reconciliation by agency (sales, usages, refunds, etc.), including separation of funds by individual participating agency.
5. The VRE Mobile solution will support separation of funds and multiple merchant IDs for each regional partner brought onto the platform.
6. The Contractor shall provide a detailed overview on the mobile application architecture describing the customer experience and agency branding should a regional application be developed with fare products from multiple agencies.
7. The Contractor shall design a fare inspection solution separately with the regional partners. The solution shall support onboard validators for buses.
8. The validators shall be able to use NFC, Bluetooth and/or Quick Response (QR) code technology for validation.
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