DeKalb city leaders are in agreement with a transportation provider on a set of terms under a new, three-year deal to supply public transit services for the city.

At a recent public meeting, the City Council authorized a contract with Transdev Services Inc. to provide and help coordinate fixed route, paratransit, and Dial-A-Ride services from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2028.

In a related matter, the city previously took action in January 2024 to form an intergovernmental agreement with Northern Illinois University for the coordination of transit services on campus, city documents show.

Both deals will expire at the end of 2025.

“We needed to establish a contract to help run our service,” City Manager Bill Nicklas said.

The city solicited responses to a request for proposals in June that combined fixed route, paratransit, and on-demand services into one contract, city documents show.

In doing so, city staff said they hoped to streamline transportation options and ensure a more cohesive system.

A pre-bid meeting in June saw five vendors in attendance, city documents show. Only one of the prospective bidders submitted a proposal by the June 27 deadline.

Transdev Services is a longstanding provider for the city, having served the region since 1971, when the company was first enlisted to provide campus transit services for NIU, city documents show. It wasn’t until 2019 and 2021 that Transdev Services began to provide both fixed route and paratransit services for the city.

Nicklas said they provide a good service to the city.

As part of the arrangement, Transdev Services has agreed to transfer part of its fleet to city ownership. The pact is made possible for the city by seeking federal funding approval for capital repairs that would increase the buses’ useful lives, city documents show.

DeKalb is a recipient of federal Transit Administration grant funding.

In order to fulfill its grant obligation, the city is required to maintain control of assets after rehabilitation has been completed, city documents show. The buses may be used in place of transportation options nearing the end of their useful lives until new fixed route buses, on order, arrive. They will be used for regular service and reserve vehicles thereafter, city documents show.

City staff recommended greenlighting the extended contract with Transdev Services due to the organization’s history of providing service to the city, and what staff called a lack of alternative proposals to consider.

In a related development, the City Council threw its support behind an amendment to a prior approved agreement to purchase one hybrid and five diesel buses.

Council action also increased the cost to pay for the six vehicles from $4 million to about $4.06 million, city documents show. The funds would come out of Rebuild Illinois capital grant funds.

City staff said they discovered that prices had increased by an average of $9,800 per bus, city documents show.

All eligible purchases are made by the city and reimbursed by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The city is expected come spring 2026 to break ground on a new transit center off Normal and Dresser roads. Officials have said the facility will be paid for using federal monies.