After winning contract approval, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is slated to receive over 300 new alternative fuel buses to replace its old fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) models.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) board of directors has signed off on a contract with New Flyer Industries Inc. for 325 replacement buses for the MBTA fleet.
According to the MassDOT, the $222.2 million deal calls for the delivery of 40-foot, low-floor hybrid and CNG New Flyer buses to begin in July 2016, with all of the vehicles in service by June 2017. The MassDOT expects the contract to be funded with 80% federal formula funds and 20% MBTA revenue bond funds. The MBTA will engage in a detailed design-review process with New Flyer.
The 325 buses will replace a current fleet of CNG buses nearing the end of their expected 12-year service life. The MBTA's total service fleet includes more than 1,000 buses.
“This is a wise investment that meets an urgent need to retire an aging portion of our bus fleet that has presented significant maintenance challenges and deliver new, top-quality replacements that will serve thousands and thousands of our customers each day,” says Frank DePaola, interim general manager of the MBTA.
MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack adds, “This is a major step in the process in modernizing the MBTA's bus fleet and provides an important resource for millions of commuters who rely on the T every day.”
