Nova Bus announced the company received an order for 425 40-foot CNG (compressed natural gas) buses from VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio. In addition, the company has also received an order for 80 Nova LFS® model buses and 20 LFS Artic® model articulated buses from the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) in Houston.

The buses will be manufactured in Plattsburgh, state of New York, and the delivery of the vehicles has already begun in Houston.

“We are thrilled and very proud to partner with both VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, two of the nation’s leaders in public transportation,” said Nova Bus President Raymond Leduc. “This is another milestone in our history of partnership for excellence in public transportation in Texas using vehicles that will help these progressive cities meet their sustainability objectives. Nova Bus is proud of its leadership position in green transportation solutions.”

The Nova Bus CNG buses feature a complete suite of technological systems, including GPS, passenger counter, camera system, and public information video screens. Delivery of the VIA buses will begin at the end of November 2016 and will support the agency’s ongoing all-CNG fleet conversion.

In 2016, VIA became the only public transit agency in the Southwestern U.S. to earn certification from the International Standards Organization (ISO) for its proactive efforts to provide sustainable service through its Environmental and Sustainability Management System (ESMS).

Meanwhile, Houston Metro’s contract consolidates a partnership that started in 2014, when the agency purchased 70 articulated buses from Nova Bus. The buses will be part of a special replacement and expansion project, as the city is conducting new routes, with a need for 40-foot and artic buses.

Once implemented, the fleet of 170 Nova buses will contribute greatly to meeting Houston’s rapidly-growing public transit needs. Based on the project fast-track development, vehicles delivery in the Houston market has recently begun.