Passenger Bus, Rail and Motorcoach Industry News

The new additions expand MTA’s fleet of 60-foot Xcelsior hybrid buses to a total of 52 and will be on the street in time for the Preakness Stakes this weekend.

The new diesel-electric hybrid SmartBuses were purchased with federal grant funds and will replace the eight oldest buses in the agency’s fleet.

The three-year contract, with two years of renewable options, contains a firm order for 10 buses (20 EUs) with options for an additional 60 buses (120 EUs). Nashville MTA is a new customer for New Flyer.

The order for 95 Xcelsior XDE40 buses is a conversion of options under the existing contract with the transit system and follows upon the delivery of 152 Xcelsior buses during 2011.

The new buses feature ergonomic passenger seating, an advanced video surveillance system, wider exit doors, LED lighting, and tip-in windows for improved air circulation and passenger safety. The first of this latest round of hybrid buses will be on the street in September 2012, with the final bus scheduled for delivery February 2013.

The 30-foot Orion buses seat up to 29 passengers and can accommodate up to two mobility devices, featuring a unique green paint scheme with white accents.

The Kendall Cruiser uses nine diesel-electric hybrid buses equipped with Wi-Fi on the heavily traveled east-west corridor.

With the introduction of 41 additional buses, MTA's hybrid inventory totals 161 out of a total fleet of 748. The fleet will have approximately 500 hybrid buses by 2016.

SEPTA is purchasing approximately 470 diesel-electric hybrids from New Flyer under a four-year contract. By the end of 2011, more than one-third of SEPTA's bus fleet will be represented by New Flyer's hybrids.

Fleets are evaluated based on policies transit authorities have implemented to reduce vehicle emissions and reliance on petroleum fuels, according to Katherine Stewart, policy director for Clean Fuels Ohio.