MCI delivers Commuter Coaches, J4500s to Texas, Canada

Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc.,  is completing the delivery of 25 new clean-diesel Commuter Coaches to The Woodlands Township, Texas.

Located approximately 34 miles north of downtown Houston along Interstate 45, The Woodlands Township has put MCI’s top-selling public transit coach into service for its popular park-and-ride service known as The Woodlands Express. Buses travel daily to Houston’s major employment centers including the Texas Medical Center, Greenway Plaza, and Houston’s central business district.

The first five MCI Commuter Coaches were delivered in December of 2015, followed by 10 more coaches in March 2016. The final 10 coaches will be delivered this month to complete an order valued at approximately $ 14.4 million.

The Woodlands Township funded the coaches through a competitive Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded through the Houston-Galveston Area Council, the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The MCI Commuter Coach, based on the best-selling D-Series model, is the preferred vehicle on long-distance express routes because of its fuel efficiency, passenger comfort and safety at higher speeds. Safety technologies standard on the commuter coach include electronic stability control, fire suppression systems, three-point passenger seatbelts, and an LED destination sign for improved visibility. The Woodlands Township order added optional lavatories, wheelchair lifts, comfortable Kiel seating with grab rails and arm rests, power outlets, and Wi-Fi connectivity to each of their 55-seat coaches.

The company also announced that it recently delivered 20 new J4500s — nine in 2016 and 11 in 2017 — to Banff-based Brewster Travel Canada.

Each of Brewster’s new MCI J4500s include plush leather seating for 52 passengers and custom galleys in the back with cold-water stations. Other high-end elements include wood-like flooring, 110-volt power outlets at every seat, and Wi-Fi.