In 2017, Executive Constantine and Metro GM Rob Gannon called on the industry to invest more in battery-electric options, including the creation of coaches that could travel farther and handle the varying terrain requirements of the region.
New Flyer/King County Metro
King County to add more New Flyer battery-electric buses
Seattle’s King County Metro will purchase 40 New Flyer 60-foot zero-emission, battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE™ heavy-duty transit buses from New Flyer, with plans to order an additional 80 battery-electric buses in the coming year. Upon execution of the purchase agreement with Metro, the order will be added to New Flyer’s backlog.
The recent announcement follows Metro’s 2018 electric bus evaluation program, which used New Flyer’s Xcelsior CHARGE™ buses, and is a major milestone in the county’s efforts to improve air quality, reduce carbon, and create a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040 or earlier.
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In 2017, Executive Constantine and Metro GM Rob Gannon called on the industry to invest more in battery-electric options, including the creation of coaches that could travel farther and handle the varying terrain requirements of the region. New Flyer stepped up to the challenge, producing both a 40-foot and 60-foot battery-electric bus that met Metro’s specifications and timeline needs. The buses Metro will purchase both have a battery size of 466 kWh.
Under terms of the five-year contract, MV will be responsible for operations, call center, dispatch, maintenance, and safety within the TARC3 paratransit service system. MV will lead the transformation of TARC’s current system by implementing a flexible service delivery model and series of technology upgrades that will improve operational efficiency and responsiveness and enhance the overall passenger experience.
What truly drives the cost of a paratransit fleet? Beyond the purchase price, seven operational factors quietly determine maintenance frequency, downtime, and long-term service reliability. This whitepaper explores how these factors shape lifecycle cost and what agencies should evaluate when selecting paratransit vehicles.
In this conversation, TBC’s Executive Director Ed Redfern, President Corey Aldridge, and Washington Representative Joel Rubin outline the coalition’s key policy priorities, the challenges facing transit agencies, and how industry stakeholders can work together to strengthen the voice of bus transit at the federal level.
Originally introduced in 2023 as the Bus Line Redesign, the effort has evolved into a more targeted update that maintains familiar routes while improving reliability, frequency, evening and weekend service, and connections across Allegheny County.
S3 will connect communities along SR 522 with fast, reliable, battery-electric bus service from Shoreline South Station to Bothell via Kenmore and Lake Forest Park.
The configuration uses Ster Seating's Gemini seat platform to create a family-friendly floor layout specifically engineered to accommodate parents traveling with young children.
The Renton Transit Center project will relocate and rebuild the Renton Transit Center to better serve the regional Stride S1 line, local King County Metro services, and the future RapidRide I Line.
