Biz Briefs covers the latest supplier news in the motorcoach and public transit industries.

In METRO's latest installment, we take a look at the latest news from suppliers including RideCo, Alexander Dennis, and more.

RideCo, MARTA Partner to Enhance Paratransit Services

RideCo won a contract with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) to partner and provide Atlanta’s new modernized paratransit service, replacing their legacy software. 

The deal will see RideCo and MARTA dramatically increase the efficiency and convenience of the 200-plus-vehicle ADA paratransit fleet. 

Fundamental to MARTA’s mission is to advocate for and provide safe, multimodal transit services that advance prosperity, connectivity, and equity for a more livable region, according to the agency. The new initiative supports the mission through modernizing mobility services, expanding access through MARTA Reach, improving flexibility and reliability, strengthening MARTA’s transit network, and enhancing system accessibility and inclusivity.

Florida’s PSTA Selects Tampa Bay Ferry Service Operator

St. Petersburg, Florida’s Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) selected Hubbard’s Marina as the official operator for the Tampa Bay Ferry, a significant step forward in creating a reliable, sustainable, and convenient water-based transportation option for Tampa Bay residents and visitors. 

The approval authorizes PSTA to enter into a five-year operating contract with Hubbard’s Marina, with an option to extend the agreement for an additional five years. This milestone follows extensive evaluation of proposals, community conversations, and strong regional support for expanding mobility options across the bay. 

Under the new contract, Tampa Bay Sea Taxi Inc. — the company established by Hubbard’s Marina to operate the ferry — will oversee vessel management, staffing, safety, and daily operations.

The Tampa Bay Ferry is expected to offer scenic, efficient cross-bay transportation for commuters, tourists, and recreational riders alike, easing roadway congestion while providing a memorable waterborne travel experience. 

Alexander Dennis Unveils ‘Tea and Toast’ Next-Gen Electric Buses

Alexander Dennis, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., has applied its new “tea and toast” liveries to one Enviro400EV and two Enviro100EV demonstrators in celebration of British culture and bus engineering.

By showing exactly how many cups of tea and slices of toast each bus could hypothetically make from its battery storage power, the new liveries link Alexander Dennis’s next-generation electric double-decker and midibus to another quintessentially British thing: the nation’s love for tea and toast.

The double-deck Enviro400EV powers the commute for up to 96 passengers at a time with 472kWh batteries — enough energy to brew 20,296 cups of tea, as illustrated by lots of different brews raised in celebration across the vehicle.

To go with the tea, 14,160 slices of toast could be powered by the 354kWh batteries installed in the Enviro100EV “big small bus,” which the manufacturer has decorated with mouthwatering slices of toast and jam. The Enviro100EV offers 50% more battery capacity than other buses in its class while seating up to 26 passengers, measuring just 27.8 feet in length and 7.7 feet in width.

Both have been designed by Alexander Dennis’s engineers in the UK as part of the manufacturer’s wider family of next-generation electric buses, building on decades of experience in developing buses that meet the specific requirements of British bus operators and transport authorities, according to company officials.

Virginia’s OmniRide, Transit App Team to Enhance Real-Time Passenger Info

Woodbridge, Virginia’s OmniRide is now working directly with Transit to ensure riders receive the most accurate, up-to-date service information. 

The Transit app helps users easily navigate public transit in 1,000 cities across 28 countries worldwide, with multimodal trip planning, nearby departure times, and gamification features that let users climb leaderboards on their daily commutes.

In addition, OmniRide is partnering with Transit to offer riders free access to Transit Royale, a set of exclusive features within the Transit app. OmniRide riders will now be able to redeem their free Royale subscription directly through the app. With Royale, riders gain access to unlimited departure schedules, additional trip planning options, custom app themes and icons, and more.

OmniRide’s current trip planner on its website will also be transitioned to the Transit trip planner by the end of the year. Through this partnership, OmniRide and Transit will continue working in tandem to make public transit more reliable and easier to use in Northern Virginia.