FirstGroup, parent company of First Transit, signed a $110 million, five-year deal with tire supplier Bridgestone.
The deal is FirstGroup’s first international procurement agreement for direct goods or services and is also the largest commercial fleet contract in Bridgestone’s history.
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The contract will see Bridgestone, the world’s largest tire manufacturer, supplying tires to more than 60,000 of FirstGroup’s buses and coaches in the U.S., Canada, and the UK.
As part of the agreement, Bridgestone will provide tires for all of FirstGroup’s vehicles in the UK and around 80% of its operations in the U.S. and Canada.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.