Maine’s Greater Portland Transit District (METRO) ordered five Xcelsior® compressed natural gas (CNG) 40-foot, heavy-duty transit buses, and six Xcelsior clean diesel 40-foot, heavy-duty transit buses from New Flyer of America Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of New Flyer Industries Inc.

The new order, which adds a total of 11 equivalent units to New Flyer’s backlog, supports METRO’s aged fleet replacement with diesel buses, as well as planned fleet expansion with CNG buses to support the growing Portland community.

The Greater Portland region has experienced steady growth since 2010, with Portland named by Forbes as one of America’s 20 Fastest Growing Cities. Throughout 2017, a citywide planning board developed the Portland Plan 2030, which works toward an integrated, sustainable, dynamic, equitable, diverse, and connected city by 2030. A separate initiative by the City of Portland delivered a 2035 Comprehensive Plan for long‐range land use and public facility investment, specifically identifying transportation goals of safety, interconnectedness, environmental sustainability, equitable access, positive health outcomes, and effective daily access. The new plan will take effect Jan. 1, 2018.

“We are proud to support the Greater Portland Transit District as it grows in size and vitality, with more Americans moving choosing the Portland region as a competitive and sustainable place to live and work,” stated Wayne Joseph, president, New Flyer of America. “We are committed to helping METRO achieve its goals of safe and sustainable public transit, as it pursues achievement of a progressive, innovative, and long-term vision for transportation.”

METRO is a regional public transportation system in Southern Maine, serving the communities of Brunswick, Falmouth, Freeport, Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, and Yarmouth. It is Maine's largest public transportation agency, serving nearly two million riders per year.