San Diego Metropolitan Transit System will acquire over 500 NGVs

“This puts us on pace to retire the last of our diesel buses from our urban fleet by the end of our contracts. It allows us to launch with SANDAG (San Diego Association of Governments) new Bus Rapid Transit Service in 2014. It is also significant to the people of our state as more than half of this contract will be spent with Gillig, which manufactures buses in Hayward, California,” said MTS CEO Paul Jablonski.

MTS will take delivery of 50 40-foot buses in 2013 and it is anticipated that at least 50 additional buses will be ordered over the following four years for a total of 250 buses. The contract also allows for an option to purchase an additional 100 NGVs over the life of the contract to accommodate potential needs due to service expansion. Funding for the Gillig buses is from federal dollars allocated to transit agencies for capital improvement projects, and the total contract with this manufacturer is valued at $184 million.

On the other hand, the first 47 articulated buses manufactured by New Flyer will arrive by early 2014. Along with 25 buses delivered in Fiscal Year 2015, these NGVs will be purchased via SANDAG with federal and TransNet funds and will be utilized for Bus Rapid Transit services on I-15, I-805 and mid-city. Besides, MTS will take delivery on 13 New Flyer buses in Fiscal year 2016, which will be funded through the MTS bus replacement capital improvement project. The contract includes an option for up to 80 additional vehicles to accommodate system growth and its total value is $159.5 million.

Source: San Diego MTS