San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency approves purchase of 45 hybrid buses
Written by Dan Comand Tuesday, 18 September 2012 19:40
New Flyer Industries Inc. announced that San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA), which oversees all transportation in the City, including the Municipal Railway (MUNI), has approved the purchase of 45 heavy-duty 40-foot Xcelsior diesel-electric hybrid buses.
New Flyer has a long-standing relationship with San Francisco that dates back to 1988, with approximately 190 diesel and electric trolley buses being built and delivered since then. San Francisco has a total fleet size today of approximately 800 buses and trolleys, with New Flyer buses representing approximately 8% of the active fleet. The 45 new Xcelsior hybrids will replace 13 year old buses currently in service.
SFMTA will purchase buses from an umbrella contract with the procurement department of another US State that enables the assignment of up to 500 options to any US transit agency. The contract enables the buses to include the necessary components specific to San Francisco's operating environment. This umbrella contract, which was announced in New Flyer's press release onApril 17, 2012, is a 'standing offer' open to public transit agencies across the United States, and as a result, New Flyer does not record any firm orders or options as part of its backlog.
"Investing in infrastructure and operations will help improve and sustain our transit service for the long term," said Mayor Ed Lee. "These new hybrids demonstrate our commitment to a green and clean future for our City's transit system and will help improve transit times and rider experience."
"These buses will allow for an improved Muni system," said Tom Nolan, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "Not only will they make for better service, but they will continue the work we are doing to be one of the cleanest fleets in the country."
"We are proud to have been selected by San Francisco to provide New Flyer's industry-leading Xcelsior Bus, which offers "Best in Class" features such as improved accessibility with a 1 to 7 sloped ramp, quiet and spacious passenger compartment amenities, maintenance access and a greener, more clean environment," said Paul Soubry, New Flyer's President and Chief Executive Officer.
Pending final approval from the SFMTA's Board of Supervisors, production of these 40-foot Xcelsior hybrid buses is anticipated to begin in early 2013 and will be manufactured and assembled bumper-to-bumper in New Flyer's US manufacturing facility at St. Cloud, MN. All buses are expected to be delivered by the end of the summer 2013.
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