Second Ave. Sagas

New Flyer wins $216 million CNG bus contract

Written by

Benjamin Kabak

in

The New Flyer buses will be styled on model C40LFR.

New Flyer Industries, a Winnipeg-based bused manufacturer, announced today the MTA has awarded New Flyer of America a contract for up to 475 new buses. The $216 million order includes 135 40-foot compressed natural gas heavy-duty buses similar to the model C40LFR shown above with an option for an addition 340 more CNG buses.

“We are elated to have been selected for this procurement,” Paul Soubry, the company’s president and CEO, said. “New Flyer is pleased that our commitment to building a superior product and holistic support methodology is being rewarded. We see this as a testament to the high quality of New Flyer buses, not only the 190 CNG buses currently in service in New York City, but also the many New Flyer CNG buses currently in service with transit agencies in 65 cities in the United States.”

The new buses will be for the New York City Transit and MTA Bus Company fleets. Two pilots will be delivered in the second quarter of 2011 and the rest will arrive on city streets in late 2011 and early 2012. New Flyer has delivered more than 3500 CNG buses since the first ones hit the streets of San Diego in 1994.

These aren’t the first New Flyer buses to hit the city either. The MTA currently runs 823 New Flyer vehicles, including 630 60-foot diesel buses, three 45-foot diesel buses and 190 40-foot CNG buses. “New Flyer is proud of the ongoing partnership between New Flyer and the MTA,” Paul Smith, the company’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, said. “We have worked hard to build and maintain this relationship and we find it fitting that the largest transit bus manufacturer can develop and enjoy such a strong and long-standing relationship with the largest transit system in North America.”

Comments

26 responses to “New Flyer wins $216 million CNG bus contract”

  1. oscar

    why are we still ordering loud buses?

    Reply
    1. paulb

      I think you mean compared with some of the hybrids? The Nova LFS articulated diesel buses on Second Avenue are very quiet. Noise depends on the power plants the TA has selected, is my guess.

      Reply
    2. Woody

      It says MTA runs 190 CNG buses already. Do we know their routes? I’d like to go check out their noise level.

      Reply
      1. Sharon

        any route that runs out of Jakie gleason depot. One runs right in front of my window. Not that noisy

        Reply
  2. John

    I live in Fargo, ND, and see New Flyer buses rolling down I-29 all the time, on their way to various cities throughout the country. If I’m out at the right time I might be able to give a heads up when these are on their way to NYC.

    Reply
  3. Al D

    Any news on the Designline bus pilot?

    Reply
    1. Benjamin Kabak

      I thought Transit had ordered a bunch, but I can’t find the documentation right now to back that up. Supposedly, they ordered 30 with an option for 60.

      Reply
    2. Larry M

      Read the pdf pages 21-22 on the Board materials: http://www.mta.info/mta/news/b…..0_CPOC.pdf

      BTW, they have been testing for 2 plus years and still has 4 to 6 buses delivered. MTA should canned this contract. It is wasting everyone time and money….

      Reply
  4. Sharon

    Orion VII which is built upstate is laying off workers. The orders should have been sent to orion

    Reply
    1. Larry M

      The Orion buses are POS. Go ask any bus drivers on hybrid buses on the old and new buses. MTA already knew of Orion VII design flaws when it was first arrived. Go to the MTA website and watch the MTA Board Meeting on July 2010. The MTA Board member pointing out the list of Orion bus problems and they dont correct it. MTA management really needs to wake up here.

      Reply
      1. Christopher

        Orion seems to be another American company that Daimler has driven into the ground. Completely unable to manage non-German workers — from engineers to line assembly people.

        Reply
        1. Sharon

          Orions product was crappy before Daimler bought them

          Reply
      2. Brian

        Orion is nothing but a shit manufacture. Hell, most B/O’s I know doesn’t like the Orion V’s. The problem with Orion is they make buses that seems rushed and is not safe to drive. Don’t get me started about the massive issues that plagued the Old Gen Orion VII’s when they were arriving. The only bus manufacture that makes solid buses is Nova. Go ride any of the remaining RTS’ as well as the LFSA’s. The MTA should have ordered LFS’ instead of buying the C40LFR’s.

        Reply
        1. Benjamin Kabak

          Please try to keep unnecessary curses out of your comments.

          Reply
  5. Adrian B

    Let me get this straight. The cost of these buses is 135 buses @ $216, so $1.6M per bus? Or does the original contract sum include all of the options?

    Reply
    1. Benjamin Kabak

      That must include the cost of the option. That’s around $475,000 per bus.

      Reply
      1. Brian

        If that’s the case, the C40LFR’s are cheaper than the NG Orion VII’s.

        Reply
        1. Larry M

          They are cheaper on the bids by a couple of thousands. Thanks to inflation vaule of the buses and its priced around 430K

          BTW, thanks Ben for removing my post a—-

          People dont click to NYCTF full of spam.

          Reply
          1. Benjamin Kabak

            I removed your post and the offending link because I don’t like to encourage trash talking around here. Hope you can appreciate that.

            Reply
            1. Brian

              Regardless, NYCTF is a place where people make stuff up and claim to have sources. In the future, don’t ever link to NYCTF.

              Reply
              1. Myrtle Ave. Mel

                So should we take our transit advice from you instead? You’ve been wrong about nearly everything you’ve said about the V/M and you’re nasty about it too. Why don’t you let Ben run his website the way he wants to run it and be grateful that someone with your attitude toward others and your lack of knowledge is allowed to have a forum here.

                Reply
                1. Brian

                  Did I tell him how to run his website? Not at all. You fail to see that linking to a thread on NYCTF could cause people to read unverified information. As for the M/V thing, what does that have to do with New Flyer winning the CNG contract? Absolutely nothing.

                  Reply
                  1. Andrew

                    Actually, you did: “In the future, don’t ever link to NYCTF.” That’s telling him how to run his website.

                    Reply
                    1. Brian

                      Wrong. I was giving him a suggestion to better give himself and his site some additional credibility. Mr. Kabak has an excellent site and I appreciate his efforts to give information from various media outlets as well as the MTA. in fact, I visit SAS to get my daily fix on transit issues that matters most to me.

                    2. Andrew

                      “In the future, don’t ever link to NYCTF” is a command, not a suggestion.

  6. Streetsblog New York City » Today’s Headlines

    […] MTA Makes Big Bus Purchase From New Flyer (2nd Ave Sagas) […]

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