NJ Transit awards contract for articulated buses to New Flyer
New Flyer of America has been awarded a contract from New Jersey Transit's Board of Directors to provide 85 60-foot articulated buses. The contract represents a "one for one" replacement of NJ Transit's current articulated bus fleet, which has been in service for more than 15 years and is reaching the end of its expected service life.
“This purchase allows NJ Transit to continue retiring our older buses in the fleet, which increases mechanical reliability and ultimately helps us better serve our customers with improved on-time performance and important customer amenities such as USB charging ports on the seats,’’ said NJ Transit Executive Director Kevin Corbett. “As we continue to restore NJ Transit to national prominence, an improved customer experience is the hallmark of that effort. By having our buses spend more time on the road and less time in the shop, customers will notice these improvements at bus stops across New Jersey.”
It is anticipated that the first vehicle delivery will take approximately eight months from Notice to Proceed, and the final vehicle will be delivered by the end of 2020. Total cost for this purchase is $65.8 million plus five-percent for contingencies.
The low floor articulated buses allow customers to embark and disembark more quickly and feature wheelchair ramps and camera systems to improve customer security and ensure bus operators are better informed of their surroundings. New customer amenities include USB charging ports, bicycle racks, an improved intercom system and LED lighting.
NJ Transit directly operates and contracts bus services that carry 154.5 million customer trips (FY17 data) throughout New Jersey and to New York City and Philadelphia. Articulated buses are used on routes where ridership levels warrant the use of higher capacity vehicles.
Request for Proposals (RFP) went out in August 2018 for the base order of 85 articulated buses with an option to purchase 85 additional articulated buses. This contract will be funded through a combination of Federal Transit Administration funds and Transportation Trust Funds.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
