NJ Transit expands bus fleet with latest purchase of 25 new articulated buses
The purchase of 25 additional 60-foot articulated buses has been approved by the New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) Board of Directors following a recent grant award from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
The purchase will exercise options included in a contract with New Flyer of America previously approved in January 2019 for 85 articulated buses. The 25 additional buses will be an expansion of the existing bus fleet, as opposed to replacing retiring equipment.
“NJ Transit is committed to not just improving our bus service but also expanding our bus fleet with modern, comfortable equipment for our customers,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett. “The addition of 25 high-capacity buses to our fleet will mean more flexibility in scheduling and adjusting routes, allowing us to not just increase capacity but also respond to changing ridership trends.”
In January 2019, the board of directors entered a contract with New Flyer of America for the purchase of 85 new 60-foot articulated buses to replace the existing fleet of articulated buses. Included in the contract was an option to purchase up to 85 additional buses, which NJ Transit will exercise for these 25 additional buses. It marks the first increase in fleet size in more than a decade.
Articulated buses are 60 feet long and consist of two segments permanently attached to each other through a pivot point which allows them to negotiate urban traffic and sharp turns. The new buses feature low flooring and wheelchair ramps, which allow customers to embark and disembark more quickly, 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.
The additional 25 buses will be funded by a Federal Transit Administration grant for $17.275 million awarded to NJ Transit in November 2019, along with matching funds from the agency to bring the total cost to $19,602,200.
NJ Transit currently has two prototype buses from the order in service and will be receiving three to four buses a week starting in early April. This will continue through October when the agency will have received the full complement of 110 new 60-foot articulated buses. These new buses will serve routes with heavy ridership including the following routes in Hudson and Bergen counties:
- No. 123 Jersey City/Union City
- No. 126 Hoboken
- No. 128 North Bergen/Boulevard East
- No. 156 Englewood Cliffs/Fort Lee
- No. 158 Fort Lee/Edgewater
- No. 159 Fort Lee
