Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., recently completed delivery of nine MCI D4500 Commuter Coaches to Ohio’s largest transit agency, Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Authority (RTA).
RTA has added the nine D4500 Commuter Coaches to its Park-N-Ride fleet, operating on RTA’s three direct routes to downtown Cleveland. RTA said the new MCIs are replacing older vehicles which significantly surpassed their 12-year useful life, and that it plans to add three more new D4500 coaches later in the year.
The MCI D4500 is North America’s best-selling commuter coach, renowned for comfort, safety and reliability, making it the number one choice on long-distance commuter routes. Passengers enjoy forward-facing seating, overhead parcel racks and individual reading lights and air-flow controls at every seat.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant and Buy America certified, RTA’s newest Commuter Coaches come equipped with wheelchair lifts, bike racks and feature the newest technology and safety systems including RTA’s first free Wi-Fi connectivity, USB ports at every seat, three-point passenger seatbelts, backup cameras and onboard surveillance cameras.
This delivery also showcases several technical improvements MCI has made to the model including an electrically driven cooling system and the next-generation, lighter-weight Cummins X12 engine, which combine to deliver improved fuel economy, lower emissions, and other improvements on the model’s already low total cost of operation. In total, RTA operates 38 MCI commuter coaches.
“We’re proud to have our D4500 serve this leading transportation system in North America, ” said Tom Wagner, MCI Vice President of Public Sector. “Our relationship with RTA began in 2001 and we’re dedicated to optimizing the ridership experience for RTA while providing the best technical and parts support.”
In 2019, RTA received the Bus Safety & Security Excellence Award from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). RTA has also received the Certificate of Merit for Safety from APTA for creating and implementing one of the top-safety and security programs in North America.
RTA is the largest transit system in Ohio and the only one that operates rail. RTA serves nearly 150,000 customers every weekday, providing some 32 million rides every year. The system operates 1.6 million annual scheduled departures, with customers traveling more than 220 million passenger miles aboard its buses, trains, BRT and paratransit vehicles. RTA is recognized as a transportation industry leader and has earned dozens of safety and customer service awards for its commitment to excellence, its contributions to the region’s economic development, for engineering and technical innovation and for its workforce diversity.