New Flyer of America Inc., a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (NFI), recently announced that the Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority has exercised options for 24 additional Xcelsior® 40-foot, compressed natural gas (CNG) heavy-duty transit buses.
The order will replace older buses currently operating on regional routes in support of Valley Metro’s 2016-2020 strategic plan to advance the value of transit throughout the metropolitan Phoenix area. The original contract awarded November 2017 (a joint effort with the City of Phoenix Public Transit) included up to 396 buses over a five-year period and is supported by funding from both the Federal Transit Administration and local sources. Seventy percent of the Valley Metro fleet are powered by natural gas to support local clean air initiatives.
Valley Metro is the regional public transportation agency that provides coordinated, multimodal transit options to the residents and visitors of greater Phoenix, with 51 million passenger trips on its buses in 2018. In coordination with its 18 member agencies, Valley Metro plans, constructs and operates the regional bus and light rail systems and alternative transportation programs for riders of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.
“Since 2006, New Flyer has delivered 314 heavy-duty transit buses to Valley Metro,” Chris Stoddart, president at New Flyer, said. “We’re proud to support Valley Metro’s deployment of even more low-emission CNG buses into a fleet that is already comprised of 91 percent alternatively fueled vehicles.”