New Flyer of America Inc., a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., has been awarded a contract from the Lane Transit District (LTD) for 11 Xcelsior CHARGE™ battery-electric forty-foot heavy-duty transit buses, including seven ABB depot chargers to support electric bus infrastructure development.
The zero-emission bus purchase, supported by Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No-Emission funding, helps LTD to continue fulfilling its mission of providing clean, reliable, convenient transportation options for the Eugene-Springfield, Ore., metro area and surrounding community.
“It is clear the Lane Transit District is a visionary in the evolution to sustainable mobility operations and community connectedness,” said Chris Stoddart, president, New Flyer. “We commend the LTD team for its steadfast focus on making zero-emission goals a reality, and look forward to supporting them in reducing carbon emissions while providing cleaner, more efficient, and connected mobility to Lane County residents.”
LTD has a longstanding commitment to sustainability. In 2014, it received silver level certification for the American Public Transportation Association’s sustainability commitment. Since then, LTD hired a sustainability program manager and conducted carbon footprint analysis of its operations to measure the impacts and benefits of public transit on climate change. The study found the two greatest opportunities to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions existed in ridership increases and reduction of fleet vehicle emissions. The LTD Board of Directors is now developing ambitious emission reduction goals for its fleet, and the partnership with New Flyer and commitment to investing in electric vehicles is an important part of its carbon reduction strategy.
With the addition of Xcelsior CHARGE™ buses to its fleet, LTD joins other west coast cities leading the transition to zero-emission mobility with New Flyer, including Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Coachella Valley, Oakland, San Francisco, Orange County, and Victor Valley.
In assessing its transition to sustainable mobility, LTD employed an innovative partnership with the University of Oregon (UO) to study opportunities and challenges. The Sustainable City Year Program, part of UO’s Sustainable Cities Initiative now in its tenth year of pairing students with community partners in need of fresh ideas, partnered with LTD over the 2019/2020 academic year. It focused on projects to make local transportation more efficient and sustainable, examining physical infrastructure and soliciting design ideas for transit stations.
“We have worked hard to lead the transition to connected, efficient, and sustainable mobility, and to develop a more livable community through unique and innovative approaches,” said Aurora Jackson, general manager of Lane Transit District. “Together with New Flyer and alongside our community stakeholders, we’re pairing battery-electric technology with local concepts for transit improvement, and will continue to leverage local partnerships in our evolution toward a zero-emission fleet.”
