Cincinnati Metro will add 27 new buses to its fleet by the end of 2018 and another 43 by the end of 2019 with funding from $26.1 million in grants.
The new buses will replace the oldest coaches in Metro's fleet. The agency said the by the end of 2018, it will still have 74 buses in its fleet that are 12 years or older and past their useful life.
The new bus order includes six smaller 30-ft. "cutaway" buses that will be used on routes where ridership doesn’t warrant the capacity of a full-size bus. These smaller buses cost less to purchase than standard 40-foot buses, which come with an estimated replacement cost of $500,000 each, and consume less fuel. Cincinnati Metro relies primarily on grants to fund its bus replacement program.
Each bus will feature amenities specifically requested by riders including Wi-Fi, on-board charging ports for customers to charge their electronic devices and plastic seats, a quality that will allow for easier cleaning and maintenance.
“We’re proud to be able to provide our riders with the amenities they expect and have asked for to make the choice of riding Metro a more enjoyable experience,” said Metro CEO and General Manager Dwight A. Ferrell. “These new buses will not only help us provide a better product to our customers, but will also help us reduce costs and create a more modern, efficient fleet, with lower emissions and a smaller footprint.”
The new buses were purchased with $26.1 million in federal grants awarded through the Federal Transit Administration, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments. The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) provided a required 20 percent local match for the new buses.
