Keolis has announced that it has won an eight-year contract for the operation and maintenance of Foothill Transit. Keolis will assume management of the operation on July 1, 2017.
Under the terms of the contract, Keolis will be responsible for operating and maintaining local fixed and express route transit services, including into downtown Los Angeles. The contract will require Keolis to maintain and manage a fleet of 139 vehicles, including 14 fully-electric Proterra buses.
“We’re looking forward to our new partnership with Keolis,” said Doran Barnes, executive director of Foothill Transit. “Their international experience with technology-based solutions will be an asset as we move to deploy our new CAD/AVL system and add to our electric bus fleet.”
“We are honored to be Foothill Transit’s preferred operator and we look forward to serving their riders,” said Steve Shaw, president and CEO of Keolis Transit America. “We look forward to delivering safe and reliable service while building a strong, collaborative partnership with Foothill Transit that will benefit the citizens of this community.”
Keolis North America CEO Clément Michel cited Keolis’ commitment to sustainability as an obvious link between the organization and Foothill Transit.
“Foothill Transit is leading the way in North America in sustainability, their goal of having a bus fleet that is 100 percent electric by 2030 is a model for the industry,” he said. “At Keolis, we share this commitment and are working with all our partners to provide sustainable, environmentally-friendly, inter-connected transportation solutions globally.”
In announcing the selection, Foothill Transit highlighted a number of differentiators that led to the selection of Keolis including:
- A well-designed staffing plan
- Innovative approaches to service delivery
- Strong CAD/AVL system transition experience
- Demonstrated improvements in on-time performance at other agencies
- Experience with implementing programs and best practices to ensure the highest levels of fleet maintenance and vehicle appearance
