Big Blue Bus (BBB), serving Santa Monica and the Los Angeles area, has planned a new phase of fleet upgrades, which include further reduction of vehicle emissions. Buses will be equipped with Cummins-Westport Near-Zero engines and fueled by Renewable Natural Gas, to further reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) vehicle emissions over 90% by December 2018.
BBB will invest $18.3M in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and California Proposition 1B Bond funds to replace fifty (50) 40-foot New Flyer buses purchased between 2004 and 2006. Seven (7) 30-foot Gillig buses will be placed in service this week; an additional twenty (20) 40-foot Gillig buses will be delivered and commissioned in October 2018. The agency plans to commission an additional twenty-three (23) 40-foot Gillig buses by December 2019.
“We are making a significant investment to modernize one quarter of our fleet with new and exciting technology that will deliver a safer, more comfortable travel experience for customers and operators,” said Ed King, Director of Transit Services. “Further, reshaping our fleet with smaller, more agile 30-foot vehicles will create new opportunities for ridership growth by enabling us to safely and efficiently serve customers on narrower streets and corridors. The fleet enhancements are part of a larger series of strategic improvements we will roll out over the next 12-18 months.”
The average age of BBB’s current fleet is less than 7 years old, outpacing an industry best practice of 8.5 years. It operates a fleet of 200 vehicles transporting more than 54,000 customers daily across a 58 square mile service area. Nationally recognized for its long-standing commitment to a cleaner environment, the entire fleet operates on alternative fuels, including renewable natural gas (RNG), a form of liquefied and compressed natural gas (LNG/CNG), which helps cut emissions by up to 90 percent. Serving Santa Monica and the Los Angeles area since 1928, Big Blue Bus has won numerous awards for its marketing, customer service, safety, and efficiency.
Source: Big Blue Bus
