TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Salvador Llamas, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Purchase of Thirteen (13) Zero-Emission Buses
ACTION ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ?
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider authorizing the General Manager, or his designee, to execute documents through the State of Washington Transit Bus Cooperative Contract, to purchase up to thirteen forty-foot hydrogen buses from New Flyer America.
Staff Contact:
Aaron Vogel, Chief Operating Officer
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Safe and Secure Operations
Initiative - Service Quality
These new zero-emission buses will enhance service quality by replacing older and higher-polluting diesel buses currently in the fleet that have exceeded their useful life. Purchasing additional new zero-emission buses is part of the District’s Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Transition Plan, provided to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), as required by the Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) Regulation and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
The purchase of the thirteen (13) zero-emission buses is expected to cost approximately $23.4 million. The purchase is funded by $13.2 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and $6.2 million from the Volkswagen (VW) Environmental Mitigation Trust Program. Staff will be submitting for approximately $4.0 million in Hybrid and Zero Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP) funds. An application for HVIP funds cannot be submitted until the project is within six months of a purchase order and staff will work with the vendor to submit for HVIP.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
In July 2026, AC Transit received notice of an award from the VW Environmental Mitigation Trust Program, for applications submitted in February and March 2024. Given the amount of time since application, and reports that the VW Mitigation Trust was exhausted, staff had not anticipated an award. The funds awarded allo...
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