Greater Portland Transit District Supports Growth with Five CNG Buses from New Flyer

New Flyer announced that the Greater Portland Transit District (METRO) in Maine has ordered five heavy duty Xcelsior transit buses powered by clean-burning CNG. The new order supports METRO’s planned fleet expansion of with CNG buses to support the growing Portland community.

The Greater Portland region has experienced steady growth since 2010, with Portland named by Forbes as one of America’s 20 Fastest Growing Cities. Throughout 2017, a citywide planning board developed the Portland Plan 2030, which works toward an integrated, sustainable, dynamic, equitable, diverse, and connected city by 2030. A separate initiative by the City of Portland delivered a 2035 Comprehensive Plan for long‐range land use and public facility investment, specifically identifying transportation goals of safety, interconnectedness, environmental sustainability, equitable access, positive health outcomes, and effective daily access. The new plan will take effect January 1, 2018.

“We are proud to support the Greater Portland Transit District as it grows in size and vitality, with more Americans choosing the Portland region as a competitive and sustainable place to live and work,” stated Wayne Joseph, President, New Flyer of America. “We are committed to helping METRO achieve its goals of safe and sustainable public transit, as it pursues achievement of a progressive, innovative, and long-term vision for transportation.”

METRO is a regional public transportation system in Southern Maine, serving the communities of Brunswick, Falmouth, Freeport, Portland, South Portland, Westbrook and Yarmouth. It is Maine’s largest public transportation agency, serving nearly two million riders per year.