New Flyer to Supply San Diego MTS with Additional 50 CNG Buses

The San Diego Metropolitan System (MTS) has awarded New Flyer with a new contract for up to 50 CNG-powered Xcelsior sixty-foot, heavy-duty transit buses. MTS currently has 220 forty-foot CNG New Flyer buses and 70 sixty-foot CNG articulated New Flyer buses in operation. The 50 new buses will replace existing buses in the fleet over the next five years.

MTS plans to use 17 of the articulated buses currently in production for its new South Bay bus rapid transit service expected to open later this year. South Bay Rapid is a new $128 million project that includes 12 stations along a 26-mile route from the U.S.-Mexico border to Downtown San Diego, connecting employment and activity centers in Downtown San Diego and South County.

The contract includes 30 firm orders with options to purchase an additional 20 CNG sixty-foot, heavy-duty transit buses. The order will support MTS’ state-of-good-repair efforts, commitment to clean fuels for its bus fleet, and its growing BRT system called Rapid.

“As San Diego and its surrounding regions continue to invest in the development of a compact urban core, the need for efficient transportation will increase,” said Wayne Joseph, President, New Flyer of America. “MTS has recognized this and is proactively leading the evolution to sustainable public transit. We commend MTS on its industry leadership in low-emission transit, and are proud to again provide New Flyer buses to support a growing San Diego.”

The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) provides public transportation for Central, South, Northeast and Southeast San Diego County in California, generating 88 million annual passenger trips with approximately 800 buses in a service territory spanning 570 square miles.