Committee reviews trolley procurement; administration recommends 40-foot heavy-duty vehicles, returns item for more analysis

City transportation staff presented a recommendation to replace the city’s existing trolley fleet with heavier-duty, low-floor 40-foot transit vehicles and to award the municipal circulator contract to Limousines of South Florida (LSF). Committee members asked for additional analysis on vehicle type, emissions, pricing and potential advertising revenue and deferred a final recommendation until September.

Why it matters: The city’s circulator system carries millions of riders annually. Staff said the current fleet is aged and less reliable; a long lead time for new vehicle delivery (up to 18 months) makes an early procurement decision important.

Key findings and recommendation: Staff and a trolley-optimization study recommended transitioning to low-floor heavy-duty transit vehicles (examples cited: Gillig chassis) that offer improved ride quality, level boarding and higher reliability. The administration recommended a 40-foot “clean diesel” heavy-duty bus as the primary procurement choice after weighing emissions, capital cost and available infrastructure.

Cost and service impacts: Staff noted the city’s pre-COVID service ran 18 hours daily with 15-minute headways; current service is nearer to 15 hours and 20-minute headways. The administration estimated an approximate additional budgetary impact of $5.4 million annually (projected for 2027) to fund the recommended vehicle and service levels, and noted the vehicles’ capital and maintenance cost differences (low-floor/heavy-duty vehicles are higher capital cost and higher maintenance than the older high-floor trolleys).

Emissions and electrification: The presentation compared clean diesel, hybrid and compressed-natural-gas (CNG) or electric propulsion options. Staff said hybrid/electric options offer lower lifecycle emissions but present infrastructure, capital-cost and charging challenges; federal funding applications for electric buses have been explored but are not certain. Commissioners asked staff to model a phased approach that could introduce hybrids/electric vehicles over time and to provide independent verification of manufacturer emission claims.

Branding, comfort and revenue questions: The committee discussed whether to purchase vehicles with a vintage “trolley” appearance package (an estimated premium of about $120,000 per vehicle) or to buy standard transit buses and apply wraps. Commissioners asked for an advertising-revenue estimate and for additional vendor comparisons. Public comment and experts suggested that a 2-door low-floor design with better interior seating and two boarding doors would reduce dwell time and improve rider experience.

Next steps: The committee asked staff to return in September with additional cost scenarios, advertising-revenue estimates, a phased electrification plan and vendor comparisons before making a final recommendation to the commission.