The Allegany County Legislature approved the purchase of four used buses from the ARC of Steuben County for a total of $20,000, to be funded through OATS program dollars and placed into the county fleet.

County staff told the legislature that the buses were offered after ARC’s ridership declined and that the New York State Department of Transportation had given permission to transfer the vehicles. “They are 4 buses, for $20,000 or $5,000 each,” a county staff member said during the meeting.

The purchase was presented as an immediate way to add capacity and take pressure off older vehicles. County staff said the buses are five to six years old, the highest-mileage unit had about 14,000 miles, and the county expected to place some older buses in reserve or retire them. Staff described typical usage as about 6,000 miles per month and said buses generally run about 250,000 miles over their service lives.

Legislators asked whether the county was buying the buses to replace existing vehicles or to add capacity; staff replied the vehicles would be added to the fleet and that several older buses are nearing end of life. When asked whether the sale had to go out to public bid, staff said the buses had been purchased originally with 53 10 grant funding through the New York State Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration and that those grant processes allow transfers within systems.

A motion to approve the purchase was made and carried by voice vote.

What the county approved is limited to the purchase and acceptance of the four buses as presented at the meeting; no additional contract details, delivery dates or follow-up reporting requirements were specified during the discussion.