Orange County’s Physical Services Committee on May 27 approved resolutions to assume lead agency status under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and to pursue federal and state funding to buy 22 transit vehicles: 10 cutaway buses and 12 fixed‑route buses.

The vote clears the county to apply for an FTA (Federal Transit Administration) grant and related New York State Department of Transportation matching funds for 10 cutaway vehicles, and to spend $7.2 million in previously set‑aside CARES Act funds to buy nine replacement and three new fixed‑route buses for Newburgh, Middletown and Kiryas Joel.

Why it matters: the purchases are meant to maintain ADA‑compliant paratransit service, support growing fixed‑route ridership in urban centers and avoid local matching costs on the CARES‑funded purchase.

County staff told the committee that the 10 cutaway buses include seven paratransit vehicles and three allocated for the Town of Warwick’s dial‑a‑ride service, and that the overall county share of the listed $1,454,451 purchase is below 10 percent because municipalities will pick up the local share for the three Warwick vehicles. “There are 10 cutaways. Three will be allocated for the Warwick dial‑ride service,” the presenter said.

Committee members asked about vehicle type and emissions. The presenter said the cutaways and the fixed‑route purchases will be conventional diesel “clean” diesel models meeting current standards and ADA requirements. “These will be diesel buses — clean, clean diesel,” the presenter said, and added that the county is monitoring electric and other newer technologies but is not under a mandate to purchase EVs now.

On fixed‑route service, staff said ridership growth in Middletown and Newburgh is driving the need for additional buses. The committee was told the $7.2 million CARES allocation was approved by state and FTA authorities to be converted from operating to capital use, allowing purchase of the nine replacements and three new vehicles with 100 percent federal dollars and no county match.

Committee members also discussed service coverage: staff said the new and replacement vehicles will serve municipal and regional fixed routes within Newburgh, Middletown and surrounding town areas and will not create new countywide one‑seat long‑haul routes; the county is exploring microtransit options for lower‑density gaps.

The committee voted to approve the SEQR lead‑agency/negative‑declaration requests and to authorize pursuit of the grant and purchases.

What’s next: staff will pursue required grant applications and order vehicles to county specification; vehicle procurement will follow standard build‑to‑spec processes and lead times.