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NRTA adds electric buses, seeks $9 million in grants to replace aging fleet
Summary
The Nantucket Regional Transit Authority reported delivery of electric buses, plans for chargers and infrastructure upgrades and is preparing RFPs tied to roughly $9 million in state grant awards to replace remaining diesel vehicles.
Gary Roberts, administrator of the Nantucket Regional Transit Authority, told the NRTA Advisory Board on May 7 that three battery-electric buses have arrived on-island and are undergoing post-delivery inspection and outfitting.
Roberts said the authority has added five Ford E-Transit vans and one electric support car, and that three additional gasoline-powered buses are expected by June. He said the authority has engineered plans to install approximately 10 vehicle chargers at the maintenance facility and will begin that work soon.
The authority reported $2,927,000 in MassDOT capital funding for the current year, covering purchases, infrastructure work, preventative maintenance and workforce housing. Roberts also said the NRTA has two grants for battery-electric and hybrid buses totaling about $9,000,000; staff are preparing requests for proposals to begin procurement. He estimated vehicle procurement typically takes at least a year from order to delivery and noted the RFP process could take a couple of months to complete.
Roberts said many of the authority's diesel buses exceed their typical seven-year service life, with some vehicles 12–14 years old, which contributed to a decision to lease 20-passenger cutaway vehicles for the upcoming summer season so older diesels can be retired from service sooner.
The advisory board did not take a separate formal vote on the fleet items during the report; Roberts asked for comment and reported progress on engineering and implementation timelines.
Ending: Roberts said the authority will continue engineering work for chargers and finalize RFPs for the grant-funded buses, and that leased vehicles should arrive within one to two weeks to cover seasonal service until new buses are delivered.
