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Board approves $95 million contract for 60 articulated trolley coaches from New Flyer
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a contract with New Flyer of America Inc. to buy 60 articulated trolley coaches and associated equipment for about $95 million after hearing procurement questions from supervisors and technical explanations from the Municipal Transportation Agency.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Jan. 31 voted to approve a contract with New Flyer of America Inc. to purchase 60 articulated trolley coaches and associated equipment for an amount not to exceed approximately $95,000,000.
The approval followed questioning from Supervisor David Campos about why San Francisco was joining a procurement conducted by King County rather than running a separate RFP. John Haley, Director of Transit for the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA), told the board the city joined Seattle and King County to save upfront engineering costs and shorten delivery time because the trolley market is small and specialized. Haley said the procurement processes used by the other agencies were sanctioned by the Federal Transit Administration and that differences in per-vehicle price reflected San Francisco’s specifications — including larger 60-foot vehicles, additional security cameras, onboard announcement systems for riders with disabilities, LED destination signs and a heavier communications package.
Supervisor Campos pressed why San Francisco’s per-vehicle price was higher than King County’s given reliance on the same RFP; Haley said the larger vehicle size and extra features explain most of the gap and offered to provide a side-by-side itemization of differences and their costs.
No prototype trolley has been delivered for the trolley coach contract; Haley said the prototype would arrive in 2015 and that, unlike an earlier rubber-tire bus contract, no trolley coaches had been accepted prior to board action. The roll-call vote recorded 11 ayes; the item passed.
The board did not identify a mover or seconder on the record for the resolution approving the contract. The MTA said the trolley purchases are part of a broader program to replace aging rolling stock using a mix of federal and local funds.
