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Supervisors press SFMTA on timing and oversight of $38M New Flyer bus purchase
Summary
The committee probed the Municipal Transportation Agency over a $38.3 million purchase of 50 New Flyer hybrid buses, asking why MTA proceeded during an ongoing internal evaluation of Allison vs. BAE propulsion packages and why buses were staged in the Bay Area before final acceptance. MTA said timing and a production window prompted the purchase and agreed to provide written follow-up on reliability and maintenance records.
Supervisor David Campos led a committee hearing scrutinizing the Municipal Transportation Agency's recent procurement of 50 New Flyer hybrid buses for roughly $38.3 million. Campos said reporting had raised questions about whether the agency completed its internal evaluation of Allison and BAE propulsion systems before making the later purchase and whether acceptance or staging of vehicles occurred before Board approval.
SFMTA representatives described a multi-step procurement history. Agency staff said a prior purchase of 62 buses (delivered earlier) had been split between Allison and BAE propulsion packages to run a real-world performance comparison. Haley (SFMTA) said the 62-bus split (23 Allison, remainder BAE) was intentionally chosen to gather operational data. He said New Flyer approached SFMTA in May with a narrow production window after another buyer's slot fell through; MTA began legal review in July, prepared documents in October, the SFMTA board acted in October and notice to proceed was issued Nov. 6. The first bus was accepted Dec. 6. Haley said some buses were in the Bay Area while still the manufacturer's property and that New Flyer assumed risk while staging them prior to acceptance.
Campos and other supervisors pressed whether the agency had enough reliability data before spending another $38 million to buy more buses and asked for records showing which buses broke down en route and whether those were BAE or Allison propulsion units. Haley acknowledged approximately 5 of the 50 buses (about 10%) broke down en route (he said that is preferable to failures in revenue service), described the manufacturer's responsibility for repairs before acceptance and agreed to provide a written record of what maintenance histories and inspection data MTA has obtained.
SFMTA staff also described contract protections: a two-year bumper-to-bumper warranty and an additional three-year extended warranty on the propulsion unit, totaling five years of protection for the propulsion package. Deputy City Attorney John Gibner advised that best practice is to delay delivery and acceptance until Board approval under the City Charter to minimize legal risk.
Supervisors asked for a written timeline and specific performance data comparing Allison and BAE engines; SFMTA agreed to supply a written status report and to provide maintenance records and a clearer record of breakdowns and repairs. The committee voted to file the hearing to the call of the chair pending that follow-up and adjourned.
