NJ TRANSIT’s board of directors recently authorized the purchase of up to 260 40-foot, clean diesel transit style buses and up to 26 40-foot, zero-emission buses to replace aging 40 foot buses.
The cost is not to exceed $507 million plus 10 percent for contingencies, subject to the availability of funds.
The new buses are the final authorization required for NJ TRANSIT, the largest statewide public transportation system in the United States, to fully modernize its bus and rail fleet by 2031.
The new buses include amenities such as USB charging ports, security cameras, blind spot cameras and turn warning systems.
“Authorizing these bus purchases marks the necessary final step toward the full modernization of our fleet by 2031 for the first time in the agency’s 45-year history, a goal Gov. (Phil) Murphy and I set to strengthen NJ TRANSIT for the people it serves,” NJ TRANSIT president and CEO Kris Kolluri said. “Customers will see the impact through vastly improved reliability, enhanced safety features and a customer experience our riders deserve.”
The majority of the agency’s buses are in need of replacement. The current fleet includes 1,228 40-foot transit/suburban buses, 121 of which are operated by private carriers.
NJ TRANSIT has 263 bus routes.