NFTA-Metro has agreed to purchase ten battery-operated buses from New Flyer of America Inc. for a cost of $10.1 million dollars. The ten buses will be delivered in 2022, and the agreement includes the option to purchase up to 140 additional buses over a five-year period. This is a major milestone in the ongoing effort to improve air quality for everyone in Western New York.

The new electric buses will require motorized depot pantograph charging inside Metro’s Cold Spring garage. The chargers will automatically connect to the roof of the buses, charge the battery overnight once the operator has parked the vehicle. Installation of the system will be overseen by The New York Power Authority.

Metro has committed to switching 25-percent of its bus fleet to electric by 2025 and 100 percent by 2035. “The purchase of the buses will help reduce Western New York’s carbon footprint,” said NFTA Executive Director Kim Minkel, “We are grateful to our elected officials, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Senator Tim Kennedy, Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, the entire WNY delegation along with our business and community partners for their help to make this happen.”