New fleet of 35 new, cleaner buses headed to Flint MTA

FLINT, Michigan — Look for new buses in Flint in the coming days and months. The Mass Transportation Authority recently added 13 new compressed natural gas buses to its fleet — and it plans to bring in another 22 buses within the next 10 months. 

Riders will begin seeing the new 40-foot coach vehicles throughout the greater Flint area on bus routes by Jan. 3. The new buses will replace buses now in use that are  well beyond their typical usage. The 24-year-old diesel coaches typically are designed for 12 years of use. 

MTA has been working for the past several years to reduce its use of fossil fuel diesel from 1.4 million gallons annually to an expected low of 300,000 gallons. A reduction of this caliber provides for a sustainable future while operating in a clean energy environment.

 “We are extremely proud of our progress to attain a 100 percent alternative fuel fleet, while working to reduce the carbon footprint and creating a clean operating environment,” said Ed Benning, MTA general manager and CEO.

In September 2016, MTA won a $12.8 million competitive federal grant to purchase compressed natural gas buses. With matching dollars from the state Department of Transportation, the total award to purchase the buses and providing workforce training for mechanics and bus drivers rose to more than $15 million.