MA-2023-038
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Application Purpose: The purpose of this grant is to use $116,000,000 of federal funds awarded to the MBTA through the FFY22 Low or No Emissions Vehicle Program to purchase 80 forty-foot battery electric buses and to support related workforce development initiatives.
Activities Performed: Through this grant, the MBTA will purchase 32 forty-foot battery electric buses (BEB) with streetside boarding to replace the existing fleet of electric trolleybus (ETB)/trackless trolleys in North Cambridge. Additionally, 48 forty-foot BEBs with conventional boarding will equip Quincy Bus Garage, replacing 2008/2009 diesel buses. Delivery of 10 pre-production buses in calendar year 2024 will allow the authority to gain valuable knowledge and experience with the latest technology found in the new BEBs. Pre-production buses will be provided to multiple departments for in-service testing, maintenance and operations training, and preliminary facility charge management system (CMS) operation profile development. The scheduled delivery of serial production buses is based upon a coordinated effort between vehicle engineering and bus modernization teams to align with the forecasted opening of the technologized North Cambridge and new Quincy BEB facilities.
In terms of schedule, the 10 pre-production buses are anticipated to be delivered in September 2024 and housed at Cabot Garage for testing, validation, and initial training of the workforce (operators and maintenance staff). Efforts are underway to equip Cabot with the necessary charging equipment (2 chargers and 6 dispensers). Additional storage space and charger capacity is available at Southampton Garage to accommodate some of the pre-production buses if needed. The 27 streetside boarding buses are anticipated to be delivered in summer 2025, with the North Cambridge Garage expected to open in fall 2025. The 43 conventional buses are anticipated to be delivered in summer 2026, with Quincy Garage expected to open in fall 2026. After delivery of the buses but prior to them going into service, the MBTA will need to perform charge management system stress testing to ensure everything is operational between bus and facility. In the event that buses are anticipated to be ready for revenue service prior to the full completion of the North Cambridge or Quincy Bus facilities, the MBTA is exploring other options to potentially phase bus delivery dates differently and/or for alternative bus accommodation and charging.
This grant also funds workforce development activities related to employment or education with a direct linkage to the battery electric bus procurement project. For example, developing apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and instructional training for public transportation maintenance and operations occupations. These workforce development funds are intended to retrain the existing workforce and develop the workforce of the future, including via registered apprenticeships and other joint labor-management training programs as outlined in the MBTA's zero-emission transition plan.
Expected Outcomes: This procurement is a key component of the authority's Better Bus Project bus electrification plan and will support the authority's target of procuring 80-100 vehicles annually. This strategy establishes steady and consistent timelines to replace aging bus fleets with new vehicles. Benefits of this approach include normalized bus acquisitions, optimized scheduled maintenance planning, and more efficient use of agency resources for stabilized operations and costs. This procurement of the BEBs will occur in parallel with the scheduled replacement of Neoplan ETBs and New Flyer diesel buses. The fleets being replaced are well beyond the FTA minimum useful life of 12 years.
Replacement of older diesel fleets with new battery electric buses will dramatically reduce greenhouse gases and is a key component of the authority's bus electrification plan. This procurement will also include bus enhancements intended to improve the reliability, efficiency, and overall riding experience for the agency's customers. Furthermore, new vehicles will have extended warranty coverage on major subsystem components to help control maintenance costs. The MBTA fleet transition will greatly reduce energy consumption and harmful emissions by replacing diesel buses with BEBs - the first substantial step in the MBTA's ambitious plan to eliminate bus emissions by 2040 by transitioning all 1,150 buses to zero-emission vehicles. The new BEBs will also enable the MBTA to operate revenue service more efficiently, as the diesel buses being retired operate over 3 million miles per year and consume over 800,000 gallons of fuel. In the near term, these funds will allow the MBTA to eliminate emissions from all routes served by the Quincy and North Cambridge bus facilities.
Intended Beneficiaries: This project benefits the residents of the MBTA service area and most directly those communities served by bus routes based at the North Cambridge and Quincy bus facilities.
Subrecipient Activities: N/A
Activities Performed: Through this grant, the MBTA will purchase 32 forty-foot battery electric buses (BEB) with streetside boarding to replace the existing fleet of electric trolleybus (ETB)/trackless trolleys in North Cambridge. Additionally, 48 forty-foot BEBs with conventional boarding will equip Quincy Bus Garage, replacing 2008/2009 diesel buses. Delivery of 10 pre-production buses in calendar year 2024 will allow the authority to gain valuable knowledge and experience with the latest technology found in the new BEBs. Pre-production buses will be provided to multiple departments for in-service testing, maintenance and operations training, and preliminary facility charge management system (CMS) operation profile development. The scheduled delivery of serial production buses is based upon a coordinated effort between vehicle engineering and bus modernization teams to align with the forecasted opening of the technologized North Cambridge and new Quincy BEB facilities.
In terms of schedule, the 10 pre-production buses are anticipated to be delivered in September 2024 and housed at Cabot Garage for testing, validation, and initial training of the workforce (operators and maintenance staff). Efforts are underway to equip Cabot with the necessary charging equipment (2 chargers and 6 dispensers). Additional storage space and charger capacity is available at Southampton Garage to accommodate some of the pre-production buses if needed. The 27 streetside boarding buses are anticipated to be delivered in summer 2025, with the North Cambridge Garage expected to open in fall 2025. The 43 conventional buses are anticipated to be delivered in summer 2026, with Quincy Garage expected to open in fall 2026. After delivery of the buses but prior to them going into service, the MBTA will need to perform charge management system stress testing to ensure everything is operational between bus and facility. In the event that buses are anticipated to be ready for revenue service prior to the full completion of the North Cambridge or Quincy Bus facilities, the MBTA is exploring other options to potentially phase bus delivery dates differently and/or for alternative bus accommodation and charging.
This grant also funds workforce development activities related to employment or education with a direct linkage to the battery electric bus procurement project. For example, developing apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and instructional training for public transportation maintenance and operations occupations. These workforce development funds are intended to retrain the existing workforce and develop the workforce of the future, including via registered apprenticeships and other joint labor-management training programs as outlined in the MBTA's zero-emission transition plan.
Expected Outcomes: This procurement is a key component of the authority's Better Bus Project bus electrification plan and will support the authority's target of procuring 80-100 vehicles annually. This strategy establishes steady and consistent timelines to replace aging bus fleets with new vehicles. Benefits of this approach include normalized bus acquisitions, optimized scheduled maintenance planning, and more efficient use of agency resources for stabilized operations and costs. This procurement of the BEBs will occur in parallel with the scheduled replacement of Neoplan ETBs and New Flyer diesel buses. The fleets being replaced are well beyond the FTA minimum useful life of 12 years.
Replacement of older diesel fleets with new battery electric buses will dramatically reduce greenhouse gases and is a key component of the authority's bus electrification plan. This procurement will also include bus enhancements intended to improve the reliability, efficiency, and overall riding experience for the agency's customers. Furthermore, new vehicles will have extended warranty coverage on major subsystem components to help control maintenance costs. The MBTA fleet transition will greatly reduce energy consumption and harmful emissions by replacing diesel buses with BEBs - the first substantial step in the MBTA's ambitious plan to eliminate bus emissions by 2040 by transitioning all 1,150 buses to zero-emission vehicles. The new BEBs will also enable the MBTA to operate revenue service more efficiently, as the diesel buses being retired operate over 3 million miles per year and consume over 800,000 gallons of fuel. In the near term, these funds will allow the MBTA to eliminate emissions from all routes served by the Quincy and North Cambridge bus facilities.
Intended Beneficiaries: This project benefits the residents of the MBTA service area and most directly those communities served by bus routes based at the North Cambridge and Quincy bus facilities.
Subrecipient Activities: N/A
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding Agency
Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Massachusetts
United States
Geographic Scope
State-Wide
Related Opportunity
None
Analysis Notes
Infrastructure $116,000,000 (100%) percent this Project Grant was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Act.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority was awarded
MBTA FFY22 LONO EV Grant: 80 BEBs & Workforce Dev.
Project Grant MA-2023-038
worth $116,000,000
from the FTA Office of Budget and Policy in August 2023 with work to be completed primarily in Massachusetts United States.
The grant
has a duration of 4 years 7 months and
was awarded through assistance program 20.526 Buses and Bus Facilities Formula, Competitive, and Low or No Emissions Programs.
$20,917,060 (15.0%) of this Project Grant was funded by non-federal sources.
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 9/5/23
Period of Performance
8/31/23
Start Date
3/31/28
End Date
Funding Split
$116.0M
Federal Obligation
$20.9M
Non-Federal Obligation
$136.9M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
MA-2023-038
SAI Number
MA-2023-038-00-20.526
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Other
Awarding Office
691384 REGION 1 VOLPE NATIONAL TSC
Funding Office
693JJ8 OFFICE OF BUDGET AND POLICY(TBP)
Awardee UEI
JMUMDCV44J11
Awardee CAGE
58RY9
Performance District
MA-90
Senators
Edward Markey
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren
Budget Funding
Federal Account | Budget Subfunction | Object Class | Total | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Transit Infrastructure Grants, Federal Transit Administration, Transportation (069-2812) | Ground transportation | Grants, subsidies, and contributions (41.0) | $116,000,000 | 100% |
Modified: 9/5/23