APTA, FTA, Review Bus Manufacturing Task Force 2.0 Recommendations

APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas and Randy Clarke, general manager and CEO of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and chair of the APTA Bus Manufacturing Task Force, met with FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro and key FTA staff to review the new recommendations of the Bus Manufacturing Task Force 2.0 on Dec. 3.

The task force has developed recommendations that would help to standardize bus procurements, which can help to reduce the cost of bus purchases and enhance the competitive environment (See additional Passenger Transport story). The work follows prior task force recommendations in 2023 that have helped to financially stabilize the industry by updating key payment terms in bus procurement contracts.

Administrator Molinaro indicated his strong support for changes that can help FTA’s federal funding used for bus buys to go farther and applauded APTA and the industry’s leadership on this issue. The Task Force recommendations will be finalized this month and formalized in the APTA Standard Bus Procurement Guidelines, known as the White Book.