Bus Manufacturing Task Force Recommendations for FTA Buses NOFO

In a letter sent to FTA, APTA’s Bus Manufacturing Task Force 2.0 offers recommendations on reducing customization in bus procurements to reduce the cost of bus purchases and encourage competition in the industry. Recommendations suggest changes to FTA’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FTA Low or No Emission Grant Program and Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program to directly encourage public transit agencies to procure standardized buses.

The Task Force consists of representatives from bus manufacturers, suppliers, and transit agencies. It recommends that FTA’s NOFO for competitive grant programs provide additional scoring credit if a public transit agency commits that the contractual terms and technical specifications for buses will be developed exclusively from APTA’s Standard Bus Procurement Guidelines (also referred to as the “White Book”).

The APTA White Book is regularly updated to reflect industry consensus changes in vehicle technology and address contractual issues. Incentivizing the use of the White Book would directly support both APTA’s and FTA’s common objective to reduce the cost of buses and enhance competition.