Finance Committee - 10/04/2017 Page 3
Director Marchant
No. Eight of the nine fixed route buses are being replaced. We have one CNG bus that was purchased in
2012, 2011. These are the replacement for the other nine fixed route buses. We have an extremely old fleet
at this point. We are beyond any of its useful life. We also have on order, it takes a very long time to construct
these buses, the beginning of the paratransit replacements. | will be back before you in not too long with
something like this for those as well. Those will be gasoline.
Alderman Wilshire
How many of those will be purchased?
Director Marchant
We have ordered six at this time. That’s all the funding we had available. The RFP we did did allow us to
order several more at the same price for a couple of years. We are actually actively looking at potentially
electric buses. BAE, right here in the city, makes a pretty phenomenal electric bus engine that actually Boston
just bought 150 of. We are very interested in looking at other options for the next couple as well.
Alderman Cookson
Slightly off topic, but because you mentioned that we experience a lot of accidents being rear-ended, I’m
curious if the data that you are going to collect after these buses are in place that have this new signage if you
will continue to track those accidents and hopefully we will see a decrease.
Director Marchant
Yes, we absolutely continue to track it. VWWe very much hope for a decrease for everybody’s sake. We also
have some flashing lights on the side of the bus because the second most common thing is for their mirrors to
be taken off so we have added some other “just stay a little bit wider please.” We are very much hoping for
more safer solutions.
MOTION CARRIED
From: Dan Kooken, Purchasing Manager
Re: Purchase of New City Buildings Department Replacement Vehicle (Value: $34,946)
MOTION BY ALDERMAN SIEGEL TO ACCEPT, PLACE ON FILE AND APPROVE THE PURCHASE
FROM COLONIAL FORD IN THE AMOUNT OF $34,946. SOURCE OF FUNDING IS DEPARTMENT 126,
FINANCIAL SERVICES; CERF
ON THE QUESTION
Alderman Cookson
| was curious on this particular one because it’s a 2016 Ford F-250 4x4 pickup. Is there any difference
between this vehicle and the first vehicle we approved this evening?
Mr. Kooken
There is in terms of equipment. If you are familiar with the F-150 its most probably the most optionable truck
on the market. There are thousands of ways to configure it. They are both similar. This is a little different
size. It’s not a crew cab, it is an extended cab. It’s a longer wheel base. It’s an overall bigger vehicle than the
other one. The prices are very close but the options vary.
