SPRINGDALE -- Ozark Regional Transit received a federal grant to replace buses destroyed in a January 2017 fire.
The Federal Transit Administration is giving the public transit provider $3.6 million for diesel buses, according to Joel Gardner, executive director of Ozark Regional Transit.
"The agency, which has been using donated vehicles that have exceeded their useful life, will improve reliability and reduce maintenance," according to a grant announcement.
Gardner said he's looking to get 32-foot to 35-foot buses.
"Depending on the manufacturer they could run between $300,000 to $400,000 per unit," Gardner said. "The $3.6 million should get us nine to 12 buses."
Gardner said the grant came from a request ORT made in August for about $8.5 million for buses, a compressed natural gas fueling facility and an administrative building.
"ORT will begin the bidding process within the next few weeks. Once the bid documents are released and returned, ORT will make the selection and award the contract for building," Gardner said. "Depending on which company receives the award, it could take up to six to 12 months to build the buses."
ORT received eight new buses in January. They were purchased with $114,000 from an insurance settlement and two federal grants of about $360,000 each. The new buses cost about $120,000 each.
The remaining $600,000 from the settlement is expected to be combined with the new $3.6 million transit administration grant to buy new buses.
A wind-whipped fire started in the early morning hours of Jan. 10, 2017, and destroyed 20 buses, depleting the fleet. Explosions launched parts of buses more than three blocks away.
The fire is believed to have started when a particulate filter on the exhaust system of one of the buses overheated during cleaning. Wind gusts of 50 mph fanned the flames through the parked buses. The buses' fiberglass bodies added fuel to the fire.
ORT used a fleet of loaned and borrowed buses to maintain service through most of last year.
NW News on 04/06/2018