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Authorize the Town Manager to Execute a Contract with Gillig LLC to Purchase New Battery-Electric Buses.
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Staff:
Department:
Brian Litchfield, Director
Transit
Rick Shreve, Financial Analyst
Kathryn McMillan, Procurement Specialist
Overview: The Town of Chapel Hill must continue to acquire and maintain a modern fleet of buses to provide the best and most reliable transit services to its customers. In an effort to meet sustainability goals while reducing carbon emissions, Transit staff have been working over the last several months on procuring Battery-Electric Buses for the communities we serve.
Recommendation(s):
That the Council authorize the Town Manager to execute a five-year contract with Gillig LLC to purchase three battery-electric buses and charging units with the option to purchase an additional nineteen buses.
Background:
Chapel Hill Transit has been a leader in North Carolina in using hybrid bus and bus-related technologies and has invested in clean diesel technologies that have greatly reduced bus emissions while working to expand transit services. With the advancements in battery-electric technology for the transportation industry, exploring the environmental benefits and feasibility of expanding to a battery-electric fleet is the next step in Chapel Hill Transit's evolution. Using funding provided by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) No-Low Emission Grant, the Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee (RESPC) at UNC Chapel Hill, and the Chapel Hill Transit funding partners, we plan to purchase three battery-electric buses as part of a pilot study to investigate further the benefits, obstacles, and infrastructure demands of owning and operating battery-electric buses.
Awarding a contract for the purchase of battery-electric buses to a qualified vendor is the first step in the pilot project. At this time, Transit Staff have completed the solicitation process and have received bids from two qualified battery-electri...
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