MCTS Announces Manufacturer Of Battery-Electric Buses

MILWAUKEE COUNTY,WI— The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) announced Thursday that it has awarded a contract to the vendor who will build Milwaukee County’s first battery-electric buses, according to a news release.

Nova Bus, a North American transportation manufacturer that’s part of the Volvo Group, will produce up to 15 all-electric buses for MCTS.

The first 11 buses will run exclusively on the upcoming East-West Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line; four additional vehicles will be used along regular routes.

Passengers will enjoy a quiet ride, comfortable seating, USB charging ports, off-board fare collection, and a bike rack. The new clean-air vehicles have several features that strengthen accessibility and improve the experience of riders with disabilities:

• Riders who use mobility devices can enter the bus through the front or back door thanks to wider aisles and level boarding via new BRT platforms.
• Each bus is equipped with a Self-Securement system, allowing passengers who use mobility devices to secure themselves independently, in addition to traditional driver-operated securement equipment.
• Exterior and interior chimes will sound when the bus slows to under three miles per hour to ensure that passengers who are blind or low vision know the bus is approaching a stop.

The battery-electric buses can operate up to 247 miles on a single charge. During winter months, diesel-powered heaters will keep passengers warm. Batteries will be recharged at MCTS’s maintenance garages and at a designated charging station along the BRT route.

The nine-mile East-West BRT will allow MCTS to better connect major employment, education and recreation destinations through downtown Milwaukee, Marquette University, Milwaukee’s Near West Side, Wauwatosa and the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center.

BRT construction is slated to begin in Spring 2021, with revenue service starting as early as Fall 2022. The battery-electric buses are expected to arrive in Milwaukee in Summer 2022.