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Thursday, January 28, 2016

Maryland is spending $97.8 million toward new Baltimore buses

A state spending board on Wednesday approved nearly $100 million to buy 172 new buses expected to be cleaner and more reliable when Gov. Larry Hogan's BaltimoreLink overhaul goes into effect in 2017.

Maryland's Board of Public Works approved spending $97.8 million in federal funds to buy the buses, 40-foot "clean diesel" models from Winnipeg, Manitoba-based New Flyer Industries. The Maryland Transit Administration contracted a price of $556,774 per bus, plus additional costs for services like training.

Only one company bid to meet the state's timeline requirements and design needs. But the buses are sorely needed after Maryland skipped an annual bus replacement last year, according to MTA Administrator and CEO Paul Comfort.


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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whoa! That's one ugly paint job!

Anonymous said...

"Clean diesel" is an oxymoron.

Anonymous said...

Wait, is the State paying for our buses? I don't think so.

Concerned retiree said...

A lot of the Public does not know the State and their Agencies can piggyback off other States for the same thing they put out for bids and most of the time the cost is less than what MD receives on their bids. I have been there and done that with a lot of success and saved tax dollars.

Anonymous said...

So, is Baltimore City reimbursing the state for this expense?

Anonymous said...

No all the buses are state property purchased and owned by MTA

Anonymous said...

I saw in the local rag this past weekend were the local shore transit requested a 2.5 million dollar budget including one million dollars for maintenance on them.And another 950k on new buses.
BOY is some local vendors and shops getting filthy rich off the local taxpayer.
Man this is just crazy.