After experiencing ongoing issues with bus shortages, TCAT introduced three of its five new Gillig diesel buses on Tuesday, June 24, according to a TCAT press release published the same day. Painted with a new bright blue design with a white cat along its sides, TCAT General Manager Matthew Rosenbloom-Jones said the 40-foot buses will “leave riders with a cleaner, more comfortable and more reliable commute.”
Although still utilizing diesel, Rosenbloom-Jones stated in the press release that the new buses’ modernized technology will “vastly reduce carbon emissions.” As the number of buses in service increases, less residents will be using single-occupancy vehicles, in turn reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The buses were commissioned to be built at Gillig’s California manufacturing plant in April 2024, costing around $520,000 each. New York’s Modernization Enhancement and Acceleration Transit Capital programs, which awards money to regional governments to enhance their public transportation systems, funded the purchase.
“Throughout the remainder of the summer, TCAT riders can expect to see additional new buses enter service, while older vehicles beyond their service life, many [of] which [are] obsolete, will gradually be removed,” said Rosenbloom-Jones in the press release.
With an aging collection of buses, this purchase was much awaited to mitigate the TCAT bus shortage.
“Every day, we [probably] have 25 vehicles on the road,” Rosenbloom-Jones said in an interview with the Ithaca Times. “We probably have around 50 vehicles that are registered to TCAT, but a lot of those are either waiting disposal or waiting for long term repairs.
Additionally, in spring of 2024, TCAT’s seven 2021 Proterra battery-electric buses were decommissioned after factory design flaws were discovered, deeming the vehicles unsafe. Gillig accelerated their timeline of producing the new buses to alleviate issues introduced by the removal of the Proterra buses. Rosebloom-Jones said he is grateful for the quick turnaround provided by Gillig.
In an effort to “green its fleet,” TCAT is adding six battery-electric buses from Gillig early next year. These will have a paint scheme similar to the electric theme created by TCAT artist Jen Jennings for the Proterras. Two new hybrid buses will be introduced in spring of 2026, each displaying the same design Jennings created for the recently introduced diesels.
Originally posted here