ST. CLOUD, MN, Oct. 15, 2018 /CNW/ - (TSX: NFI) New Flyer of
America Inc. ("New Flyer"), the U.S. subsidiary of NFI Group Inc.
("NFI"), the largest transit bus and motor coach manufacturer and
parts distributor in North
America, today announced that the Interurban Transit
Partnership ("ITP"), the organization responsible for operating the
Public Transportation Authority of Grand
Rapids Metro Area ("The Rapid"), has awarded New Flyer a new
contract for 16 heavy-duty, sixty-foot Xcelsior®
compressed natural gas transit buses (32 equivalent units or
"EUs").
The 16 new articulated buses will support Grand Rapids' second new bus rapid transit
("BRT") line, with funding provided by the Federal Transit
Administration and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The Rapid has experienced a ridership increase of seven million
since 2000 due to population growth, route development, and smart,
transit-wide improvements including BRT. With BRT, wait times have
decreased, area congestion has reduced, and economic development
has increased.
"What the Laker Line will offer is larger buses that can carry
more riders, making the route more efficient," said Michael Bulthuis, spokesman for The Rapid. "The
articulated BRT buses can carry up to 50% more passengers than the
forty-foot buses that currently operate on Route 50."
Recent initiatives by The Rapid will also add transit signal
priority and electronic fare technology, which The Rapid is calling
The Wave, to improve route and boarding times and create a smarter,
more convenient transit system.
"New Flyer is proud to offer connected BRT solutions for
Grand Rapids," said Wayne Joseph, President, New Flyer of America.
"We commend The Rapid for leading the evolution in BRT
transportation, and through this work, continue to champion smart
mobility development that delivers seamless, sustainable, and
efficient passenger experience, while increasing public transit
ridership."
The Interurban Transit Partnership of the Grand Rapids Metro Area serves six cities with
transit bus, paratransit, vanpool, and BRT. More than one third of
the agency's buses will be converted to compressed natural gas by
2020 with goals to convert the entire fleet by 2027, creating a
more environmentally friendly transportation network.
The NFI Group has over 88 years of experience manufacturing
buses. It is the only provider of full suite bus solutions in
North America, offering transit,
motor coach, and low-floor cutaway buses, and in 2018, became the
first bus manufacturer in the world to sign on to the Shared
Mobility Principles for Livable Cities.
About NFI Group
With nearly 6,000 team members, operating from 31 facilities
across Canada and the United States, NFI is North America's largest bus manufacturer
providing a comprehensive suite of mass transportation solutions
under several brands: New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit buses), ARBOC®
(low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), MCI® (motor coaches),
and NFI Parts™ (parts, support, and service). NFI buses incorporate
the widest range of drive systems available including: clean
diesel, natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, and zero-emission
electric (trolley, battery, and fuel cell). For the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2017, NFI posted
revenues of US $2.4 billion. NFI
common shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the
symbol NFI. News and information are available at
www.nfigroup.com.
About New Flyer
New Flyer is North America's
heavy-duty transit bus leader and offers the most advanced product
line under the Xcelsior® and Xcelsior CHARGE™ brands. New Flyer
actively supports over 44,000 heavy-duty transit buses (New Flyer,
NABI, and Orion) currently in service, of which 7,300 are powered
by electric motors and battery propulsion and 1,600 are
zero-emission. Further information is available at
www.newflyer.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements
relating to expected future events and financial and operating
results of NFI Group that involve risks and uncertainties. Although
the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are
based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions,
investors cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent
with these forward-looking statements, and the differences may be
material. Actual results may differ materially from management
expectations as projected in such forward-looking statements for a
variety of reasons, including market and general economic
conditions and economic conditions of and funding availability for
customers to purchase buses and to purchase parts or services,
customers may not exercise options to purchase additional buses,
the ability of customers to suspend or terminate contracts for
convenience and the other risks and uncertainties discussed in the
materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities
and available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Due to the potential
impact of these factors, the NFI Group disclaims any intention or
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise,
unless required by applicable
law.
SOURCE New Flyer of America Inc.