The buses will enhance service reliability, reduce vehicle emissions, increase fleet sustainability and support continued service growth. Photo courtesy of Placer County

 

AUBURN, CA (MPG) - Placer County took a significant step towards its long-term transit fleet modernization goals following approval from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to purchase 16 new public transit buses, including four electric buses for the Truckee-Tahoe region.

The buses will enhance service reliability, reduce vehicle emissions, increase fleet sustainability and support continued service growth across Placer County Transit and Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit.

Placer’s Department of Public Works operates a total of 45 buses between Placer County Transit and Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit. These must be replaced as they exceed their useful life and become expensive to maintain. Since 2015, the county has replaced 39 buses for both systems, all of which had reached their useful life, and purchased one expansion bus for TART.

Today’s approval will replace 14 additional buses and expand the Placer County Transit Dial-A-Ride fleet. The new buses will cost approximately $12,723,283 and allow for the following fleet additions:

Placer County Transit – Dial-A-Ride Service

Four 25-foot transit buses replacing model years 2008–2015

Two 25-foot transit buses for fleet expansion

Placer County Transit – Fixed Route Service

Four 35-foot transit buses replacing 2015 model year vehicles

Transit and Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit – Fixed Route Service

Two 40-foot CNG transit buses replacing model years 2009–2015

Four 40-foot battery electric transit buses replacing model years 2015–2017

“These replacements will improve service quality and operational efficiency while advancing the county’s transition toward cleaner, lower-emission vehicles,” said Placer County Transit Manager Jaime Wright. “TART’s purchase of four electric buses will be a part of a pilot program to be completed in the Truckee and North Tahoe region to determine the viability of a fully electric fleet.”

The California Air Resources Board initiated the Innovative Clean Transit Regulation in 2018, requiring transit agencies to reduce emissions and transition to zero-emission buses. Beginning in 2026, this regulation requires 25% of Placer’s new bus purchases to be zero-emission buses before moving to 100% by 2029.

The bus purchases are fully funded with no impact on the county’s general fund. Funding is provided from federal grants, Senate Bill 1 (State of Good Repair), the local transportation fund, Senate Bill 125 (Transit Program), the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, as well as an affordable housing grant from the creation of the Meadow View Affordable Housing project in Martis Valley.

The board also approved two budget amendments for the coming fiscal year to increase Placer County Transit’s budget by $1,623,454 and increase Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit’s budget by $8,099,829.

These investments reflect Placer County’s ongoing commitment to strengthening public transportation, reducing fleet emissions and ensuring safe, reliable mobility for residents and visitors throughout the region.

Learn more about Placer County’s transit programs at https://placercountytransit.com/.

Learn more about Tahoe Truckee Area Regional Transit at https://tahoetruckeetransit.com/.