Agenda Item: 8
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: January 27, 2026
SUBJECT: NEW FLYER OF AMERICA CONTRACT FOR THE PURCHASE
AND DELIVERY OF THREE NEW HYDROGEN FUEL CELL
TRANSIT BUSES
DEPARTMENT: Economic Development
PRESENTER: Adrian Aguilar
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Approve the “piggyback” purchase of three zero emission hydrogen fuel cell local buses, inclusive of taxes, tariffs, tools, training, and spare parts, from New Flyer of America using the California Association for Coordinated Transportation/Morongo Basin Transit Authority joint procurement contract number 23-01, for a total contract amount not to exceed $5,724,856.
2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute all contracts and associated documents and modify the awardees in the event of project withdrawal or abandonment, subject to City Attorney approval.
BACKGROUND
Santa Clarita Transit has a fleet replacement program that meets the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) twelve-year life cycle for local transit vehicles. Three of the City of Santa Clarita's (City) local buses have reached the end of their useful life and are scheduled to be replaced.
As required by state law, the City Council adopted the City Zero Emissions Transition Plan (Plan) in late 2020. The Plan serves as a road map for the City to comply with the state mandate that requires the City to have a 100 percent zero-emission bus fleet by 2040. Replacing buses at the end of their useful life with zero-emission buses allows the City to continue to improve fleet reliability and reduce emissions; and gives the City access to new vehicle designs and technology that will improve the customer experience. The recommended action would also bring the City in
alignment with the desired capital replacement schedule where approximately one-twelfth of the transit fleet is scheduled for replacement each fiscal year.
The use of "piggyback" purchasing allows the City to place orders against a competitively awarded public agency contract. The City intends to purchase three zero emission hydrogen fuel cell buses through the California Association for Coordinated Transportation/Morongo Basin Transit Authority vehicle purchasing cooperative, which allows the City, as a member, to take advantage of an existing process. The use of purchasing cooperatives is common within the transit industry and is a practice accepted by the FTA. Purchasing buses through this method expedites the purchasing process and ensures competitive pricing. Under this cooperative agreement, product specifications were identified and prices were negotiated based on the total projected participation of the cooperative members, rather than just the vehicles scheduled to be purchased by the City.
As an added measure, staff conducted a price analysis to ensure the proposed pricing is within industry standards and is the most advantageous to the City.
Upon approval by the City Council, the City will be able to take advantage of state incentive programs for the purchase of zero-emission buses, replace a number of aging buses that have reached the end of their useful life, and implement the latest engine technology.
These buses are tentatively scheduled for delivery in the Fall of 2027.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Adequate funds to implement the recommended action are contained within the City of Santa Clarita's adopted Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget, expenditure account 7003702-520103 (Transit Capital/Automotive Equipment). The City has programmed Federal Transit Authority Section 5307 grant funds to cover 80 percent of the total and Municipal Operator Service Improvement Programs funding for the remaining 20 percent.
ATTACHMENTS
New Flyer of America Proposal (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) Morongo Basin Transit Authority Joint Procurement RFP (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)
Combined MBTA NFI Contract (available in the City Clerk's reading file)