Refurbished bus ready for another go-round
JILL SCHRAMM/MDN Minot City Transit Superintendent Brian Horinka stands Friday, Sept. 4, inside the refurbished bus that is being added to the city’s fleet.
JILL SCHRAM/MDN The City of Minot Transit Department’s refurbished bus is on display for the public outside Minot City Hall Friday, Sept. 4.
JILL SCHRAMM/MDN Minot City Transit Superintendent Brian Horinka stands Friday, Sept. 4, inside the refurbished bus that is being added to the city’s fleet.
JILL SCHRAM/MDN The City of Minot Transit Department’s refurbished bus is on display for the public outside Minot City Hall Friday, Sept. 4.
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The latest bus newly added to the City of Minot’s transit fleet might be 20 years old, but it's definitely not showing its age. The refurbished, good-as-new bus will be officially on the streets soon, having just arrived from California.
Minot Transit Superintendent Brian Horinka said a significantly lower cost, quick turnaround from order to delivery and confidence in the remanufacturer led the city to be the first in the region to take the leap in purchasing a refurbished bus.
The 30-foot, low-floor kneeling bus has newer wheelchair securements and ramps that deploy from the entrance floor.
The city shopped with Complete Coach Works in California, which buys busses that agencies are retiring and refurbishes them. Horinka said he and the city's fleet manager traveled to Complete Coach Works' lot last October and picked out a 2006 Gillig, previously used in North Carolina, that met the transit department's size and configuration needs.
From there, the company built a statement of work to bring the bus back into condition.
Horinka explained the company strips the bus to its frame and body. It manages any corrosion issues and rebuilds the bus with remanufactured parts, including electronics, airbags, engine, transmission and all the other mechanical systems. He said the city saved some money because the metal seats were in good shape and could be reupholstered rather than replaced. Modern windows and shiny new paint complete the look.
"We expect as much life out of this as out of a new one, because all the major components have been replaced," Horinka said.
Horinka said the price range for a new bus is $750,000-$800,000, and Minot was able to get the refurbished bus for $454,000, including shipping. The use of a federal grant left the city's share at $68,175.
A new purchase could take at least two years from order to delivery and sometimes closer to three, Horinka added. The refurbished bus took about 100 days.
"You're spending that much more maintenance money on old fleets the longer it takes to get a new bus. That fact, coupled with the savings in price, really makes it a very, very good option," Horinka said.
The transit department has been outfitting the refurbished bus with equipment such as camera and GPS systems before sending it out on a route. Horinka estimated it will be put to work within the next two weeks. The bus will be rotated among the city's routes.
Horinka said the average age of the city's 11-bus fleet, not counting the newest bus, is 19 years. Although the fleet is well maintained, only two busses in use have not exceeded their 15-year or 350,000-mile life expectancies, and some are more than 20 years old.
Refurbished busses could be part of the solution to Minot's aging fleet. The Minot City Council will consider ordering another refurbished bus when it meets at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Not only is a federal grant in hand for a purchase, but Horinka said he already has another bus on the California lot picked out for refurbishing if the council gives the green light.