Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
FEBRUARY 19, 2026
Subject
SUBJECT: ZERO EMISSION BUS (ZEB) PROGRAM UPDATE
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. RECEIVING AND FILING quarterly status report on the ZEB Program;
B. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to execute the necessary agreements to accept the transfer of 19 New Flyer battery electric buses (BEBs) from Lane Transit District; and
C. ESTABLISHING a Life-Of-Project (LOP) Budget for the relocation and make-ready of 19 used New Flyer BEBs, capital project number 201080, in the amount of $2,180,000.
Issue
ISSUE
This update provides a status report on the ZEB transition plan, including bus acquisition, division electrification, funding status, and upcoming program activities. This report also requests Board action on 19 New Flyer battery electric buses that will be donated to Metro by Lane Transit District.
Background
BACKGROUND
In July 2017, the Board approved Motion 50 by Directors Bonin, Garcetti, Najarian, Hahn, and Solis (Attachment A), which endorsed a ZEB Strategic Plan to transition Metro’s entire bus fleet to zero-emission by 2030. This was contingent upon cost and performance equivalence with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, as well as continued advancements in charging infrastructure. In 2018, the California Air Resources Board (CARB)’s Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation mandated that all transit agencies in the state operate zero-emission fleets by 2040. In addition, ICT ZEB purchase requirements for large transit agencies require 25% of bus purchases to be zero emission by 2023, 50% by 2026, and 100% by 2029.
Metro has met all state-mandated program requirements. Furthermore, since October 2020, Metro has powered its bus fleet with 100% Renewable Natural Gas. Since the Board endorsed the ZEB Strategic Plan, Metro prepared a ZEB Master Plan in 2022 and a Master Plan Update in 2023. In September 2024, staff prepared a more detailed plan to deliver a 100% ZEB fleet no later than 2035. This ensures Metro’s ability to continue providing reliable bus service, including availability of operations and maintenance funding to support the full seven million annualized revenue service hours as planned through the NextGen Bus Plan.
In 2021, Metro electrified the G Line, which has accumulated more than six million miles of zero-emission service to date. In 2025, Metro installed all charging infrastructure to electrify the J Line. Electrification of Division 9 (El Monte) is nearing completion, and design is underway for Divisions 18 (Carson) and 7 (West Hollywood).
Transit agencies across North America continue to delay or shift away from a transition to zero emission buses. While the Toronto Transit Commission has a goal to transition its bus fleet by 2040, the Board recently approved the purchase of 200 diesel hybrid buses, with options for additional hybrid buses, and additional contract language to convert future BEB orders to hybrid, to ensure service reliability and operational readiness. The Chicago Transit Authority, which also has a 2040 transition goal, recently received a federal Low or No Emission grant to purchase 150 diesel hybrid buses, and New Jersey Transit recently purchased 375 hybrid diesel buses. Foothill Transit recently cancelled its design-build contract for a new hydrogen fueling station in Arcadia and issued a change order to switch the propulsion type of hydrogen buses to CNG. King County Metro’s currently proposed two-year budget would delay its electrification goal from 2035 to beyond 2040.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Bus Acquisition
Metro has acquired 71 BYD K9MD buses, with an additional 24 BYD battery electric buses (BEBs) currently in production and on track for delivery.
On December 22, 2025, Metro issued two solicitations, one for 220 BEBs and another for 20 BEBs, for a total base buy of 240 BEBs, including options for up to 1,600 additional units, with the goal of awarding the contracts by the summer of 2026. The technical specifications were refined by eliminating prescriptive requirements for less critical features while ensuring a continued focus on the safety of both operators and riders.
Simultaneously, Metro plans to leverage the Colorado State contract currently in procurement or the renewed Washington State contract, expected to be finalized in April, to procure up to 40 BEBs, targeting delivery by the end of FY27.
In addition, Lane Transit District (LTD) has offered to transfer 19 used BEBs to Metro. The 40-foot New Flyer XCELSIOR buses were delivered to the Lane Transit District between 2022 and 2023, and they have accumulated an average of 50,000 miles. According to the leadership at LTD, the extreme weather conditions in Lane County, Oregon, have affected the range of the BEBs, complicating the scheduling of reliable service. LTD will invest in diesel hybrid buses moving forward. While the LTD electric buses will be donated, Metro will take on the remaining federal equity associated with the equipment, which averages approximately $464,956 per bus. Staff is seeking authorization for the CEO to execute the required agreements to accept the transferred BEBs. Additionally, staff requests approval for a Life of Project budget in the amount of $2.18 million for the relocation and make-ready of the used BEBs as part of capital project number 201080.
Finally, next month, Metro is launching a pilot program featuring a BEB with extremely long range, manufactured by the Netherlands-based company Ebusco. Renowned for its commitment to innovation in the battery electric transit bus sector, Ebusco incorporates composite materials in the primary structure of the bus, resulting in a 27% reduction in weight. The Ebusco 3.0 model involved in the pilot boasts the capability to travel over 300 miles on a single charge based on operating conditions within the European Union, which exceeds the standard range of U.S.-made buses by 100 miles. The pilot bus will operate in non-revenue shadow service for four weeks to assess performance, range, charging capabilities, and operational compatibility with Metro's service requirements. Should the pilot result in success, Metro expects to release a procurement for ten 40' high-range BEBs and ten 60' articulated high-range BEBs with options for up to 60 additional BEBs to encourage the advancement of technology and potential interest in the U.S. market.
Charging Infrastructure
Metro achieved its goal to electrify the J Line by launching the first day of fully electric bus service on December 14, 2025. The J Line fleet consists of brand new BYD electric buses based at Division 9 (El Monte) and 18 (Carson). Buses charge overnight within the divisions and at en route charging locations at El Monte and Harbor Gateway Transit Centers. J Line electrification represents the tenth Twenty-eight by ‘28 project completed to date. Unfortunately, while Metro achieved several days of electric service levels up to 100% in its first few weeks, in early January, staff identified an issue with the BYD bus electric motors, which required grounding the zero emission bus fleet to prevent further damage. While the issue is under investigation, CNG buses with renewable natural gas fuel are in service. The service will return to zero emission as soon as the mechanical issues have been resolved.
Construction of the gantry structure and installation of depot charging equipment at Division 9 continue to progress. The civil construction scope will be complete in March, while installation and commissioning of the four depot pantograph charging clusters will continue through Fall 2026. The first pantograph charging cluster is expected to be fully commissioned in July.
The Notice to Proceed for the Progressive Design Build Operate and Maintain (PDBOM) contract to electrify Divisions 18 and 7 (West Hollywood) was issued on January 22, 2026. The project will construct more than 400 electric bus charging positions between the two divisions. Staff anticipate that both divisions will be electrified prior to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In 2024, Metro released a solicitation to procure opportunity charging equipment and submitted utility service requests for eleven charging sites in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) service territory. With an en route charging equipment contract award in January 2026, Metro staff are preparing and negotiating task orders for 100% design packages for the en route charging sites that will support the North Hollywood to Pasadena BRT and North San Fernando Valley Transportation Improvements Project, with a goal to complete these sites no later than 2028.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Upon Board approval, an LOP budget will be established in the amount of $2,180,000 under capital project number 201080. FY26 annual funding for this project in the amount of $1,218,971 is available within the existing Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and does not require an amendment to the FY26 Adopted Budget. This will be a multi-year project, and the cost center manager, project manager(s), and Sr. Executive Officer of Vehicle Engineering and Acquisition will be responsible for budgeting the costs in future years.
Impact to Budget
Funding for the requested LOP will come from a mix of State and Local sources that are eligible and available when required and provided to the project based on Board-authorized priorities.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The purpose of this report is to provide a program-level status update; project-specific equity impacts are discussed in detail in their respective project reports. Divisions 1, 2, 3, 5, and 9 are located within Equity Focus Communities (EFCs). Divisions 9 and 5 will be in the first half of the electrification schedule, and Divisions 1, 2, and 3 will be in the latter half. Because EFC residents may have a higher reliance on bus transit, delays to the electrification schedule could disproportionately impact EFCs by delaying air quality improvements through emissions reductions. However, despite these risks, the division electrification schedule and achievement of related air quality improvements currently remain on track. Receiving the 19 donated buses from Lane County Transit will facilitate an accelerated delivery timeline of zero-emission buses.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled _Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
As part of these ongoing efforts, this item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. This item supports Metro’s systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through operational activities that will maintain and encourage transit ridership. Metro’s transition to a ZEB fleet will enhance customer experience with vehicles that are quiet and use zero-emission technology. Metro’s Board-approved VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
This update supports Goal #3 to enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity and Goal #4 to transform LA County through regional collaboration and national leadership.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may choose not to approve recommendations B and C. However, this approach is not recommended, as the addition of 19 BEBs will support Metro in achieving its goal of a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to deliver on the charging infrastructure projects at Divisions 9, 18, and 7. Staff will also execute the necessary agreements to receive the Lane Transit District donated buses and prepare them for revenue service.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Board Motion 50
Attachment B - Lane Transit District Electric Bus Vehicle Summary as of December 15, 2025
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Shaun Miller, Deputy Executive Officer, Project Management, (213) 922-4952
Amy Romero, Deputy Executive Officer, Project Management, (213) 922-5709
Matthew Dake, Deputy Chief Operations Officer, Vehicle Maintenance & Engineering, (213) 922-4061
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 418-3034
