MTA Maryland (Baltimore, MD): 2019 NovaBus LFS

For the first time in 15 years, MDOT/MTA will be ordering buses from a manufacturer not named New Flyer - with the exception of MCI motor coaches (2011) & Optima Opus (2006).

In 2018, NOVA was awarded a contract poised to have a total of 350 buses built over a five-year period (70 units per year) beginning in 2020. In the meantime, two coaches were built as introduction demos for MTA to inspect & spec-out the two units to their liking before mass production is underway. The 40-foot standard "LFS" and 60-foot "LFS-Articulated" (both with the LFX's BRT-style streamline roof facade design). For the incoming first order in 2020, 'thirty' (30 units) LFSes & 'forty' (40 units) LFS-As will be delivered to retire the remaining D40LFs & DE60LFRs. Every other year (2021-2024) afterwards will see 40-foot units (280 total during the process) only.

Currently, LFS #20001 and LFS-A #20031 are technically 2020-made coaches but built in 2019 for introductory purposes as seen here. Keep in mind, NOVA is in-conjuction with Prevost (motor coach manufacturer); whereas, both are under the parental ownership(?) of the Swedish "VolvoGroup".

There are many, many significant changes for MTA; all of us in Maryland, to get use to that stands apart from New Flyer in so many ways but I think we all have a feeling that these buses; properly spec-ed & all, are what we wanted all along. How they'll handle themselves over the course of 12-15 years is up to Prevost & MDOT/MTA to make that distinction.

There is so much to go through about the NOVAs that explaining it in the description of this video is useless, so seeing is believing.

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