Transit Buses

The Department of Enterprise Services has developed a FAST Act compliant transit bus contract. The transit bus contract features both heavy-duty and light to medium duty as categories in the same contract. New categories for the transit bus contract include double-decker buses, refurbished, repowered, and rebuilt buses. This transit bus contract DOES NOT include school buses. The Department of Enterprise Services does not have a Master Contract for the purchase of school buses.

This contract is intended to be a State Cooperative Purchasing Contract under Section 3019 of the FAST Act and compliant with FTA Guidelines. The state of Washington, through DES, will contract with vendors to provide transit buses and related equipment to multiple participants, including transit organizations from other states.

Contact information

If you have questions on this contract please check our contract summary page or contact DES bus purchases via email.

Vehicles Available

Purchases under the contract are grouped in separate award categories. Each category was created with its own solicitation that had its own specifications and requirements in the solicitation to ensure that contractors meet the purchasers' needs. The information in the solicitation documents is available on the summary page, which contacts the posted documents for the contract.

Heavy-Duty 04824-01

The heavy-duty category is for mass transit buses. These buses carry 40-60 passengers. The heavy-duty category has requirements for buses based on chassis length and propulsion. This category includes chassis ranging from 30 feet to 60 feet articulated. The category contains the common propulsion systems including diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), hybrid, hydrogen fuel cell, and electric propulsion systems.

Light and Medium Duty 04824-02

The light and medium duty category includes shuttles and minibuses. These buses carry around 10 to 20 passengers. Like the heavy-duty category, this category is will offer buses based on chassis and propulsion. Generally, light and medium buses operate on truck chassis, which are modified for use as buses. This category contains the common propulsion systems including gas, diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), propane, hybrid, and electric systems.

Double-Decker 04824-03

The double-decker category is for heavy-duty double-decker buses. These buses are a separate category from heavy-duty because there are different manufacturers of double-decker buses and standard heavy-duty buses.

Rebuilt 04824-04

The rebuilt category is for purchasing pre-owned buses that have been fully refurbished and are offered for sale by Contractors. This allows transit agencies to save money on the purchase of a bus and supplement their existing fleet quicker than waiting on procuring a newly built bus.

Refurbishment/Remanufactured 04824-06

The refits/refurbishment category is for services to repair and replace component systems of mass transit buses to sustain and extend the usable life.

Repower/Conversion 04824-06

The repowering category is for services to convert the propulsion system of a current bus into an electric propulsion system.

Ordering/Approval System

How to use this contract

  1. Review the documents from the drop-down menu on 04824 Transit Buses summary to find pricing, product offerings, and information for each contractor.
  2. Consult the frequently asked questions (FAQ) for common questions on this contract.
  3. Contact the sales representatives directly to consult about their products and services.
  4. Complete a cooperative agreement to authorize your use of the Contract, detailed in the cooperative section on the 04824 Transit Buses summary.
  5. Reference DES Contract No. 04824 on your Purchase Order with the Contractor.
  6. Register at bus ordering website to place orders for approval. View the bus purchaser user guide for how to register and place orders.
  7. If you still need help, please contact DES bus purchases.

Cooperative Agreement

This contract was developed to be in compliance with section 3019 of the FAST Act and compliant with FTA Guidelines. The contract incorporates FTA-required clauses and certifications. Following Washington law, any agency that would like to purchase from this contract must have a signed Contract Usage Agreement (CUA).

Entities within Washington State

Entities with authority to join a cooperative must complete a contract usage agreement request form. The agreement only needs to be completed once on the state level.

Entities outside of Washington State

These entities with authority to join a cooperative must complete a cooperative contract usage agreement request form. The agreement only needs to be completed once on the state level.

Generally, this agreement would be signed by a participating state's department of transportation and/or relevant department that oversees contracting with the state (often departments of general services or administrative services).