RTD awards New Flyer bus order in support of East Colfax BRT
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) is announcing an order from New Flyer of America Inc. (New Flyer), a leading provider of diverse and sustainable mobility solutions and subsidiary of NFI Group, Inc. (NFI), for 47 Xcelsior® 60-foot clean-diesel heavy-duty transit buses. The order has been added to New Flyer’s second-quarter 2026 backlog.
The contract also includes options for up to 80 additional 60-foot buses (160 equivalent units, or EUs), which may be exercised in the future.
The order is funded through local funding sources. The buses are Buy America-compliant and will be manufactured in the United States, supporting domestic jobs, strengthening the North American supply chain, and ensuring federal transit investments continue to deliver economic benefits to American communities.
The articulated buses will support RTD’s, the City of Denver’s, and the City of Aurora’s East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, one of the Denver region’s largest transit investments, with passenger service anticipated to begin in early 2028. Designed to enhance passenger flow and accessibility along the high-capacity corridor, the buses will feature a three-door configuration for faster boarding and alighting, level boarding to improve accessibility and reduce dwell times, and interior bicycle racks to support multimodal travel.
”RTD’s investment in these new buses is about delivering a better customer experience along one of the region’s most important corridors,” said Angel Peña, RTD Deputy Chief Executive Officer. “The East Colfax Bus Rapid Transit project will improve safety, reliability, accessibility, and connections to opportunity for the communities we serve. We appreciate New Flyer’s partnership in providing Buy America-compliant vehicles that support this work and help us move the region forward.”
“Public transit investments are also investments in American manufacturing,” said Chris Stoddart, President, North American Bus and Coach, NFI. “This order reflects RTD’s commitment to modernizing its fleet while supporting U.S. jobs through Buy America-compliant manufacturing. We are proud to continue our long-standing partnership with RTD by delivering buses that will help serve one of the region’s most important high-capacity transit corridors.”
NFI and RTD have partnered for more than 50 years. During that time, New Flyer has delivered nearly 500 buses and motor coaches to the agency, supporting fleet modernization and transit service throughout the Denver metropolitan region.
Created by the Colorado General Assembly in 1969, RTD today serves a population of approximately 3.09 million across 40 municipalities spanning all or portions of eight counties. The agency operates an active fleet of 955 buses and recorded more than 42.7 million bus boardings in 2024, underscoring the vital role bus service plays across the region.