Fleet & Facilities
Fleet & Facilities Services
As the transit and rail industry continues moving toward a more sustainable and resilient future, HNTB is working with our clients to deliver well-integrated, cost-effective and reliable fleet and facilities.
Leveraging top-level industry expertise, we provide an extensive offering of capabilities across a wide array of disciplines. This includes experience in all vehicle and propulsion types as well as the procurement and operation of supporting facilities. With an understanding of the challenges our clients face, HNTB can help procure, implement and deliver solutions that are actively shaping the landscape of public transportation.
From the acquisition and deployment of fleets to maintenance facility design and program management, we deliver transportation solutions that meet the unique needs of communities.
FLEET & FACILITIES SOLUTIONS INCLUDE:
• Maintenance and Operations
• Procurement and Overhaul
• Planning, Design and Engineering
• Program Management
• Project Delivery
• Zero-Emissions Vehicles and Infrastructure
• Specialized Systems
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Ferry Overhaul
Boston, MA
HNTB is working with MBTA to provide project management, engineering and inspection services in support of the overhaul of two high-speed, 149-passenger ferries used in a commuter ferry service between Boston and the south shore of the city. MBTA needs to ensure the vessels comply with Federal Transit Administration requirements and that the weight of the vessel is within the structural design limit and the additional weight does not pose any safety concerns.
HNTB is providing a multidisciplinary team of experienced program and project managers, engineers, naval architects and inspectors in support of this project. The services include design reviews, first article inspections, test and inspection witness, project and configuration management, production and quality oversight, change order review and other support as required during this overhaul. At the close of the project, the vessels will return to service with an extended service life of 10 years of year-round service in the Boston Harbor.
Metro Transit North Loop Garage
Minneapolis, MN
A transit facility that prioritizes sustainability, the North Loop Bus Garage design-build project transforms daily fleet operations and actively supports Metro Transit’s vision for greener public transportation.
The 350,000-square-foot facility is comprised of 24 maintenance bays with the capacity to store up to 200 buses. HNTB was responsible for civil design of the
structure’s exterior and surrounding site, leading civil design for hydraulic and drainage systems, retaining walls, site grading, horizontal and vertical road alignments, pavement work and sidewalk and ADA compliance.
HNTB also provided design for an innovative 40,000-gallon water storage solution that will save Metro Transit up to 2.6 million gallons of water each year.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Red Line Service Life Extension
Massachusetts
HNTB is assisting MBTA’s team with the performance of a fleet condition assessment of Red Line vehicles and the development of a scope of work for an in-house targeted investment service life extension program. The investment program will aim to balance the need for safety and reliability with the understanding that the vehicles only have a few years of operation remaining. The assessment will target critical components for safety and reliability.
HNTB is inspecting the vehicles and documenting its findings. Particular attention is being paid to critical systems such as car body, trucks, air and brake systems, power systems, doors, controls, communications and other aspects that could have in-service failures, which negatively impact passengers.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Bus Midlife Overhaul Assessment
Washington, D.C.
To support the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) goal of improving fleet reliability, HNTB conducted a comprehensive evaluation of its bus overhaul program — focusing on optimizing the selection, scheduling and execution of midlife overhauls to align with industry best practices.
HNTB provided a detailed review of vehicle selection criteria, overhaul methods and workflow processes. HNTB also benchmarked WMATA’s practices
against peer agencies, assessed for mini-overhaul opportunities and evaluated facility operations and equipment maintenance.
HNTB delivered actionable recommendations that optimize overhaul efficiency, streamline parts procurement, and strengthen quality assurance — enhancing WMATA’s fleet reliability and service performance.
Orange County Bus Fleet Procurement and Technical Support
Orange County, NY
To support its diverse transit operations, Orange County relies on professional services to supplement internal capabilities. The county is advancing multiple initiatives across its three local bus operators — Coach USA, Leprechaun Lines and Kiryas Joel.
HNTB is delivering strategic support to Orange County’s transit modernization through three key initiatives: quality assurance for paratransit van manufacturing, a white paper advocating for negotiated procurement, and
the acquisition of 30- and 35-foot transit buses. These efforts are designed to enhance operational efficiency, ensure compliance and align with the county’s long-term mobility goals.
This work emphasizes maintenance and operations problem-solving while ensuring Orange County’s bus procurement processes are efficient, compliant and aligned with long-term transit goals.
Maryland Department of Transportation Metropolitan Transit Authority Bus Fleet Procurement and Technical Support
Baltimore, MD
HNTB is supporting the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA) in the procurement of transit buses annually through 2032. This effort ensures the agency’s fleet remains in a state of good repair while transitioning toward zero-emission vehicles.
HNTB is providing comprehensive procurement and program management services to MDOT MTA, including oversight of other procurements (2025–2027) and
technical specification development for a five-year RFP. These efforts prepare the agency for its transition to a zero-emissions fleet and reinforce its commitment to sustainable transit infrastructure.
This work builds on HNTB’s successful support of MDOT MTA’s initial battery electric bus test fleet and reflects the firm’s commitment to delivering sustainable, forwardlooking transit solutions.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Bus Procurement
Washington, D.C.
WMATA sought support to inform its bus procurement strategy. HNTB collaborated with WMATA to understand key factors contributing to the project schedule delay and provide actionable recommendations to mitigate future
procurement risks. HNTB’s review process was structured around objective data collection through interviews and contract documentation review.
South Bay Bus Maintenance Facility
San
Diego, CA
Serving as prime consultant to the San Diego Association of Governments to provide on-call program management, project development and environmental services for SANDAG transportation and transit projects, HNTB supported the development and delivery of the South Bay Bus Maintenance Facility Improvements project.
The project expanded upon the pre-existing MTS South Bay Bus Maintenance Facility. Its scope of work included a new 50,000-square-feet high-bay maintenance building,
equipment alterations to the pre-existing maintenance building, a bus wash building, a new 12,000-square feet operations and administration building, uncovered paved parking for 240 buses, new paved public parking lot for 18 vehicles, site utility work, miscellaneous site structures and two emergency power generators.
Milwaukee Streetcar Maintenance and Storage Facility
Milwaukee, WI
As the city’s first embedded-track streetcar, The Hop, or the Milwaukee Streetcar, has transformed downtown mobility.
Working alongside the City of Milwaukee since the streetcar’s initial conception, HNTB led the preliminary engineering, environmental documentation and final design for the program. This scope of work included the design of the Milwaukee Streetcar Maintenance and Storage Facility.
The 17,000-square-foot facility includes equipment maintenance bays, a dispatch operations center, office space, a wash station and storage space. It currently services five modern streetcars with future expansion of up to 12 vehicles. The facility also has two service bays and a preventative maintenance bay with access to the vehicle from below and above as well as a pit for repairs.
LAX APM Maintenance and Storage Facility
Los Angeles, CA
HNTB is currently serving as the design-build team’s architect of record for the automated people mover stations and lead designer for the maintenance facility at the Los Angeles International Airport.
The APM will serve as the main artery for travelers to and from the terminals. The APM station and maintenance facility designs reflect the city’s midcentury modern aesthetic using modernist elements like strong
horizontality, simplicity and indoor/outdoor connection; and artistic use of material applications such as concrete, steel and glass.
Features of the LEED Gold maintenance facility on the 9-acre site include automatic vehicle inspection system, central command center and train maintenance yard. HNTB is also providing construction support.
Amtrak Southampton High-Speed Rail Shop Expansion
Boston, MA
As part of the project’s design-build team, HNTB supported Amtrak in the delivery of a 3,933-square-foot expansion of the existing Southampton high-speed rail facility.
The expanded facility accommodates all associated power and overhead catenary system modifications, a 50-ton Macton drop table and crane equipment for change-outs, and repair and storage of Acela trucks and wheel sets.
The facility also includes train wash stations and hazardous materials storage buildings and an upgrade to the commissary. HNTB provided structural and electric traction engineering, as well as civil, fire protection, plumbing, HVAC/mechanical, electrical and IT design and engineering, and construction administration services.
The facility’s design was advanced from concept to final in three months, and construction was complete within 11 months from the start of design.
MBTA Bus Facility Modernization Program
Massachusetts
To prepare for planned improvements in its bus service, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is currently advancing an initiative to upgrade its bus facilities systemwide.
These upgrades will allow the authority to accommodate a zero-emission fleet of electric buses, expand the capacity for these buses and create a modern, efficient work environment for MBTA employees.
While this initiative seeks to update or replace all eight of the current bus maintenance facilities, HNTB is providing lead services on project controls, procurement, electrification and utility components, and environmental planning and permitting. The firm is also a major participant in all public outreach activities and holds a senior advisory role in the project.
QLINE Streetcar Maintenance Facility
Detroit, MI
Serving as owner’s representative to M-1 RAIL throughout the development and delivery of the QLINE Streetcar line in Detroit, HNTB led a majority of dayto-day project management activities for the corridor, including federal compliance, financial reporting and grant management; risk management; CM/GC and design-build procu rements; design reviews; construction oversight and safety certification.
A critical component to the project, HNTB helped oversee the delivery of the QLINE’s maintenance and storage facility, the Penske Tech Center. At roughly 20,000 square feet, the facility sits at the end of the 3.3-mile streetcar loop and is home to QLINE’s daily administrative operations, technology systems and streetcar vehicle maintenance routines. With 60% of the streetcar line operating off-wire, the facility is also the nation’s first to operate completely off-wire.
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Maintenance and Storage Facility
Honolulu, HI
As lead designer for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s design-build team, HNTB provided architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and industrial equipment design for a maintenance and storage facility that provides space to service, inspect and store the fleet of vehicles that operate on the Honolulu Rail Transit system. The maintenance and storage facility resides on an approximately 43-acre sloping site, which required an extensive amount of grading and retaining walls to transform the site into one suitable for its
intended use. The facility consists of several buildings along with storage tracks and other yard tracks for servicing the vehicles, including:
• A three-level, 140,000-square-foot operations and service building including a yard control tower
• A two-level, 60,000-square-foot maintenanceof-way facility
• A 15,000-square-foot train washing facility
• A 2,000-square-foot wheel truing facility
Caltrain Central Equipment Maintenance and Operations Facility
San Jose, California
The Central Equipment Maintenance and Operations Facility is a state-of-the-art facility that centralizes Caltrain’s train operations and fleet maintenance activities, creating a more efficient and cost-effective operation for its commuter rail fleet.
HNTB worked closely with Caltrain’s Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, its railroad and maintenance facility operator and facility personnel, to identify, develop and design the upgrades needed to support maintenance.
The firm provided facility programming, design and engineering, systems integration, interface management, utility coordination, stakeholder coordination, public involvement and construction management services for the facility.
The 58,800-square-foot facility accommodates inspections, maintenance, repairs, fueling from two 35,000-gallon tanks, train washing and storage and a control center. In addition, a tunnel under the mainline tracks connects the loading dock and operations building with the maintenance shops.
Caltrain Operations and Maintenance Support
San Francisco, California
Building on the previous support provided to the Central Equipment Maintenance and Operations Facility, HNTB supported the procurement and introduction of 19 new, high-performance, seven-car electric trainsets to replace the diesel locomotive trains servicing the 160-year-old rail corridor. The conversion from diesel to electric-powered locomotives also required the installation of an overhead contact system.
This new fleet enhances overall passenger experience and addresses long-term environmental impacts including noise reduction, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit Winterization
Texas
DART recognized the increase in frequency and severity of extreme, inclement winter weather events and the impact these events had on its light rail operations. As a result, DART selected HNTB to explore weatherizing options to protect the functionality of the light rail system and vehicles during these occurrences. The study formally documented DART’s current practice on extreme weather events. This information was then used to identify additional winterization options, upgrades and modifications for the agency’s consideration.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Rail Vehicle Maintenance Services
Boston, MA
HNTB is providing professional engineering and project management consulting services to support rail vehicle engineering and maintenance on an as-needed, on-call basis.
Providing services to MBTA’s subway operations fleet, which is comprised of three heavy rail lines, light rail, the Mattapan high-speed line and associated maintenance facilities, HNTB is assisting the MBTA’s rail car maintenance department with its goals to increase passenger and system safety, extend fleet performance and reliability, improve life cycle fleet maintenance plans and upgrade its maintenance facilities
Services provided include:
• Fleet analysis
• Facilities planning
• Revenue fleet overhauls
• Purchasing plans
• Other maintenance services
Chicago Transit Authority Yellow Line Accident Investigation
Chicago, IL
After experiencing a collision on their Yellow Line, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) selected HNTB to perform an independent investigation. HNTB’s experienced vehicle group was able to validate CTA’s findings against industry standards and develop recommendations to safeguard against recurrence. HNTB produced a 25-page report that examined the circumstances and criteria relating to the incident and validated any issues in vehicle testing and activities CTA had uncovered during their investigation. HNTB performed dynamic tests and inspected their shop and representative vehicles. HNTB’s recommendations for returning the line to its full potential included industryleading signal design practices and the implementation of technology enabling the identification of and remediation of future adhesion issues at CTA.
NJ Transit River LINE Light Rail Vehicle Assessment
New Jersey
NJ TRANSIT engaged HNTB to support Phase 1 of the River LINE Light Rail Vehicle Assessment. Acting as an extension of staff, HNTB provided on-site representation and technical support during the tear-down of two River LINE light rail vehicles. The team documented daily activities, responded to technical inquiries and supported electrical testing, while maintaining close coordination with NJ TRANSIT’s project management team.
As part of its scope, HNTB led a technical review of the Contractor’s Vehicle Assessment Report, facilitating multiple review sessions with NJ TRANSIT, the contractor and HNTB subject matter experts. The engagement will culminate in a thorough analysis of the Contractor’s Cost Proposal.
HNTB’s technical and commercial expertise is helping NJ TRANSIT develop a clear understanding of the River LINE fleet’s short- and long-term needs — ensuring continued safety, reliability and performance for passengers.
