SIDNEY -- The Sidney City Council Tuesday approved purchasing two new public transportation buses.

Transportation Director Kasey Kantor met with the city council during the May 28 meeting.

Kantor said the council last approved funding a new bus in 2018. 

The City purchases public transportation buses with the Federal Transit Authority covering the majority of the cost. 

In his memo to the city council, Kantor said according to the FTA (Federal Transit Authority), a federally-funded vehicle has met its useful life after four years or 100,000 miles. Sidney's public transportation system has two buses with more than 100,000 miles: a 2017 Ford with 132,313 miles, and a 2010 with 116,508.

The City's share of the cost, 10 percent of the purchase price, comes to a little more than $18,400 or $9,200 per bus.

Kantor showed a chart depicting the increase in number of rides from 7,680 in 2001 to 22,158 in 2023.

Delivery on new buses is expected to be more than a year from application, Kantor said. The cost of the buses will be covered by the Federal Government (85 percent) State of Nebraska (5 percent) and the City of Sidney (5 percent).