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Service History

On January 11, 2013, the Chicago Transit Board approved the purchase of at least 300 clean diesel, forty-foot buses 7900-8199 from Nova Bus. The $148 million contract contained an option to purchase an additional 150 buses.

The first pilot bus as part of the order, #7900, was delivered to the CTA in early February. On February 26, 2014, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CTA President Forrest Claypool officially unveiled the new bus to the public at CTA’s 74th Street Garage.

The CTA expects to take regular delivery of the new Nova buses in April through the end of 2015 and, upon inspection and acceptance, begin putting new buses into service by May 2014.

This is the CTA’s second purchase of LFS models from manufacture Nova Bus. From 2000-2002, CTA received delivery of 484 Nova LFS models. Those buses will largely be retired upon delivery of the new models.

While the new Nova LFS buses may at first glance look similar to their outgoing predecessors, Nova Bus has made several key changes to the LFS model compared to the previous generation. Most notably, an updated horizontal engine placement eliminates the awkward interior seating layout at the rear of the bus. The new model also eliminates any rear-facing seats, an element that CTA explicitly prohibited as part of the procurement process for this order.

One of the most dramatic changes in the interior of the bus is an improved LED-based lighting design. First the first time in a CTA bus, rows of lights now span across the aisle in addition to the traditional rows of lights along the sides of the bus. A new bulkhead design along the driver’s side of the bus provides for increased vertical clearance.

A new slate gray seamless floor design replaces the deep blue grooved flooring that CTA has traditionally used in its bus fleet. The floor design is similar to the floors on CTA’s 5000-series railcars.

The 7900-series Novas also feature new lightweight “Gemini” seats from Chicago-based Freedman Seating Company. The City and CTA have previously touted the partnership with the local company, which the CTA says has resulted in 50 new jobs.

On August 12, 2015, the Chicago Transit Authority approved the purchase of 125 more Nova buses 8200-8324. The $68.5 million purchase will replace nearly 15-year-old first generation Novas, in which it marks the oldest buses in nearly 1,800-vehicle fleet. This purchase is also an add-on to a $220 million bus modernization program, in which it will bring the newest fleet up to 425 buses to the transit agency since 2011. The 125 buses were bought through federal funds and Chicago Transit Authority bond revenue combined and will be in service in May 2016 according to Chicago Transit Authority and officials. However, they began service on June 4, 2016.

On October 11, 2017, the Chicago Transit Authority approved the purchase of 25 more Nova buses 8325-8349. The $14 million purchase has finalized the last option to complete the entire contract of 450 Nova buses, in which the total cost was $234 million, including spare parts and tools. They were projected to begin service in late fall of 2018. However, they began service on February 23, 2019. The addition of all 450 Nova buses are part of Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago Transit Authority Bus Modernization Program.