MCI offers its buses with options for clean-diesel engines or diesel-electric hybrids.

The RTD staff is recommending a maximum $2.98 million contract with Motor Coach Industries, a Schaumburg, Ill., bus manufacturing company that emerged from bankruptcy protection earlier this year after a brief voluntary reorganization. The RTD board will consider approving the purchase next week.

The price includes a not-to-exceed amount of $491,666 per bus plus $4,300 per vehicle for extended warranty coverage. That’s less than recent prices for the same type of bus. And because RTD skipped the lengthier procurement process of advertising for and receiving bids, it expects to take delivery of the buses by the end of May.

RTD uses some of the company’s buses on its regional routes and skyRide to Denver International Airport. The buses have the company’s trademark “MCI” emblem on the front.

RTD had budgeted to acquire ultra-low-sulfur diesel buses this year, and is using federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In June, when it started work on the purchase requisition, staff found that another transit agency had just awarded a contract for the same type of bus to MCI.

Because Yolobus, the transit agency in Yolo County, Calif.., northwest of Sacramento, had just gone through the Federal Transit Agency procurement process, RTD was authorized to follow on and add to the order.

“The MCI buses will be of a standard intercity design, wheelchair accessible and fully ADA compliant,” Mike Gil, acting general manager of bus operations, reported to the board. “They will be equipped with a particulate filter for use with ultra-low sulfur diesel, which offers significantly reduced exhaust emissions.”

News reports from previous purchases of MCI buses in New York and Houston show RTD got a good price. Last year New York paid $532,000 per vehicle for regular diesel buses while Houston paid $784,000 per vehicle for MCI’s newer diesel-electric hybrid coach buses.