FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – New Razorback Transit buses seen on campus and throughout Fayetteville are part of an ongoing effort to upgrade the bus fleet.

Expenditures for replacing one or two old buses are built in to the budget each year.

According to Adam Waddell, general manager of Razorback Transit, the money for the new buses that sport a sleek, new design comes specifically from both local university money set aside for such purchases and federal grant money.

The first three buses with the new design were obtained in December of 2016.

In the summer of 2017 one of the fleet's existing buses was refurbished to look like those with the new design.

In December of 2017, three more buses with the new exterior were secured and those will be on the road after they are fully outfitted, likely in late February or early March.

"It's going to be a continuing process of getting new buses and refurbishing older ones," Waddell said. "Soon we will have seven buses that look brand new."

The seven buses with the new design, which is more red than white, will be part of a fleet of 25 that serve the Fayetteville area.

One of the buses that was replaced was a 1995 model that had literally been on the road for more than 22 years. Federal guidelines require that buses purchased with federal dollars be in use for at least 12 years, but Razorback Transit makes an effort to get much more than 12 years out of each one.

"Due to maintenance and upkeep," Waddell said, "we are able to run a bus a little longer than 12 years. It's our intention to make good use of the funds we receive, but at the same time we have to keep each bus road-worthy and safe."

A new bus costs more than $400,000, so it can be difficult to replace more than two or three buses in any given year.

The Transit and Parking Department had $1.2 million to work with in upgrading its bus fleet this year; that sum came from money budgeted for the new purchases and from a transportation block grant made possible by the work of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.

Waddell said Razorback Transit has been federally funded since 1990.

Those monies, along with regular budget expenditures, are used to make sure every bus is safe and efficient.

In addition, there must always be an emphasis on updating the fleet.

"Two more new buses will be coming next year," Waddell said. "We are at least planning to get an additional two buses each year."

Keeping buses on the road in good condition is an ongoing challenge, but Waddell said that they are committed to passenger safety.

"It's our goal to provide safe and reliable service," he said. "There are a number of variables beyond our control. But we want to manage those in a way that provides the best service to our customers. At the same time, we always welcome their input. We always welcome questions or suggestions."