opinion

Swarens: Why Indy's Red Line buses may be 'a lemon'

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller made a startling admission in January: His city's new $133 million bus rapid transit system is "a bit of a lemon."

And he's not backing down. Last month, the chief executive of New Mexico's largest city dubbed efforts to fix the problem-plagued transit system, "Project Lemonade."

It soon could be taxpayers in Indianapolis who have a sour taste in their mouths.

That's because Indy has contracted with the same bus manufacturer, China-based Build Your Dreams, that has repeatedly missed deadlines and delivered badly flawed all-electric buses to Albuquerque.

In March, Keller said that Albuquerque would send back seven of the 16 buses BYD had delivered because of cracks, leaking fluids, axle problems and an inability to hold charges. The city documented about two dozen flaws, most minor, in each bus.

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One of the major problems: Buses that were supposed to operate for 275 miles between charges had to be pulled off the streets to recharge after only about 200 miles. That's a serious obstacle for a bus operator trying to run on-time routes.

A frustrated Keller said his administration might terminate the contract with BYD and search for an alternate bus maker. He also declared that Albuquerque "will not pay a dime" to BYD until it fixes the buses. And the city's inspector general has launched an investigation into the planning and approval process for the bus rapid transit system.

Albuquerque leaders aren't alone in their complaints about BYD. Richard DeRock, general manager of Link Transit in Wenatchee, Wash., told the Albuquerque Journal that his operation may give up altogether on all-electric buses because of persistent problems.

DeRock’s said his agency sent back the first two buses BYD delivered. “They were almost a year late on delivery because the buses couldn’t get through the plant," he said. "Our in-plant inspector would not release them. There were serious quality issues.

“This is experimental technology and that’s been one of my frustrations with the manufacturers. They’re treating it as if it isn’t,” DeRock told the Journal. “It’s challenging beyond belief.”

A big question for Indy: How quickly can BYD solve those challenges?

Transit officials here are counting on BYD to deliver the first of 13 buses late this year. In 2017, the city contracted to pay more than $1.2 million each for buses that eventually will run along the 14-mile Red Line from Broad Ripple to the University of Indianapolis.

A spokeswoman for IndyGo expressed confidence that BYD will meet deadlines for delivering the buses and other equipment needed to operate them. She noted that the city won't pay for the vehicles until after they are delivered and have been shown to meet contractual standards.

But BYD's problems aren't the only challenge IndyGo must navigate as it attempts to dramatically improve service in a city that's long struggled with a badly underfunded and deeply flawed bus system.

Uncertainty around federal funding already has caused delays in construction of the $96 million Red Line and raised concerns about the city's ability to build two other planned rapid transit lines. Last year, the City-County Council approved a 0.25 percent income tax increase to construct the BRT system and upgrade other services. But the city also hopes to use federal funding, which President Donald Trump has more than once threatened to cut, to complete the expansion.

And critics of the Red Line, especially business owners and residents along North College Avenue, continue to raise strong concerns about how the buses will affect parking and safety in their neighborhood.

Other skeptics have raised an even bigger issue: Will fixed transit systems become obsolete as riders make use of self-driving vehicles and other emerging technologies? That's unlikely to be a factor for at least a decade, but the high cost of investing in transit can only be justified if they remain viable for the long haul.

One thing is clear now. Indianapolis' decades-long journey toward building a reliable transit system remains bumpy.

Contact Swarens at tim.swarens@indystar.com; friend him on Facebook at Tim Swarens; follow him on Twitter @tswarens.