Testing Centers

The Federal Transit Administration has established three bus testing centers to examine buses for safety and quality and to provide assessments of low and no emission bus components. The FTA’s standardized bus testing program, which was authorized by 49 USC Section 5318, is housed at the Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center. The Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center, which is operated by Pennsylvania State University’s Larson Transportation Institute, conducts testing on buses to ensure that they are safe and reliable for use by transit agencies.

The Federal Transit Agency also established bus testing centers at Auburn University and Ohio State University.  These testing centers opened as part of the Low and No Emission Component Assessment Program (LoNo CAP), which was authorized by 49 USC Section 5312(h). Under this program, the FTA subsidizes 50% of LoNo components to help accelerate innovations in transit bus component technology. Individual component evaluations, system integrations, and on-vehicle component tests are eligible to be funded under LoNo CAP.

 

Alabama

Auburn University

Auburn University received a grant from the Federal Transit Administration to establish a bus testing center.  The testing center will be able to draw expertise from researchers from across the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.  Auburn University has expertise in GPS, telemetrics, autonomous vehicles, power electronics, HVAC, energy storage, cybersecurity, and electrified propulsion.

Ohio

Ohio State University Advanced Transit Mobility Center

The Ohio State University was awarded a grant from the Federal Transit Administration to establish the Advanced Transit Mobility Center, which will conduct bus testing. The Center will have access to researchers and experts from the Center for Automotive Research and the Transportation Research Center. OSU has a 7.5 mile test track and multiple service bays. The Ohio State University has expertise in vehicle electrification and drivetrains, safety and security, autonomous and connected vehicles, energy storage and batteries, and alternative fuels.

Pennsylvania

Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center

The Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center conducts standardized bus testing for the Federal Transit Administration. The Altoona Bus Research and Testing Center, which is operated by the Larson Transportation Center at Pennsylvania State University, houses bus maintenance and test bays and a test track. The Center conducts tests for safety, structural integrity, durability, performance, maintainability, noise, and fuel economy.