Millennium Transit Services News & Current Events

[theaveragejoe]

Whatever happened to that 2000 bus order from the "confidential" buyer? Was it canceled or was it complete bullshit from the start?

 

 

You just figured out that it was complete bullshit?

[RailBus63]

Whatever happened to that 2000 bus order from the "confidential" buyer? Was it canceled or was it complete bullshit from the start?

 

Wait, you mean the buyer wasn't really a Nigerian prince?

[ChickenPotPie]

Out of curiosity, East New York, why did you create this fantasy world in which it was possible for pigs to fly, Congress to pass vital legislation in a timely fashion, and a major transit authority in a foreign country to defy logic and order over two thousand buses from an unproven American manufacturer? Not only that, why did you create this fantasy world and announce it to the world as fact? I'm not trying to attack you or anything. I am just trying to figure out why you would ruin your credibility for something like this.

Edited June 27, 2013 by ChickenPotPie

[East New York]

For anyone who cares to know the story of how MTS fell from grace with the MTA, here is the whole story released for the first time. As many may know, MTA and MTS were in talks about the RTS Espress and RTS Extreme 40 foot low floor. Talks began in 2011, and less than a year later MTA agreed to a sit down with MTS to present the new coaches. This day was January 11th 2012.

Due to delays in the project moving forward, MTA informed MTS that they would only be interested in the high floor standard model because they had decided that 49 seats in an express bus was just not enough because the buses would have to only be assigned to one or two depots, which would not provide flexibility if the buses needed to be transferred to another depot. That project was then scrapped in mid 2013.

With MTA still remaining very interested in the RTS low floor, a whole new design was created with the bus, and MTS was officially gearing up to enter the Bus Test & Evaluation program. Official MTA specs were then sent to MTS and they began designing the new coach to MTA specs.

So what happened then? As the program moved forward, other agencies across America also became interested, but when the heard MTA was entering the NYC MTA BTE program, everything went on hold companies wanted to see MTA receive the buses first. Many agencies at the same time held off talks with New Flyer and Nova as well to see how the buses would do in MTA's evaluation program. What did that mean for MTS? It meant all agencies wanted to see how the bus did with MTA, and at the end of the day MTS could not justify the start of an assembly line with the backing of only 90 low floor buses to the MTA.

However, like DesignLine, MTA informed MTS if the ever get the bus off the ground, to send a demo up immediately. To this day, MTS is still operational supporting parts, and warrant on the few buses they did manage to deliver. All but 2 of which were ex-NJT reject units.

So for anyone who thinks I create fantasy worlds, my information has been spot on for a half decade now. Check the records. And for those that didn't know, I presented the RTS at APTA in preparation for MTS's comback. So someone please tell me what's fantasy about shipping a bus to a show and paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a comback attempt..... That is all.

Sources:
Myself, Dante Robinson aka East New York. Lead consultant on the Advanced RTS Validation Program (ARVP)

Trevor Logan Jr. Lead Associate Consultant on the Advanced RTS Validation Program

MTA Department of Buses engineering at Grand Avenue Depot

Millennium Transit Services, LLC - Still operational and supporting all customers as promised. All MTS build RTS buses remain in revenue and casino shuttle service.

Edited February 17, 2016 by East New York
First sentence, second paragraph should read "high floor"

[East New York]

I have an edit up there for a few people who must have forgot East New York was Surface Transit Headquarters. You can check all 7,000 plus posts of mine and find out that my information was spot on 99.9% of the time. If something was changed, that had nothing to do with what I reported that can be verified from several top sources who's phone numbers I have in my iPhone 5. So if you want to check for yourself call the MTA.... It's called Transparency... Any questions????

 

For those of you that don't know me, sit back and enjoy the show. For the ones that do, and have always had my back. I apologize for the absence. I was launching a business.

 

East New York is back. #SurfaceTransitHeadquarters

Edited July 19, 2014 by East New York

[tlcohen]

Glad you're back at Forums. Thanks for your efforts regarding the RTS, and for telling us the full story.

[engineerboy6561]

This sounds both very interesting and very plausible, and it's good to see you back again. I could see the BTE program putting MTS in a really nasty position, and it's damn sad that 90 buses wasn't going to be enough to get production off the ground; the RTS is a great bus and it would be nice to see more variety in the MTA's fleet and competition in the heavy duty transit bus market. Also, just out of curiosity, what sort of business have you been starting?

 

Also, are you at liberty to discuss the 2000-bus buyer with us? From what I've heard so far that sounds like the sort of thing that would come out of a consortium of a large number of small to mid-size agencies all ordering together to save on the unit costs. 

Edited July 20, 2014 by engineerboy6561

[East New York]

As far as that 2000 bus order goes, I would call MTS if you have any questions about that. It was an over seas company while everyone was speculating it was an American company. I am no longer a consultant for MTS, and Trevor now works at The MTA directly so because of a conflict of interest, neither of us are at liberty to discuss this publicly on the forums as per request by Millennium. I also have a legally binding contract still in place with MTS because I know much about their operations, and by law some things cannot be discussed as long as they are still in business. However, as I said, MTS is still open and anyone who has further questions can call their PR department. Their phone number is on the website. They will confirm the talks for a 2000 bus order, but they aren't going to tell you who it was or anything other that what I said. I know most all the details, but because of what happened here in this thread while I was away, I'm not talking about any of it. MTS can handle that. I'm pretty sure a few people owe me an apology, but I'm not new to this "roadeo." I've posted more than 30 other topics that were met with major opposition only to later find out I was 100% accurate.....

 

Thanks for the welcome back fellas!

[QM1to6Ave]

Welcome back East New York! ALways look forward to your info!

 

That's too bad about MTS. I was really looking forward to trying out those express coaches. I'm kind of surprised that MTS didn't invest in the production of even the 90 buses, since it sounded pretty likely that transit agencies would like the bus and put lots of order in after seeing those demo units. 

[East New York]

Welcome back East New York! ALways look forward to your info!

 

That's too bad about MTS. I was really looking forward to trying out those express coaches. I'm kind of surprised that MTS didn't invest in the production of even the 90 buses, since it sounded pretty likely that transit agencies would like the bus and put lots of order in after seeing those demo units. 

 

Thanks! I was pretty surprised to see it go down the way it did myself. I was just looking at the official MTS press release on the first page of this thread and thinking about what the bus industry would look like if they were activity in the game.

[R32 3838]

I know this is an old thread but here is some updated news from 2 articles from over a week ago:

 

Article 1:

Former bus company seeks renewed lease

By

Lisa Dunlap

-

August 2, 2019

 

A company that once manufactured commercial buses in Roswell is working to restart some type of business at the Roswell International Air Center and is asking to renew its land lease for 10 years.

James Ludvik, the sole owner of Millennium Transit Services LLC and also president and chief executive officer of Ludvik Electric Co., an electrical contracting business based in Lakewood, Colorado, said he wants to start a business again at the plant at 42 W. Earl Cummings Loop.

“We are right now in negotiations to get that building into use,” he said. “With confidentiality agreements, I can’t disclose with whom, but we are negotiating.”

He said he could not provide any more details at this time, such as when a decision might be reached or what industry sector is involved in the negotiations.

Millennium owns the large industrial buildings where commercial passenger buses were built for the New Jersey Transit Authority and other government agencies until 2008. Millennium went through Chapter 11 proceedings starting in 2008, exiting in about 2011.

Since 2008, some people associated with Millennium have at times worked at the Air Center plant to sell parts.

Millennium first began operating in Roswell in 2003, having purchased the building and other assets from Nova BUS, which had started in 1993 after buying the business from Transportation Manufacturing Corp. Originally, Millennium was formed by two former Nova employees after that company had some layoffs. Ludvik said he acquired Millennium in 2005.

City staff have recommended the renewal of the land lease, with the matter due to be considered by the Roswell City Council at its Thursday meeting. The council’s Legal Committee unanimously approved the lease amendment at its July 25 meeting.

According to city documents, the rent would increase by 50% to $1,250 a month, or $15,000 a year, and the term would expire Aug. 31, 2029. The action represents the exercising of the second of five 10-year extension options allowed by an original lease negotiated in 1980.

“There is a schedule of the lease arrangement that was signed way back when, and we have not asked for any consideration on that other than what is already stated,” Ludvik said.

Air Center managers were said to be unavailable for comment by press time.

Ludvik Electric’s website indicates that the company has satellite offices in Phoenix, Arizona, and Salt Lake City, Utah, and works in the United States and abroad as a contractor on construction projects for commercial office buildings, airport facilities, government industrial projects, health centers, university buildings and hotels.

 

Source:

https://www.rdrnews.com/2019/08/02/former-bus-company-seeks-renewed-lease/

 

 

Article 2:

Millennium Transit land lease to be reconsidered

By

Lisa Dunlap

-

August 9, 2019

City Council votes for further consideration by committee

A decision about a land lease renewal for a Roswell International Air Center tenant has been delayed, returned to a committee for further consideration.

The Roswell City Council voted 9-0 Thursday to remove the lease renewal for Millennium Transit Services LLC from the consent agenda — where it would have passed along with other items without discussion — so that the matter can be reviewed again by the Council’s Legal Committee.

That committee had voted unanimously, 4-0, July 25 to advance the renewal agreement for full council consideration.

Councilor Caleb Grant was one of the City Council members who wanted the lease reconsideration, saying at the Thursday meeting that elected officials needed to consider “any way possibly of removing things from that lease or getting out of the lease or changing the price of the lease, because we are only halfway through that pretty much 80-year lease right now. So that is the reason for it, just to give us time to go through it again.”

He said in a later email that some city councilors had unanswered questions and that his primary concern was that they were being asked to consider an amendment to an original lease negotiated 40 years before that has the possibility of being in effect for another 40 years.

“The circumstances were obvious(ly) different 40 years ago when this started,” he wrote. “I want to make sure the city exhaust(s) all options before approving a term extension.”

Millennium Transit owns the manufacturing facilities at 42 W. Earl Cummings Loop where it and a few predecessor companies once manufactured commercial passenger buses for government transit authorities until the business closed in 2008. Millennium took over the 10-acre land lease in December 2004, and the corporation is seeking to renew the lease for 10 additional years. The action represents the exercising of the second of five extensions allowed under the current lease agreement, according to city documents.

In consideration for the extension, Millennium Transit has agreed to pay 50% more. The corporation would pay $1,250 a month, or $15,000 a year.

James Ludvik, now the sole owner of Millennium Transit, did not return a phone call by press time, and an on-site employee did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Ludvik, who is also the chief executive officer of Ludvik Electric Co. based in Colorado, said in an interview last week that he was in negotiations to start a business at the Roswell facility, but that he could not provide details.

City Councilor Judy Stubbs, chair of the Legal Committee, said that she agreed to the reconsideration of the lease after learning that other City Council members had questions. She said she concurred that it would be best to check that the lease has the same types of provisions that current Air Center leases have.

“The big concern is that we keep adding (addenda) to a very old lease,” she said. “Personally, as chair of the Legal Committee, I agree that we need to look at it more seriously. And we have time.”

She explained that the lease does not have to be renewed for a few months, some time around November.

The Legal Committee is scheduled to meet Aug. 22 at 4 p.m. at City Hall, 425 N. Richardson Ave.

 

Source: https://www.rdrnews.com/2019/08/09/millennium-transit-land-lease-to-be-reconsidered/

 

[Orion6025]

Jeez Millennium is still trying?

[Lex]

Unless there are solid plans, they really need to give it up.

[T J Trainman]

If this means bringing back the RTS then yes, I think they should try again at least one last time.

[JAzumah]

If the lease is well below market, hen it makes sense to try and hang onto it. Once the lease is confirmed, then they will do whatever they need to do with it.

[R32 3838]

3rd update, Ment to post this weeks ago but was busy:

 

The Roswell City Council also voted Thursday to renew five leases at the Roswell Air Center, including one that the city attorney indicated not be voided at this time but still earned four “protest” votes from councilors.

The Millennium Transit Services LLC lease extension originally was scheduled to be considered by the City Council in August, but it was pulled and referred for further consideration to the Legal Committee, which had approved it once before on July 25.

After hearing from City Attorney Aaron Holloman at its Aug. 22 meeting that the city should honor the lease agreement as long as the tenant is in compliance with the lease terms, the Legal Committee again approved the lease for consideration by the City Council.

The fourth amendment of the lease provides the city $15,000 a year for the 10-acre land lease until the option expires on Aug. 31, 2029.

But, because the lease allows for up to three more 10-year extensions, the city is looking at possibly another 30 years under the lease agreement.

“We do have a legal obligation to renew this,” said Air Center Manager Mark Bleth. “They are not in default on their lease.”

He added that Millennium Transit is agreeing to a 50% increase in the annual rent under the new amendment. He also said the company pays about $62,000 a year in property taxes, maintains the 420,000-square-foot building it owns on the land at 42 W. Earl Cummings Loop and has two employees who work in the facility.

The original lease was negotiated in July 1980 when the building was used by Transportation Manufacturing Corp., a subsidiary of Greyhound, to make commercial passenger buses. Several different companies owned the business and building in the intervening years, and Millennium Transit took over in about 2003. The bus manufacturing operations closed in 2008. James A. Ludvik, who also owns Ludvik Electric Co. based in Lakewood, Colorado, has controlled Millennium since 2005.

The lease renewal passed 6-4, with Councilors Jacob Roebuck, Caleb Grant, George Peterson and Angela Moore voting against the action.

Roebuck, the person who had asked in August that the item be sent back to the Legal Committee, explained after the meeting that his was a “protest” vote. He said councilors understood that the city couldn’t void the lease, but that he wanted to encourage city staff to be more proactive in working with tenants.

“When (the contract) was created, the idea was that we were going to give them this great land lease in return for jobs,” he said. “For a long time, that was what we got out of it. But that was understood; it wasn’t a written thing. And they are trying to sell the building. There are no hostile feelings here. But the staff should be a little more proactive in approaching the building owners to say, what can we do to move this building on?”

He said the building is at a prime location and has a lot of apron space. “The airport is 95% occupied right now and we need space,” he said. “We need people who are doing things.”

Interviewed in July, Ludvick said he was negotiating with a business to “put the building back into use” but chose not to elaborate. Bleth confirmed that the owner is also considering selling the building.

 

source: https://www.rdrnews.com/2019/09/14/millennium-lease-passes-even-with-opposition/

[Jrouse]

I seriously hope everything works out I’ve been hoping for the return of the RTS for years wishing it would come back and hopefully it will the Rts is by far my favorite bus

[R32 3838]

Looks like the property is up for sale and has been for almost a year now. Looks like it's the end for the RTS. I wonder if the company still operates but in a smaller Facility to still sell parts?

 

https://www.showcase.com/42-w-earl-cummings-loop-roswell-nm-88203/21058513/