Sound Transit Selects Private Bus Operator for Stride BRT Network

A Sound Transit board committee Thursday gave the green light to a $433 million contract with MV Transportation to handle both operations and maintenance responsibilities on its planned three-line Stride bus rapid transit (BRT) network. The award, if approved by the full board later this month and executed, would represent the first time that Sound Transit has contracted with a private bus operator to provide one of its core transit services.

Houston-based MV Transportation contracts with public transit agencies around the US, including King County Metro’s Access paratransit service. The company also operates private shuttles, and has managed shuttle operations for major Puget Sound employers like Amazon and Microsoft.

Under the potential contract, MV would be responsible for providing start-up services on Stride starting next year, including testing the agency’s new battery-electric buses, which are expected to start arriving within the first quarter of 2026. Because the Bothell bus base from which those buses will operate is still under construction, the contract includes $5.7 million in funding for MV to set up a temporary storage and maintenance facility.

While Metro operators are represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, MV Transportation’s drivers are unionized under Teamsters Local 117. The Teamsters have recently been active pushing for higher wages and benefits. In late 2024, members voted to approve a strike against MV, but it appears a deal was struck before the strike occurred.

https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/11/07/sound-transit-selects-private-bus-operator-for-stride-brt-network/