Shuttle buses for senior living & CCRCs
A community bus is a marketing asset as much as a transportation one. Residents and their families judge the place partly by whether outings happen — and by how easy it is to get on the bus.
The bus most communities end up with
A 25-foot Ford E-450 cutaway with 13 seats plus 2 wheelchair stations under flip-up seats (15 seated when no wheelchairs ride), a rear or curbside platform lift, a low first step with a grab rail, rear air conditioning, and enough aisle for a walker. It stays under Pennsylvania's 16-passenger CDL line, so activities staff and van drivers can drive it. New, that bus is in the $125,000–$145,000 range as of September 2026; the same layout without the lift starts around $110,000; a Ford Transit version for smaller communities runs $85,000–$105,000. Pre-owned examples run roughly $35,000–$100,000 depending on age and miles.
What we ask before we quote
- Who drives? If no one on staff holds a CDL, the bus is built at 15 total or fewer. If your maintenance or transportation lead has one, a 20–25 passenger bus costs only modestly more per seat and cuts the doctor-loop trips.
- How many residents use a chair or a scooter? That sets wheelchair stations (one, two, sometimes four) and whether a curbside lift — which loads at the door, out of traffic — is worth the extra body length.
- Where does it park and turn? Porte-cochères and tight lots decide between 22 and 27 feet more often than the seat count does.
- What is the budget year and the approval path? Corporate-owned communities usually need a board- or capital-committee-ready package; we format the quote that way, with the warranty summary and floor plan attached.
Options that pay for themselves with older riders
- Low first step, entry grab rails and step lighting — more incidents happen on the steps than on the lift.
- Rear HVAC; a 25-foot body on cab air alone is miserable in August.
- Flip-up seats over wheelchair stations so no seat is lost on a full trip.
- Vinyl or anti-microbial seating and a floor that cleans.
- Backup camera and rear sensors, a reversible investment against the porte-cochère.
- Your name on the side. Graphics are inexpensive and residents' families notice.
Paperwork we handle
Nonprofit and government-owned communities claim the Pennsylvania sales-tax exemption on the vehicle title application with their exemption number; we prepare it. For-profit communities pay sales tax, which we show on the quote. Tax-exempt lease-purchase is available when a capital line is not. If the community is a subrecipient of FTA Section 5310 funds, read our funding guide first — in Pennsylvania those vehicles are usually bought through a state contract rather than a dealer.
Warranty and service
Most new buses we sell carry 7-year / 70,000-mile coverage on body and chassis with warranty work done locally; the chassis goes to any Ford or Chevrolet commercial dealer. You keep one phone number — ours.
Common questions
Do you deliver to the community?
Yes. We deliver to your address, walk your drivers through the lift and securements, and leave the manuals and compliance documentation with your administrator.
Can our activities staff drive the bus?
If it is built at 15 total passengers or fewer (including the driver) and under 26,001 lb GVWR, Pennsylvania does not require a CDL. Your insurer and corporate policy may set their own driver requirements; check those too.
We are a corporate-owned community. Can you work with our purchasing process?
Yes. We are used to capital requests, vendor onboarding forms, W-9s and certificates of insurance, and we quote in a format that goes straight into a board packet.
How fast can we have a bus?
In-stock units ship once the order is signed and paid — the quote states the date; a bus built to your floor plan takes about 60 days from order confirmation. Tell us your budget-year deadline and we quote against it.
Get a written quote in one business day Configurations & prices
Tell us how many residents ride and who drives.
You'll have two or three floor plans, delivered prices and dates within one business day.
Request a quote Call (717) 932-6060