The City of Irvine, Calif., is one of the nation’s largest planned urban communities and encompasses more than 65 square miles. Irvine contracts for fire and medical services with the County of Orange and has three independent districts: library, educational, and utility services.

Other government services include animal control, building and safety regulation and inspection, general administrative services, planning and zoning, police, public facility/capital improvement construction, recreation and cultural programs, refuse collection and recycling, street lighting, street maintenance, landscape maintenance, and transportation management.

“The City of Irvine is about quality; it’s really a cut above other cities,” said Curtis Smith, fleet services superintendent for Irvine.

Smith, who has worked for other cities in the past, has been with Irvine’s fleet services for 25 years, starting out as a mechanic. Smith’s staff consists of five full-time mechanics, one part-time mechanic, and one program specialist. Irvine’s TRIPS Program Utilizes Dodge Sprinter Vans
As fleet services superintendent, Smith focuses on implementing cost-saving measures, and one such change occurred in 2004 when he added three Dodge Sprinter 2500 High Roof passenger vans to the City’s fleet of 400 vehicles.

The Sprinters are used in the City’s community services TRIPS program, which transports handicapped residents with permanent disabilities, as well as senior citizens more than 65 years of age. Services include transportation to medical appointments, work, and school.

“The vehicles replaced minivans, which were very costly to upfit,” Smith said.

The Sprinters, which feature a 140-inch wheelbase, 10 passenger seats, 2.7L I5 Mercedes-Benz turbodiesel engine, and 5-speed automatic transmission, have a replacement cycle of four to five years and generally more than 100,000 miles. City Saves Money and Increases Customer Satisfaction
The Sprinters provide an effective alternative to the smaller compact minivans the City was operating, according to Smith. In fact, the Sprinters come completely equipped to suit the City’s needs, with the exception of handicap lifts, which were added by the City.

“Our drivers like them, and the residents like them,” Smith said.“They sit up higher, which gives everyone more security. They are roomy, have a great turning radius, handle well, and have a lot of headroom.”

Smith said the vans provide more room to tie wheelchairs down, ultimately resulting in fewer driver injuries and workers’ comp claims. Also, the vehicles allow easy wheelchair access since the loading platforms are flush with the curb.

“Because the vehicle can get in and out of places easily, it reduces downtime, which is extremely important for our drivers to get the residents to their destination faster,” he added.

After switching to the Sprinters, the City saved about $10,000 per vehicle.

“The Sprinters have been an excellent addition to our fleet; they’ve been a great niche vehicle for us,” Smith said. “They are more cost effective, and maintenance-wise, they’ve been trouble-free.”

Looking toward the future, Smith hopes to add CNG Sprinters to the fleet once they become available in the United States..