The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced that Metro will receive $2.5 million through a State of Good Repair grant. Metro will use these funds to replace six older buses with "mini-hybrid" buses that will assist in "greening" the transit fleet by reducing emissions, fuel consumption, and maintenance costs.
Mini-hybrids are full-size buses with advanced thermal cooling systems that provide benefits similar to traditional hybrid buses, but at significant cost savings:
- $240,000 per bus less than the cost of a traditional hybrid bus
- $2,000 a year in fuel savings and improved operational performance per bus
- Up to 10 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to diesel bus
- Reduced maintenance costs
Metro replaced 45 old buses with mini-hybrids this summer. The new mini-hybrids purchased with the FTA grant are expected to go into service by 2014.
"Replacing older buses with new, more environmentally efficient buses is one of our priorities at Metro," said Terry Garcia Crews, Metro's CEO & General Manager. "The mini-hybrid technology will help us become greener and reduce operating costs. It's another step we're taking to make Metro a better system."
About the grant: The FTA's State of Good Repair and Bus Livability grants announced yesterday include $787 million to modernize and replace aging transit facilities and vehicles to meet the growing demand from millions of riders across the country. This third round of federal funding will support 255 projects in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. An interactive map of this year's projects, along with a searchable table, can be found at: http://www.fta.dot.gov/about/12322_14741.html.
