MTA adds to fleet of hybrid buses
The Maryland Transportation Administration is expanding its fleet of diesel/hybrid buses with a purchase of 12 in a purchase from New Flyer, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced.
The purchase of the dozen 60-foot, articulated buses brings the MTA's hybrid fleet to 193, or 27 percent of its total. The number of hybrid 60-footers will grow from 30 to 42.
The agency is in the process of converting its entire fleet to the fuel-saving hybrids. It is scheduled to add 57 more in early January. While the buses cost more than conventional diesel vehicles, MTA officials say they save 20 percent on fuel, cost less for maintenance and travel farther on the same set of brakes.
Comments
If MTA can improve the buses why don't they spend less money by improving the Camden line of MTA's MARC trains, with a whole lot of Bi-level cars? Like what Penn line was ten years ago, while junking these single level cars. I don't think any one would even buy these old things.
Posted by: Tim Baldwin | August 4, 2011 4:13 PM
The hybrids are also much quieter than the regular diesels, which sound like planes taking off outside my third floor windows. Conversion of the entire fleet will make the city more livable.
Posted by: Richard Selden | August 10, 2011 4:10 PM