Chicago Tribune CTA buys 20 buses to test hybrid power
With high fuel costs burning up its budget, the Chicago Transit Authority next year will test 20 new diesel-electric hybrid buses that should reduce fuel expenses, the agency's president announced TuesdayThe hybrid vehicle purchases are part of a larger $95 million order the CTA placed with New Flyer Industries Inc. for 265 buses. Those vehicles will replace existing 5300-series Flxible buses that were purchased in 1991.
With the hybrid purchases, the CTA joins a growing movement among transit agencies to use the diesel-electric vehicles to reduce emissions and save on fuel and maintenance costs. ..Transit officials point to the hybrid's cost, which is about $200,000 more than a conventional bus, as the reason why more are not on the roads.
“We would have more if the price came down,” said Mary Fetsch, a spokeswoman for TriMet, the transit agency in Portland, Ore., which has two hybrids. “That's too high a premium given our tight budget.”
The CTA will pay about $530,000 for each hybrid, compared with $341,000 for a conventional bus, agency spokeswoman Noelle Gaffney said.
...In the Seattle area, transit officials believe hybrids will pay off in the long run. King County Metro Transit received 235 articulated hybrid buses last year, according to Jim Boon, the agency's maintenance manager.Boon estimated that the hybrids use 40 percent less fuel than a new generation conventional diesel bus. But Boon also expects to save money on maintenance. The vehicles' unique braking system reduces wear and tear on the brakes, and he believes the engine will last the life of a vehicle. Engines of conventional buses in Metro Transit's fleet typically are rebuilt after about 400,000 miles, he said.
There are few things more unpleasant than biking behind a diesel-spewing bus: having hybrids is a great step towards making a city more pleasant for commuters, not to mention all other benefits mentioned.
