Chicago Tribune: CTA buys 20 buses to test hybrid power

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0511090320nov09,1,7032785.story?coll=chi-news-hed

"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 Tuesday.

The 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. About 25 agencies nationwide use hybrid buses, though fewer than 10 of them have 10 or more hybrids, according to Virginia Miller, an American Public Transportation Association spokeswoman.

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."


A step in the right direction?

Another advantage to diesel-electric hybrids is that if fossil fuel diesel gets prohibitively expensive, these buses can be run on biodiesel. I think it would be a good idea to run them on biodiesel now, to promote the idea. Maybe The Illinois Corn Growers Association or the Soybean Growers could lobby for this idea? Advancing Illinois agriculture, promoting the use of public transportation AND cleaning up dirty bus emissions? Too good to be true!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: