December 09, 2009
The federal government is giving $3.5 million to CDTA to help it convert to diesel-electric hybrid buses made possible through the "Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction" grant program. The cash grant is part of $100 million in economic stimulus funds to help fund what the Transportation Department called "cutting-edge environmental technologies to help reduce global warming" and "lessen America`s dependence on oil." CDTA was one of 43 transit agencies nationwide who were chosen in the fierce nationwide competition to receive this extra funding.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement that the "Capital District Transportation Authority is showing how investing in green transportation not only helps the planet and strengthens our economy, but also creates jobs."This extra support covers the incremental costs to convert 19 diesel electric buses to hybrid for our 2010 order.
The green fleet could help to raise ridership because people want to be part of the effort to reduce greenhouse gases. One diesel-electric hybrid bus has the same emissions as one gasoline-fueled car. If a bus with hybrid technology saves about 2,193 gallons of fuel per year, it will use about 25,000 fewer gallons than a traditional diesel bus over 12 years of use, translating into tremendous fuel cost savings. A typical transit bus covers about 35,000 to 40,000 miles a year and gets about 3.8 miles per gallon. A typical hybrid gets about 4.8 miles per gallon on Capital Region routes.
Transit agencies competed for the taxpayer dollars in a nationwide grant competition earlier this year, with winning entries showing they could reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions with shovel ready projects.