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MDOT sets aside $5.6 million for new hybrid buses

Thursday, December 10, 2009

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Sustainability, Sustainability, Transit, Transportation

--This article originally appeared on September 17, 2009

Hybrid buses could be coming to a stop near you, thanks to a new initiative through the Michigan Department of Transportation.

MDOT awarded a new $5.6 million contract to Azure Dynamics. The Oak Park-based firm will provide up to 50 small hybrid buses for yet-to-be-determined transit agencies located in Michigan.

"We have plans in the future to put out a call for projects to see who is interested," says Janet Hawkins, a spokeswoman for MDOT.

A protoype bus and recipient transit agency are expected to be chosen and delivered before the end of the year, with more to come next year.

Hybrid buses have been discussed but not really put into use in Metro Detroit, with the exception of the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's aggressive efforts to switch its entire fleet to hybrid buses.

Azure Dynamics' vehicles are expected to improve fuel economy by up to 40 percent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and maintenance costs by 30 percent.

Source: Janet Hawkins, a spokeswoman for Michigan Department of Transportation
Writer: Jon Zemke