Howard County is the first local jurisdiction in the state to move toward converting its bus fleet to much more expensive, but cleaner and more green diesel-electric hybrid models.
While the buses cost $516,000 each, compared to the current $325,000 diesel models, officials said the new vehicles will greatly reduce pollutants and cut fuel costs.
Officials unveiled the hybrid bus this week, a preview of the overhaul of the county’s entire fleet of about 50 buses that will occur in the next few years.
“It’s hard to do an apples to apples comparison on the fuel savings because it really depends on the type of traffic the bus will be used in,” said Carl Balser, the planning manager for the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning. “But generally, the more stop-and-go traffic, the more it’ll save on gas.”
As the brakes are applied on the buses, the battery is recharged, Balser said.
Industry-wide, experts estimate 35 percent savings on the hybrid models.
Besides savings on fuel costs, Balser said the buses will eliminate up to 90 percent of particulate matter and up to 83 percent of carbon monoxide.
The buses are equipped with a special filter that, when clogged with pollutants, a high-temperature oven kicks in to incinerate the matter into fine, non-polluting ash, he said.
“It’s kind of like a self-cleaning oven,” he said.
The county expects to begin using two hybrid buses in the coming weeks, once the fare boxes are installed. Because of the economic situation across the state and funding shortfalls, officials might have to defer purchasing the rest of the buses or look at buying cheaper, medium-sized buses, Balser said.
The 35-foot long, 32-passenger buses also have other features like an attached bike rack for cyclists and a low floor to allow better access for the elderly and disabled, said County Executive Ken Ulman.
Other amenities include signs in both English and Spanish, vandal-resistant seats and room for two wheelchairs.
Some counties, like Anne Arundel, are not exploring hybrid buses because of the high costs. The county does not have its own bus system, but does have 39 vans used by the Department of Aging and Disabilities, said County Executive John R. Leopold.
One bus system serving residents is the Corridor Transportation Corp., which uses $180,000 clean-diesel buses, which Leopold said are also environmentally-friendly.
Hybrid buses for the county would be estimated to cost about $325,000, officials said.
“We’re not planning on having any hybrid buses, because it would be cost prohibitive,” Leopold said.
As local governments like Howard make progress with hybrids, Harford County Public Schools is seeking to become the first school system in the region to buy hybrid buses. School officials there said a hybrid bus that needs to be plugged into an electrical socket to recharge is also costly at $200,000, compared to $90,000 for a standard diesel model.
