SamTrans Hybrid Buses Set to Roll in December

SamTrans has new energy-efficient buses that will produce fewer emissions and use less fuel than diesel-powered buses. The first bus is expected to hit the streets in mid-December with the remaining buses going into service by mid-2014. 

The low-floor buses use long-life, maintenance-free batteries to capture and store braking energy and advanced solid state controllers to manage and blend power sources.  

For the community and SamTrans riders this means reduced emissions and smoother, quieter buses. For SamTrans, it means using less fuel, which translates into lower operating costs. SamTrans received $4.9 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to purchase the diesel electric hybrid buses.

All the buses are being manufactured by Gillig of Hayward, which means the federal funds are providing jobs for Bay Area workers.  

The new 40-foot buses will be used throughout SamTrans service area and can carry up to 39 seated passengers with up to another 24 riders standing. Like all SamTrans buses, the new buses have priority seating for seniors and people with disabilities and exterior bike racks that can accommodate up to two bikes.  

The buses are part of a fleet of 313 SamTrans vehicles that provide transportation for more than 40,000 people every weekday. Most SamTrans riders are going to school or work and 77 percent do not have access to a car.