The proposal to increase the number of hybrid buses in Madison from five to 23 was approved by the Transit and Parking Commission Tuesday, bringing the city one step closer to adding 18 more hybrid buses to its fleet.?
The proposal will head to the city council for a final vote on April 21.
At the beginning of April, Metro Transit released a report from Transit Service Manager Ann Gullickson that reviewed the mechanical and monetary aspects of the five original hybrid buses that have been in service since October 2007.?
The city paid an initial cost of about $2.4 million for the five hybrid buses but would only have to pay approximately $930,619 to purchase five diesel buses, the report said. The city compensated the cost of the hybrid buses with the money saved from purchasing less fuel.?
“After our first full calendar year of having hybrids, fuel prices were skyrocketing to the point where we now see the hybrid investments as breaking even,” said TPC Chair Carl Durocher. “It is breaking even to have hybrids in the fleet.”
According to Durocher, the money lost from purchasing hybrid buses instead of their cheaper, fuel-inefficient counterparts, is counterbalanced by hybrids’ positive impact on the environment.
The acquisition of electric hybrid buses has helped further the city’s goal to reduce global climate change by enhancing the sustainability of Metro operations, Gullickson wrote in the report.?
“Adding hybrids seemed like something we wanted to do just because of environmental reasons and emission control,” Durocher said.
Additionally, Metro Transit General Manager Chuck Kamp said Metro has received positive feedback from bus users and staff observations about the quieter engines in hybrid buses.
“Personally, I got off the bus one day forgetting it was a hybrid, and when I turned around I didn’t even realize the bus was still on the side of the road behind me because it was so quiet,” Kamp said. “They really do contribute to a healthier, quieter city.”
One concern city officials have regarding the hybrid fleet is replacing their batteries. According to the report, one hybrid bus battery costs approximately $4,500.
Gullickson said they believe the battery would only have to be replaced one time during the life of the bus, meaning the increased efficiency of the buses will override the cost.
“We don’t know exactly how long the batteries will last because no bus system has yet needed to replace a battery,” Gullickson said. “We don’t think we are going to be caught by surprise and have to replace the batteries twice in the life of the bus.”
According to Gullickson, officials never intended for the five original hybrid buses to cost less than diesel buses, and they only assumed they would make a positive environmental impact on the city and be more cost-efficient over its lifespan.?
The additional 18 hybrid buses would be purchased with the help of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act passed by Congress and President Barack Obama in February. The stimulus would cover $9.5 million of the cost to purchase the buses and Madison taxpayers would cover the rest.
