|
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) today announced that the Fiscal Year 2006 Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill included his request for $800,000 in funding for Broome County's use of alternative fuel buses developed by BAE Systems of Johnson City. The earmarked funding will help initiate advances in the next generation of advanced electric hybrid buses and will allow the county to replace aging, polluting diesel vehicles.
"I am very proud that Broome County is at the forefront in developing and employing alternative fuel for public transit, both in the innovation of one of its largest employers, BAE Systems, and in the county's willingness to invest in these important new technologies," Hinchey said. "These buses are more fuel efficient, produce reduced emissions, are quieter and more reliable. The entire community benefits from this project."
The Broome County Department of Public Transportation will use the $800,000 earmark to acquire the hybrid buses, providing a living laboratory for the development of this technology through testing and evaluation during normal service.
The project will have a significant positive environmental impact on the region. Hybrid electric technology, which integrates batteries with a diesel engine, combines the benefits of advanced internal combustion power with the cleanliness of electric vehicle technology. The replacement of traditional buses with hybrids will result in less fuel consumption, much lower vehicle emissions and substantially less operating noise. Hybrids are well suited to stop-and-go driving since the buses' batteries are recharged by regenerative braking. The annual operating/maintenance expenses are also substantially lower, thus saving the community money.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Hinchey requested that funding in the bill be set aside for this project. Hinchey's efforts were successful, and language was included in the legislation that passed the House today by a vote of 392-31. In the two previous fiscal years, Hinchey succeeded in earmarking $2.2 million for the purchase of six hybrid buses. This earmark will allow for the development and testing of the next generation hybrid bus.
|
|
