Huntington gets new hybrid buses

New hybrid buses will soon ferry Huntington residents around town.

The town’s HART bus system has acquired three hybrid diesel-electric buses that are 20 percent more fuel-efficient than the current buses, according to Huntington officials.

The buses were manufactured by Gillig in California and built to meet the 2010 Environmental Protection Agency’s emissions standards for diesel engines, making them 99.6 percent cleaner than buses built between 1992 and 1997, many of which are still iln use.

Each bus cost $523,000, paid for mostly paid for with federal funding. The town and state each paid 10 percent.

“The slogan on the buses says it all: ‘Breathe Easy — I’m a Hybrid,’” said town Supervisor Frank Petrone in a news release. “These buses will benefit all town residents — those who ride the buses and the people the buses ride by, as the town continues its commitment to improving the environment.”

The buses feature an automated bus stop announcement system and a low-floor design with a ramp, making the vehicles accessible for elderly and disabled passengers.

The buses, which will feature the new HART logo and colors as part of the HART modernization effort, will run along the H-4, H-6 and H-9 routes.