Citizens of Muncie and Ball State University can now travel a little greener.
MITS introduced two of its five new hybrid electric-diesel buses this week, which are now circulating the city and Ball State campus.
Mary Gaston, assistant general manager of MITS, said she is expecting all five buses to be in circulation by the middle of next week.
The new buses, which have a green leaf-themed design, have caught the attention of riders, Gaston said.
"We wanted to make sure people knew these new buses were hybrid," she said. "We wanted to find a fun way for the community to know."
Gaston said she hopes the new buses will help keep ridership up.
Ridership was low at the start of 2010, with 155,060 people riding in January and 163,744 riders in February. In March, ridership had reached 181,527.
"The economy was bad for us too, and it was affecting ridership," Gaston said. "But now we are seeing things turn around. I think it's another indicator that the economy is getting better."
The five new transit vehicles will use a combination of soy biodiesel fuel and rechargeable batteries, using less fuel and emitting less exhaust, according to a press release. The hybrid buses also have a smaller engine than traditional buses.
Electricity is generated by the engine and by the braking action of the bus when it slows down or stops.
According to the release, "Harmful greenhouse gas emissions will be greatly reduced, including significant reductions in particulate, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxide."
Although the new hybrid buses cost about $540,000 each, they are expected to save up to 30 percent in fuel.
The five new hybrid buses were funded by a combination of federal funds, including the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Federal Transit Administration, the Surface Transportation Program and FTA discretionary capital funds.
Gaston said she would like to see more MITS hybrid buses in the future, but for now they will wait until funds are available.
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