BUSES PURCHASE * USA - Maryland Orders 100 Hybrid Buses

Maryland,USA -Move Trends, by Audie Chamberlain -Mar 23, 2009: -- Maryland Governor, Martin O’Malley, recently announced the state’s intention to purchase 100 hybrid buses. The plan will take advantage of the $8.4 billion in public transportation aid that is being given to individual states as part of the $787 billion federal stimulus package... However, studies have shown that in comparing hybrid buses to diesel models, the hybrids use 20 percent less fuel and are 50 percent quieter. Hybrids are also twice as reliable as diesels... The Maryland Transit Administration’s new hybrid diesel electric buses are expected to hit the streets of Maryland sometime this spring. The MTA also expects to have up to 600 hybrid-electric buses by 2014...


* Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus to Receive Nearly $13 Million in Federal Economic Stimulus Funds

Santa Monica,CAL,USA -BUSINESS WIRE -March 25, 2009: -- The City of Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus has announced it will receive $12.8 million from the federal government’s economic stimulus package, which will be used to upgrade the agency’s fleet and improve its infrastructure... Specific provisions in the grant require that the money be used for capital expenditures and not for operating costs or service enhancements... Transit agency plans to purchase 10 new hybrid buses from local bus manufacturer... More than a dozen additional businesses will benefit from contracts, including makers of fuel systems, tires, seats, rubber flooring, GPS systems and security cameras... Longer articulated buses will also be purchased to add capacity to popular Rapid 3 and 7 lines...