LANCASTER – Fifteen brand new hybrid buses have been delivered to the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA). The diesel-electric hybrids have been arriving daily for the past two weeks.
The first three in the hybrid fleet are now in service on local routes while the other 12 are currently being outfitted with graphics identifying them as part of the AVTA fleet.
“We are very excited to get these new hybrids out on the streets,” stated AVTA Executive Director Julie Austin. “We can now replace 15 buses that have exceeded their useful life and enjoy the increased reliability and fuel efficiency of the hybrids.”
The low emission hybrid buses will burn cleaner while traveling the 100 square mile area served by AVTA’s 11 local routes.
The new buses cost $630,000 each, and will be paid for with a combination of federal and local transit funds.
AVTA has also taken delivery of six brand new commuter buses.
The 2012 MCI buses arrived Tuesday morning and are currently being prepared to service AVTA’s three commuter routes that travel into the Los Angeles basin each weekday. The MCI buses are 45 feet long and cost $610,000 each. These diesel buses will replace AVTA’s older commuter buses that have reached their useful life.
“It is our commitment to ensure the AVTA’s commuter and community transit fleets remain reliable in order to properly serve and meet the demands of local residents in the Antelope Valley,” said AVTA Chair Norm Hickling. “With 21 new buses being implemented into our system, AVTA has replaced nearly 30% of its equipment ensuring an enhanced level of service. This is just another example of how AVTA is improving its service at every level within the agency.”
AVTA serves a population of more than 400,000 residents in Lancaster and Palmdale, as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south, and Interstate 5 to the West.
(Information via press release from Antelope Valley Transit Authority.)
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