Dutchess County rolls out new LOOP buses

[Shortline Bus]

Dutchess rolls out new LOOP buses

 

POUGHKEEPSIE (Dec. 9, 2010) – Hudson Valley News-

"Dutchess County has placed 14 new buses into its LOOP bus fleet and will retire 14 of its older vehicles.

 

The new buses, part of the 49 vehicle fleet, two heavy duty hybrid diesel-electric buses; four heavy duty diesel buses; and six medium duty buses for the Dial-a-Ride program. Two more hybrid buses will be delivered in the coming weeks.

 

County Executive William Steinhaus and other county and Poughkeepsie city officials took the first ride on a hybrid bus that was parked, along with two other new ones, in front of the County Building on Market Street Thursday.

 

The LOOP bus system provides over 500,000 passenger rides annually.

 

The heavy duty hybrids cost $533,900 each and the heavy duty diesel buses cost $375,425 each. They were purchased on cooperative bid with Ulster County two years ago. The medium diesel buses cost $167,750 each. The purchase cost was completely covered by federal stimulus funding.

 

The medium duty diesel buses cost $79,000 each of which the county share of the $474,000 total is $47,440. The federal government picked up 80 percent of the remainder and the state kicked in 10 percent.

 

Steinhaus said the diesel-hybrids will save the county thousands of gallons of gasoline each year while protecting the environment."

 

 

http://midhudsonnews.com/News/2010/December/09/LOOP_buses-09Dec10.htm