There’s a reason not many metro transit authorities across the United Stated are utilizing hybrid buses: they’re expensive.“It’s not real common yet. A lot of transit systems are looking at it, but they also have to come up with the funds to do so,” said Beth Berkemer, spokeswoman for the Central Ohio Transit Authority, which purchased six hybrid buses for Columbus this year at a whopping $573,620 each, compared to COTA’s 40 low-sulfur diesel buses, which cost $341,141 apiece. “People have to evaluate every dollar spent responsibly since we are dealing with taxpayer money.”Taxpayers in Columbus, said Berkemer, were not only willing to find a way to purchase the buses—which hit the streets June 18 on two routes—they demanded it.“We have found going green is a huge priority in our service area. We get a lot of attention for it,” she said, adding that the purchase of the six new hybrids—which run on both an electrical and combustible engines—was made possible through a $2.1 million grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program funds through the combined efforts of Gov. Ted Strickland, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, according to Berkemer.
“People will come to us and ask us what we’re doing, how we’re doing and asking us questions,” she said. “We have a lot of support.”The hybrid purchase puts Columbus on the leading edge nationally in going green efforts by a local transit authority, said Berkemer. It’s a responsibility COTA takes seriously, she said.“Hybrids have been around for a while and I think any transit company in this nation would be pleased to have a hybrid vehicle,” she said. “COTA has been making efforts to become greener for the last few years now.”To start with, COTA utilizes...
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