Clean diesel buses arrive in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE -- The first of 136 new clean diesel buses have arrived in Milwaukee and will be ushered into service Thursday, March 8.

Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) will be providing a special demonstration, which will show the steps it takes to prepare a new bus for service. The demonstration will take place at MCTS Fleet Maintenance Building located at 1525 W. Vine Street.

$36.6 million to purchase these new buses came from Interstate Cost Estimate Substitute (ICE). Other funds used toward the buses were  $7 million of recently-awarded federal State of Good Repair Program funds, and $2.1 million of existing State of Good Repair Program funds.

55 of the new clean diesel buses will be delivered in 2012, and the additional 81 will be delivered in 2013, and after. This new addition of buses, along with the 125 clean diesel buses purchased in 2010 and 2011 will total 261 buses. This means that over half of the 420 bus fleet will have low emissions.

"The new clean diesel buses with near zero emissions will upgrade our transit system fleet and also improve the environment. Being able to use the long-idle funds to benefit transit riders ensures that federal funds are kept here for our community," Milwaukee County Executive, Chris Abele said.