Fleet gains fuel efficiency, environmental friendliness
Clarksville, TN – Clarksville Transit System is placing five new diesel hybrid buses into service, continuing the trend of updating its fleet with more modern and fuel-efficient vehicles.
These buses replace five others that were more than 10 years old, with some having as many as 800,000 miles on them. The new buses bring CTS’s number of diesel hybrids to 14, which is half of the transportation service’s fleet.
“These are state-of-the-art buses that provide additional safety and comfort for our passengers, and the better fuel technology offers operating efficiency, which lowers costs and is more environmentally friendly,” Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan said.
The buses will improve fuel economy by 48 percent over conventional diesel fuel, and will significantly reduce air pollution and carbon monoxide emissions, said Arthur Bing, Transportation Director for the City of Clarksville.
The American-made buses were built by Gillig, the leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the United States, and each new bus cost about $550,000.
Clarksville Transit used a grant program designed to improve air quality to purchase the new buses. Under the terms of the grant, federal funding paid 80 percent of the cost, the state paid 10 percent, and the City of Clarksville paid 10 percent.
The new low-floor buses have an improved hydraulic ramp system that allows faster and easier loading for wheelchair passengers, and have two wheelchair positions inside the bus. Bing said the service logs about 600 wheelchair passenger trips a month, so the improved ramps are much appreciated by drivers and passengers.
The new buses also are equipped with several features to increase their utility and improve the passenger experience.
For example, the new buses offer:
- Improved passenger seats.
- A rack that can carry two bicycles at a time.
- A fare box that accepts and validates coins, tokens and bills, and accepts and processes magnetic fare cards and smart cards.
- A surveillance system with nine cameras, providing enhanced security and safety for passengers and operators.
- A vehicle locator system which can track a specific bus for location, speed, direction of travel and stop time.
“I’m excited that we are continuing to upgrade our bus fleet,” Bing said. “These vehicles are more convenient and comfortable for our passengers. They load faster, run more quietly, and they are better for our environment.”
About Clarksville Transit System
CTS operates 16 routes across the City of Clarksville and transports more than 60,000 passengers a month. It also operates The Lift, a system of 10 paratransit vans that serves disabled and elderly clients, with some 2,600 trips a month. It offers free fares for passengers 65 and older, discounted fares youth, and special services and free rides for APSU students, under a contract with the university.
For more, call the CTS Information Line at 931.553.2429 or visit online at www.cityofclarksville.com/index.aspx?page=730
