PVTA lands $6.2 million for green fleet

Marta Del Pozo, 25, of Amherst at bus stop on South Pleasant Street in April 2006. The PVTA is adding green vehicles to its fleet, thanks to federal and state dollars.">
By Owen Boss
Staff Writer

The region's public transportation fleet took a big step toward becoming "greener" Monday when state legislators announced that the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority was awarded $6.2 million toward the purchase of 10 diesel-electric hybrid buses.

The new diesel-electric hybrids, which are expected to significantly reduce emissions and double-fuel efficiency, will replace 10 older buses that are no longer functional and will operate on routes through Amherst, Northampton, Hadley and South Hadley.

"We've needed replacement vehicles for a while, and we have also wanted to get hybrid vehicles. But as you can imagine, with the state of the economy the last couple of years, there hasn't been a lot of public funding available for the purchase of vehicles like these," said PVTA Administrator Mary MacInnes.

Federal dollars awarded to regional transit authorities require the state to provide a 20 percent match. Realizing that the state had little money in the budget to come up with the 20 percent match, MacInnes said state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, D-Amherst, fought to have the remainder paid for by a Massachusetts Turnpike toll credit. So, rather than that state providing $1.24 million in cash, the state is providing $1.24 million in toll credits to the PVTA.

"Normally, the state would have had to put up 20 percent as a local match, and the chances of that happening were pretty slim," MacInnes said. "If it wasn't for the toll credits, we likely wouldn't have been able to secure this award."

Also working to secure the funding was U.S. Rep. John Olver, D-Amherst, who said in a statement, "The purchase of new buses will allow transit authorities in the region to continue to offer quality service while simultaneously lowering costs for riders, themselves and the environment."

Diesel-electric hybrid buses use an electric motor and assisting battery to allow a diesel internal combustion engine to operate at peak efficiency speeds.

The PVTA is the largest regional transit authority in Massachusetts, with 174 buses, 144 vans and 24 participating member communities. The PVTA has three garages from which the operate, Springfield, Northampton and UMass Amherst.

For more information about the federal funding or the PVTA, residents are encouraged to visit the authority's website: www.pvta.com.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.