FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Joseph Markosek D-Allegheny/Westmoreland www.pahouse.com/Markosek

Markosek asks for federal dollars for Port Authority buses

Funding would allow transit agency to invest in clean hybrid technology

HARRISBURG, March 24 – House Transportation Chairman Joseph Markosek, D-Allegheny/ Westmoreland, is supporting the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s bid to go green and calling for approval of its 2009 federal appropriations request in the amount of $10 million to obtain hybrid buses.

Markosek said the organization currently operates six hybrid vehicles, which have been proven to decrease fuel consumption while reducing emissions.

“Hybrid buses require much more of an initial investment, but the long-term advantages make them a very wise financial decision,” Markosek said. “Hybrid vehicles are a cleaner, quieter alternative to traditional buses and reduce fuel consumption. People in concentrated areas like Allegheny County want a reliable source of transportation that will save money, reduce pollution and relieve congestion on roadways.”

Markosek said the funding would allow the Port Authority to add approximately 75 buses over time to its fleet. As existing buses deteriorate beyond repair, the organization would replace them with a new hybrid bus.

“The Port Authority has sought out proven technology that will not only increase the efficiency of the organization but, most importantly, protect the environment. The federal government should now provide leadership and attention where it's needed: decreasing our already dangerous dependence on foreign oil, ramping up efforts to build a diversified energy base, encouraging conservation, and building and deploying clean-energy technologies.”

Markosek said that although hybrid buses cost approximately $150,000 more than a conventional diesel bus, fuel and maintenance costs over the life of the bus are expected to recover the higher initial capital cost of these vehicles. Other benefits of hybrid technology are listed below.   

· Air Quality - Hybrid buses emit 95 percent less particle matter (pm or soot) than the buses they will replace. Hybrid vehicles produce 40 percent less oxides of nitrogen (no_x) thus reducing greenhouse gases by 30 percent.

· Hybrid-electric propulsion allows for significant reduction in transmission maintenance. Fewer service bays and maintenance spares may be needed than with a similarly sized fleet of motor buses.

· The braking capabilities of the hybrid-electric bus will dramatically lower erosion rates and repair on mechanical service brakes. Regenerative braking allows energy to be stored in batteries that would otherwise be lost as heat energy in braking.

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