Athens-Clarke County Transit will host a dedication ceremony for its 12 new hybrid electric buses on Friday, February 23, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the Athens-Clarke County Multimodal Transportation Center on Hickory Street Extension. Parking will be available at the connected Classic Center Parking Deck.

The 12 new low emission diesel hybrid electric buses are the first hybrid buses in the ACC Transit fleet. Purchased with a combination of local, state, and federal funds for $8.4 million, the new buses will replace 12 older buses that have exceeded their useful life span and are experiencing increased operating and maintenance costs. 

Two buses were placed into service on Friday, February 16, 2018. When the full complement of buses go into service the week of February 19, 2018, they will represent half of ACC Transit’s daily revenue service fleet.

The new buses will more than double the fuel efficiency of the buses that they are replacing and improve fuel consumption by up to 125% over a typical bus. Additionally, the braking systems significantly extend the brake change interval by as much as 150%.

The 40-foot buses are brand new 2018 Gillig low-floor heavy duty models with a new design, a new color scheme, and new branding built in Livermore, California. They seat 37 passengers, with six seats designated as priority seating for seniors and mobility-impaired individuals. Room is also available for an additional 24 passengers to stand.

Funding for the buses came from a variety of sources. During the 2015 Legislative Session, the Georgia General Assembly designated $75 million in General Obligation bond funds for the GO! Transit state-wide competitive grant program and identified the State Road and Tollway Authority to administer it.

In 2016, ACC Transit received a $6 million grant from SRTA with enough funding to purchase eight hybrid electric buses. Transit staff successfully negotiated the combination of previously approved grants from the Federal Transit Administration and the Georgia Department of Transportation with the STRA grant, along with local matching Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax 2011 project funds, to purchase four additional hybrid electric buses. Of the total $8.4 million in funding for the 12 buses, local Athens-Clarke County funding was $780,000.

ACC Transit is the only public transit provider in the state to receive a SRTA grant and combine the funds with other grants to increase the total number of buses purchased.

The hybrid buses use nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries and a hybrid drive system and meet the newest clean air standards issued by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The buses have a 96% total reduction in emissions of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and a 90% reduction in particulate matter when compared to the buses from 2004 they will replace. Overall, they are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 15%.

The buses feature other environmentally-friendly components. As with all ACC Transit buses, they are equipped to carry three bikes in a front exterior rack. They also use low energy light-emitting diode (LED) lights in the interior of the buses.

The new buses also feature improvements to their accessibility for all passengers. The upgraded and redesigned wheelchair ramp has over 50% more weight capacity (950 lbs.) and a maximum entry angle of less than 10 degrees. Passengers in wheelchairs can also use a new, easier to use, less intrusive, three-point securement system. The expanded rear doorways are 40 inches wide, compared to 31 inches on the buses being retired.

The new buses have internal and external security cameras, automated passenger counters, and a new Automated Vehicle Locating system that allows customers to track buses through the MyStop app or the Transit website and receive bus arrival notifications through email or text messages.

ACC Transit will place an additional three hybrid electric buses into service in the spring of 2019 from other funding sources.