[Durham INC] Durham Debuts New Hybrid Bull City Connector Buses

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov

 

 

 

 

For Immediate Release: April 3, 2012

 

 

 

Durham Debuts New Hybrid Buses on the Bull City Connector

Bull City Connector Buses Offer New Features to Enhance Rider Experience

 

DURHAM, N.C. - Riders on the City of Durham's fare-free Bull City
Connector are now enjoying the comforts of five new hybrid
diesel-electric buses, which are enhancing the rider experience with new
features and reducing fuel costs at the same time.

 

"The City received a special grant for five new hybrid buses
specifically for the Bull City Connector, though we have been using
hybrid buses from Durham Area Transit Authority's fleet on the Bull City
Connector since the route's inception. Overall, we have seen about a 27
percent daily fuel savings over the traditional diesel buses. In
addition, the new hybrid buses offer new features that increase the
route's on-time performance as well as automate ridership counts," said
Mark Ahrendsen, director of the City's Transportation Department.
"Thanks to a partnership with Duke University, the Federal Transit
Administration, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation,
these hybrid buses demonstrate Durham's long-term commitment to
promoting environmental responsibility in our operations."  

 

New features on the Bull City Connector buses include perimeter seating,
which allows passengers to enter and leave the bus more comfortably,
automated passenger counters, and a traffic signal priority system. The
traffic signal priority system will help the Bull City Connector stay on
schedule by extending the green time, when appropriate, to allow the bus
to pass through City-maintained signalized intersections. The hybrid
buses also feature a wheelchair securement area, an entrance ramp and
kneeling feature, video surveillance system, talking bus features for
the visually impaired, and bike racks. 

 

The total cost for the five hybrid buses is $2,995,765, which includes
an 80 percent contribution from the Federal Transit Administration and a
20 percent non-federal share from the North Carolina Department of
Transportation and Duke University.

 

For more information on the Bull City Connector, visit 
www.BullCityConnector.org, "like" the Bull City Connector on Facebook at
www.Facebook.com/BullCityConnector, or "follow" the Bull City Connector
on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/BullCityConnect. 

 


About the Durham Area Transit Authority 


The Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA) provides safe, reliable,
convenient, and accessible transportation for the residents and visitors
of Durham. DATA contracts the operation of its fixed route and
paratransit services. The fixed route system includes 52 buses serving
over 21,000 passenger trips daily on 18 different bus routes. The
paratransit system includes 53 vans transporting qualified passengers
throughout the City and County of Durham. DATA strives to provide
traffic congestion relief, cleaner air, and economic development - all
in comfort and safety. For additional information about DATA, call (919)
485-RIDE or visit http://DATA.DurhamNC.gov <http://data.durhamnc.gov/> .


 

About the Transportation Department

The City of Durham Transportation Department is responsible for a broad
range of transportation services, which include traffic signs and
signals, transportation planning, parking operations, street lighting,
taxicab administration, and bicycle and pedestrian planning. The City's
Transportation Department also oversees the Durham Area Transit
Authority (DATA) public transportation system and the DATA ACCESS
service for persons with disabilities, which are managed by Triangle
Transit. The department also leads planning functions for the
Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization
(DCHC-MPO). For more information, visit http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/dot.

 

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