Press Release

Hinchey, Arcuri Secure $1.23 Million In Federal Funds
For Broome Country To Purchase
Four New Hybrid-Electric Transit Buses

Washington, DC -- Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and Congressman Michael A. Arcuri (D-NY) today announced that they have secured a federal grant of $1,238,300 for Broome County to purchase four new hybrid-electric transit buses.  Hinchey used his position on the House Appropriations Committee to have provisions written into spending bills that allocated the money for the new buses.  The announcement of the new funds comes just two weeks after Hinchey and Arcuri secured $791,700 for Broome County to purchase two hybrid-electric buses.  

"Broome County continues to establish itself as a leader in alternative energy-based mass transit," Hinchey said. "These federal funds will pay for four new hybrid buses that will effectively serve the people of Broome County while not emitting the enormous amount of chemicals into the air that standard buses do.  Additionally, these new buses are coming to Broome County with federal dollars, which spares local taxpayers much of the cost of these new state-of-the-art hybrid buses."

 Arcuri said, “I’m glad to see more federal resources coming back to increase alternative energy transportation here in the Southern Tier.  This grant for four new hybrid-electric buses not only improves local transportation and helps the economy, but keeps the local environment clean and saves taxpayer dollars. I am glad to work with Representative Hinchey to continue to bring federal resources to help environmentally sound development in the Southern Tier.”

 Hybrid-electric technology, which integrates batteries with a diesel engine, combines the benefits of advanced internal combustion power with the cleanliness of electric vehicle technology.  The replacement of traditional buses with hybrids will result in less fuel consumption, much lower vehicle emissions and substantially less operating noise. Hybrids are well suited to stop-and-go driving since the buses' batteries are recharged by regenerative braking. The annual operating/maintenance expenses are also substantially lower, thus saving the community money.  The hybrid buses that Broome County will use the grant to purchase are designed and constructed by BAE Systems of Johnson City and Orion Bus Industries in Oriskany, New York. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation is administering the funds.  

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