New BC Transit Buses Were Built in California

Bob Joseph/WNBF News [file][/caption]

Bob Joseph/WNBF News [file][/caption]The seven buses most recently added to the BC Transit fleet traveled about 3,000 miles before hitting the roads of Broome County.

Bob Joseph/WNBF News [file][/caption]The vehicles were produced by Gillig Corporation at the company's manufacturing facility outside San Francisco. The county's last big bus purchase was for vehicles assembled in New York state.

Broome County officials today said most of the $2.8 million cost of the buses was covered by a federal grant which was authorized in 2012. The price of each vehicle was about $417,000.

The new buses have been in regular use since December. Each of the diesel-fueled vehicles has 31 seats.

The total cost of the seven newest buses was less than the cost of six hybrid buses the county acquired six years ago. Each of those buses cost about $527,000.

The hybrid electric buses were assembled by Orion Bus Industries in Oneida County. Those vehicles utilize a propulsion system developed by BAE Systems in Broome County.

One driver says he likes the new buses, although he noted they're not equipped with cup holders for coffee for the vehicle operator.

County officials say the BC Transit fleet now has 47 vehicles. The system last year provided more than 2.3 million rides covering nearly 1.2 million miles.