Clean-air buses replace trolleys

Diana Sahagan

Friday, Aug. 24, 2001 | 10:51 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman on Thursday christened the city's six new clean-air buses with a bottle of champagne, saying the city is leading the way to improve air quality.

The city of Las Vegas is the first government in Southern Nevada to add full-size, natural gas buses to its inventory of public transportation vehicles. Six new, 30-passenger buses are replacing older, gasoline burning trolleys.

In addition to operating the free route that accommodates passengers doing business at any of the city's downtown offices and City Hall, the new blue and silver buses are also going to be phased into other city routes.

The purchase price for each bus was $295,984, but local and federal funding helped cover the cost. The Regional Transportation Commission funded 20 percent of the purchase costs and the Federal Transit Authority contributed 80 percent through Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funds.

It is estimated that the new vehicles will result in cost savings of approximately $9,000 a year per bus in maintenance and fuel costs, or about $108,000 annually for the six-bus fleet.

Local governments and other agencies have been criticized for not using clean-fuel vehicles. In February, the Clark County District Board of Health passed a resolution calling for the use of cleaner-burning fuels in vehicles owned by local government agencies.

Jack Greco, a retired gasoline service industry executive and a member of the Air Pollution Control Hearing Board, has scolded the health district and the Clark County School District for not using clean-fuel vehicles.

Cab companies and other agencies have been slow to add natural-gas fueled vehicles to their fleets, citing the increased cost.

Goodman said in addition to the six buses, the city has also received four new Toyota Prius hybrid gas-electric cars that will be added to the vehicle pool.