EVERETT — It’s bright yellow and green and looks like a box of laundry detergent, and it will soon be picking up Everett Transit passengers.
The bus might look strange, but it gets better mileage than conventional buses and emits much less pollution. It’s a hybrid diesel-electric bus that Everett Transit will begin putting on its regular routes as early as Saturday for a three-month test run.
The city will evaluate the bus’s performance for its own use and for Sound Transit, which recently paid $580,000 for the bus. King County Metro Transit used the bus for three months before Everett, and Community Transit, Pierce Transit and Intercity Transit — which is in Thurston County — will test it after Everett Transit.
Sound Transit put detergentlike slogans such as "For that ‘fresh commute’ feeling" and "Now! Cleaner Formula" to let passengers know the bus they’re riding on is more environmentally friendly, said Fred Chun, project manager for maintenance and operations of regional buses for Sound Transit.
The hybrid gets 5 miles per gallon, while a conventional diesel bus gets 3.5, he said. And the hybrid bus cuts the emission of pollutants by at least 90 percent, Chun said.
Electricity is generated by the diesel engine, braking and deceleration, and it is stored in onboard batteries.
King County is so happy with the hybrids that it is preparing to buy 213 of them.
"They’ve been just unbelievable," said Todd Gibbs, senior program administrator for vehicle maintenance for Metro Transit. "They haven’t required any maintenance at all."
The decreased maintenance is mostly because the engine idles when the bus travels 10 mph or less, when wear and tear is greatest, and operating temperatures on the drive unit are lower than in conventional buses, he said.
Passengers noticed a smoother ride, especially during stop-and-go traffic, Gibbs said.
Metro Transit tested the same 40-foot bus Everett Transit is using and has been conducting a separate test on a 60-foot hybrid bus for the past year.
The Sound Transit board will vote as early as Thursday whether to buy 22 of the 60-foot hybrids.
Everett Transit isn’t planning to buy any at this point because the hybrids are twice as expensive as conventional buses, $580,000 versus $290,000, said George Baxter, operations manager for Everett Transit.
"It’s always a possibility down the road," he said. "We’re hoping the prices of the vehicles come down as the years go by."
Sound Transit hopes to save money on the buses in the long run, Chun said. Decreased maintenance and fuel costs means the agency should make its money back six years into the 12-year expected useful life of the bus, he said.
About two dozen other hybrids are currently being tested by transit agencies across the country, including those in Portland, Houston and Los Angeles.
Everett Transit still has to add its fare box and radio system to the inside of the bus, and temporary logos to the exterior, so riders aren’t confused, Baxter said. The agency also has to train drivers how to operate the bus.
The bus will eventually travel on most Everett Transit routes, so most regular Everett Transit riders will get a chance to try it.
The bus has advantages in addition to the environmental ones, Baxter said, including a low floor that eliminates the need for steps. That will be especially helpful to elderly riders who have a hard time climbing stairs, he said.
The cushioned seats recline and have reading lights, and there are luggage racks above the seats.
Reporter David Olson: 425-339-3452 or dolson@heraldnet.com.
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