FARGO – MATBUS has added three new buses to its fleet used in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area. Two 40-foot New Flyer Excelsior hybrid buses and one 35-foot New Flyer Xcelsior diesel bus will soon be part of the MATBUS fixed-route fleet.
The buses were built by New Flyer Industries, St. Cloud, Minn. Each 40-foot hybrid electrical bus cost $645,000 and the 35-foot diesel bus cost $440,000. They were purchased through capital grants from the Federal Transit Administration along with the transportation departments in North Dakota and Minnesota. Fargo and Moorhead provided 20 percent in local matching funds.
The new buses feature innovative technologies, including devices where passengers with disabilities can be secured into the bus via a fully automatic rear-facing wheelchair station. The new buses also allow three bikes to be transported at one time, versus the current two-bike capability. There are additional digital interior display monitors to indicate upcoming route stops and enhanced LED lighting on the interior and exterior.
Passengers will also experience a quieter ride and smoother acceleration due to the design of the power train engine. The 40-foot buses are able to hold more than 80 passengers and quicker boarding and de-boarding will be possible with wider doors and aisles. For added safety, there are on-board cameras and door sensors.
The hybrid buses generate less than 50 percent of the greenhouse gases emitted by typical diesel vehicles.
