BIGGER BUSES?

City looking at longer vehicles to ease overcrowding, and a return to natural gas

The HSR wants to spend almost twice as much this year to put longer buses on overcrowded lower city routes, arguing the pricey move will save taxpayers cash over time.

Under the bus-replacement pitch, Hamilton would buy 18 of the 18-metre articulated buses fuelled by compressed natural gas for $15.5 million, as opposed to the same number of diesel-fuelled 12metre vehicles for $8.7 million.

Transit head Don Hull told councillors Tuesday the city would recoup its upfront investment in seven years based on the cheaper cost of natural gas. Continued replacement of diesel buses could eventually save $3.7 million a year, he added.

He also said the longer, accordion-style buses would alleviate “overcrowding pressures” on lower city routes such as Barton Street and the King-Main corridor without having to pay new bus drivers.

Several councillors balked at a plan to reinvest in natural gas, in particular a proposal to spend up to $3.6 million on a new fuelling station that would be owned and run by Union Gas.

Hamilton had 173 natural gasfuelled buses in 2003, but fuel price fluctuations and reliability issues convinced the city to turn to diesel and hybrid vehicles. This year, only 35 natural gas buses remain in the city fleet of 221.

“You’re asking us to go back to a fuel you wanted us to abandon three years ago,” said Councillor Lloyd Ferguson, who also questioned why the city would pay to build a fuelling station it wouldn’t own. “This gives me some uneasiness.”

Councillor Terry Whitehead said he wanted statistics justifying the need for the 18-metre articulat- ed buses in the lower city, noting he receives overcrowding complaints from some Mountain residents, as well.

Hull said would-be passengers on Barton and along the downtown B-line are still stuck watching full buses whiz by, but he didn’t have statistics on passengers served or “bypasses.”

A traditional 12-metre city bus can squeeze in 75 riders, while an articulated bus should be able to accommodate more than 100.

Part of the challenge, Hull said, is the growing number of scooters and other mobility devices on city buses. Articulated buses provide more room for scooters and an extra access door, allowing a better use of space.

He agreed the natural gas pitch represents a “change in direction,” but argued the price differential is only one reason to switch gears. New natural gas engines are more reliable, he said, and require less costly pollution controls compared to diesel buses.

The city could also buy new articulated diesel buses rather than natural gas, he said, but the total replacement cost would still reach $14 million.

City staff will report back with more information in late May.