Empire state bringing in more clean fuel buses. (Public Information and Information Exchange).

New York state public transit riders will soon benefit from another infusion of clean fuel buses. In January 2002, transportation officials announced that the state will use more than $4 million of its Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act funds to help pay for 163 new vehicles slated for use around

The successful bond act was proposed by Governor George Pataki and approved by voters in 1996. The $1.75 billion legislation provides $230 million for clean air projects. About $25 million has been used thus far in the act's five-year life for clean-fuel buses.

This latest purchase under the bond act will help fund 35 hybrid-electric and 128 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. These new vehicles will be used in much of the state, from New York City and Long Island to Syracuse and Rochester.

State officials estimate that the clean-fuel bus program has brought more than 500 environmentally friendly buses to state transit fleets, which in turn have helped reduce the transportation sector's reliance on petroleum products, forgoing the use of more than 322 million liters (85 million gallons) of diesel fuel. In turn, the drop in diesel fuel use should significantly reduce nitrogen oxides emissions over the useful lives of the buses.