Smart Hybrid Bus

**stasu1213** · November-18-11, 08:54 PM

Had anyone seen or ridden on the new Smart Hybrid bus? The bus is bigger than the regular Smart bus. The color of the bus is unusually the same color of the DDOT bus. Green and yellow. I wonder is this is the beginning of regionalizing both bus systems.

**dtowncitylover** · November-19-11, 01:21 AM

I've seen it and thought, "that is a bus that people would ride." Aesthetics is something to be considered. The current bus fleet for SMART is obviously very much outdated. I think more people would consider riding the bus if it just looked modern.

**stasu1213** · November-19-11, 08:53 AM

A couple of years ago Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick had bragged about the new busses that the transit center that the city was receiving and constructin from federal money. The planning of the design of the center and it's location weren't well though out. The busses that the city had recieved were only a few. The are poorly designed and not rider friendly with very narrow aisles. The city should get the rider's opinion on the type of bus should be purchased or designed. A person who doesn't ride a bus should not order busses for the city being ignorant of what type of bus that would meet the need for a more comfortable ride.

**stasu1213** · November-19-11, 08:55 AM

That hybrid bus appear to have wider aisles and wider seats to make riding the bus much more comfortable especially for long distance riding.

**Mikeg** · November-19-11, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by stasu1213

Had anyone seen or ridden on the new Smart Hybrid bus? The bus is bigger than the regular Smart bus. The color of the bus is unusually the same color of the DDOT bus. Green and yellow. I wonder is this is the beginning of regionalizing both bus systems.

The bus with the green and yellow paint scheme is representing Wayne State University, nothing more:

SMART will unveil three new hybrid electric buses with a friendly, tri-university competition to raise much-needed cold weather gear for southeast Michigan families in need. Called "Busloads of Warmth," this unique charity hybrid event pits the University of Michigan [[including UM Dearborn), Wayne State University and Michigan State University against each other in a friendly competition to raise the most donated gear for The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit.....[source]

Here's a link to a story that includes a photo of the U of M bus that was taken at the press event described above.

These three "shovel-ready" buses with their pretty paint schemes that arrived just last month were purchased using a $20 million dollar grant that SMART received from the March 2009 ARRA federal economic stimulus act.