Electric Buses Move in to Los Angeles

Listen to the full audio story

Download the MP3

Los Angeles isn't known for its public transportation -- instead we're known for the millions of cars racing (or crawling) up and down the freeways. But Mayor Villaraigosa and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority are trying to bring L.A.'s bus system into the limelight. Today Metro's board voted to approve a pilot program to add 30 electric buses to the system. Mayor Villaraigosa said it's one step towards the city's goal of creating a bus fleet with no dirty emissions.

"We want to figure out a way to put a bus manufacturer here in the city of Los Angeles -- a clean fuel bus manufacturer."

In January, Metro retired its last diesel bus --but L.A. still has a long way to go in converting its low emissions buses into no emissions buses-- Metro operates over 2,900 buses.

The Mayor cited a sea change in the public's attitudes about environmentally friendly transportation:

"They want L.A. to be the world leader in these technologies."

First though, Metro and the city have to focus on getting those electric buses on the road -- a process they said will be under way within the next 2 years.