CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – If you are traveling around the Clarksville area, you may notice a few Clarksville Transit System (CTS) buses with a new look.
Three new hybrid buses are in the CTS rotation. These new buses replace three others that were over 10 years old and had over 650,000 miles, collectively, on them.
“These new hybrid buses offer much more than a new look,” said Arthur Bing, Transportation Director for the City of Clarksville. “These are state-of-the-art buses that provide additional safety, comfort and efficiency.”
Among other things, the new buses are equipped with:
• Bicycle rack that can carry 2 bicycles at a time
• A wheelchair ramp
• Design for easier access and no steps in front entrance
• Two wheelchair positions
• A surveillance system with 9 cameras providing security and safety for passengers and operators
• A vehicle locator system which can track a specific bus for location, speed, direction of travel and stop time
• A fare box that accepts and validates coins, tokens and bills, accepts and processes magnetic fare cards and smart cards
• Destination signs in front and door side
• Route number sign in front and rear
• Improved passenger seats
These buses will also improve fuel economy by 42%. Additionally, they are estimated to significantly reduce air pollution and carbon monoxide.
“I am so excited that we have these new buses and I want to commend the hard work of everyone involved in obtaining the grant funds that purchased them,” said Mayor Kim McMillan. “We already have the best service through CTS and now we have the best available equipment as we replace aging buses with the new hybrid models.”
In addition to the new buses, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet funded a new paratransit vehicle for CTS. Ten percent of CTS’ paratransit trips are in Kentucky (Fort Campbell).