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Community Corner

Metro to Pay $297M for 550 New Buses

Metro will spend nearly $300 million to replace more than 500 aging buses that run on compressed natural gas.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors today signed off on spending $297 million to purchase 550 compressed natural gas-fueled buses to replace others that are nearing retirement.

The new 40-foot buses will replace others that are 12 years old and have 500,000 miles on them. The next round of buses are expected to hit those retirement marks in 2014.

About 250 of the buses being replaced are older, high-floor buses that tended to have more problems with their electric wheelchair lifts. The new buses will have lower floors, and drivers will have the ability to manually lower the wheelchair lifts in the event the electrical controls break down. The buses will also have interior video surveillance systems.

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Metro CEO Art Leahy said the new 40-foot buses will "provide a safer, cleaner environment."

Metro buses service all of Los Angeles County, including Redondo Beach.

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