The San Francisco board of supervisors approved the purchase of 50 new hybrid 40-foot buses from New Flyer Industries to be used as part of Muni’s bus fleet.

The new buses will be in addition to the 62 hybrid buses already approved. The new vehicles will be added to the current fleet of buses in service and replace 50 of its 2000/2001 Neoplan diesel buses, which have reached or exceeded their useful service life of 12 years.

The vehicles specified under the Minnesota contract were updated to include features necessary for San Francisco’s unique operating environment and high passenger loads. The total vehicle cost will be approximately $38.3 million, or $690,000 per vehicle, and is funded through federal, state and local support.

“We are bringing state-of-the-art new hybrid buses to Muni’s riders, investing in the infrastructure needed to make Muni a better means of transportation by improving transit performance and reliability,” said Ed Reiskin, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) director, transportation.

The SFMTA is aggressively pursuing replacement and rehabilitation programs on all buses, light rail vehicles and historic streetcars. Within the next two years, SFMTA expects to purchase 60 articulated trolley buses to replace current 20-year-old vehicles.

These programs directly support the agency’s two-year budget, focusing on maintenance and infrastructure improvement.