The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) board of directors approved the purchase of up to 150 new buses fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) from Anniston, Ala.-based North American Bus Industries, using recently approved American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 funds.

Metro will purchase 50 CNG buses (32-foot) for $23.6 million to be used as part of the fleet of buses operated by its Contracted Services. Contracted bus service operates 22 bus lines under contract to Metro, using a fleet of 181 buses. The buses being replaced include 33 diesel buses and 17 propane-fueled shuttle buses that were acquired in 2001.

The contracted bus procurement will be low-floor, CNG-fueled buses with an interior video surveillance system, the same technology features of directly operated Metro buses.

The board also approved the purchase option under an existing contract of up to 100 additional 45-foot Compo-buses (composite) at a cost not to exceed $60 million.

The bus buys are contingent upon receipt of federal stimulus funding, subject to final award by the Federal Transit Administration.