Broward getting 100 new buses

Riding a bus in Broward County is about to get more reliable for passengers — and run cleaner — on some routes over the next several months.

The county’s transit agency is adding more than 100 new buses to replace some of its old and crippled fleet.

The approximately $44-million purchase includes 138 mini-buses, five over-the-road coaches for express service, 15 diesel and five hybrid buses, and 17 accordion-style, 60-foot buses that carry twice as many passengers as a regular bus.

“The average lifespan of a bus is between 10 and 12 years. And after 500,000 miles, you can imagine that every once in a while a bus breaks down,” said transit spokeswoman Mary Shaffer.

The federal government is paying for the bulk of the new buses, with the state chipping in for the express buses that run on Interstates 95 and 595.

The first batch of buses has already arrived, more will come in November and December, and the rest will trickle in over the next year as they are manufactured and delivered.

The first new buses should be in service in January after they are affixed with the county logos.

Perhaps the biggest improvement will be for paratransit, a door-to-door service for people with disabilities that prevent them from using the bus system.

Vans will be replaced with 10-passenger propane-fueled shuttles that have capacity for up to three wheelchairs.

“This is a really huge deal. If you have better equipped vehicles, you have a better chance of getting people to where they need to go on time,” Shaffer said.

mturnbell@tribune.com, 954-356-4155, Twitter @MikeTurnpike, Facebook at SunSentinel.com/concreteideas