New SMTD climate-friendly buses about to hit the road

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Sangamon Mass Transit District (SMTD) should have some of its eight new low-emission buses on the streets within a few days to a few weeks.

In addition, new buses will be hitting the road in the summer of 2025 and the spring of 2026. The vehicles are low-emission, climate-friendly, diesel-hybrid and compressed natural gas buses.

“If you believe greenhouse gas emissions are a problem, then you need to do something about it. And that’s what we’ve done with the bipartisan infrastructure law,” Senator Dick Durbin said Monday at the SMTD garage.

Durbin, Senator Tammy Duckworth and Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski helped secure $17,807,630 for those SMTD buses. There will be a total of 19 new buses replacing the aging fleet currently being operated. The lifespan of the buses is about 12 years.