Photo: Shari Small/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority unveiled new environmentally-friendly buses on Monday.
Three of these new buses were added to the MWRTA’s 4N route, which connects Framingham and the Natick Mall.
The vehicles run on compressed natural gas as opposed to the more typical diesel, and twice the amount of people will be able to ride on these buses compared to the older buses.
“These (run on) compressed natural gas, which is a cleaner and more environmentally friendly fuel," Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt said. “It’s expanding the fleet, modernizing our transit systems and doing it sustainably.”
“These are compressed natural gas, as opposed to the older buses that were diesel fueled,” Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky said. “We’re going green.”
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Along with Tibbits-Nutt and Sisitsky, Senate President Spilka, MWRTA Board Chairman Joe Nolan and MWRTA Administrator Jim Nee were also present at the unveiling, and all of them were able to hop on for a ride, and reviews were positive.
"It was awesome," Tibbits-Nutt said. "Being able to have transit that makes connections that people want, that's what keeps a city moving. It also continues to give people options to be able to move here."
State and federal funding paid for these eco-friendly buses, and MWRTA rides on all buses will be fare free up through June 30.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports.