Over half of the Springfield Mass Transit District fleet will soon be more eco-friendly thanks to an infusion of money from the federal government.  U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, speaking at a press conference at SMTD Tuesday, says 5.9 million dollars in federal funds from the Low or No Emission Vehicle Program will help replace the city’s aging fleet and cut down on harmful emissions. Durbin says transit agencies are now required to have a plan to transition to cleaner low emission buses through help with federal funding.

SMTD’s Steve Schoeffel says their plan is to slowly replace diesel powered buses with hybrids. The city currently has 34 diesel and 22 compressed natural gas buses.  He says while SMTD is doing the hybrid replacements, they will be deciding what the next direction is going to be whether it’s hydrogen fuel cell or electric buses…or whatever the new technology is.