Go Greener Commission looks at transit

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The West Lafayette Go Geener Commission looked at what area transit systems are doing to run cleaner.

CityBus gets the green light on going green. Twenty percent of the CityBus fleet are hybrids. The buses reduce emissions, use less fuel, and the benefits don't stop there. The brakes are greener and cleaner.

"When they're braking, that's actually a mode of power that is actually being converted into electric energy being stored back in the battery," said Joe Krause who is on the CityBus Board of Directors.

Hybrid buses also save on maintenance costs.

"You're typically using the brakes to slow down, but it's not like the typical shoes on a regular vehicle. The motor is slowing the bus down and so there is less maintenance," explained Krause.

High speed rail could also become a greener way to move people further.

"It takes up less than a highway does for example you can move the same number of passengers on a rail line that's 12 feet wide vs. a ten lane highway," said Thom Davis, the president of the Indiana High Speed Rail Association.

The Indiana High Speed Rail Association is working to raise awareness to convince state legislators to find money for the project. The state needs come up with around $2.5 billion to start the project. The Federal government will fund the rest of the more than $12 billion plan.

The Go Greener Commission was established to boost green efforts in West Lafayette.