Missoula unveils biodiesel buses for public transportation

The new 35-foot Gillig Phantom buses will replace five 12-year-old buses that have 500,000 miles on them and have reached the end of their life span, said Mountain Line general manager Steve Earle. The new buses run on B20, a fuel mixture using 20 percent biodiesel.

"These buses are equipped with brand-new, clean-air diesel technology engines and transmissions, along with state-of-the-art operator equipment," Earle said Tuesday at a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The 2005 transportation bill included $860,000 of the $1.5 million cost of the five new buses, along with $35 million over six years to help fund transportation projects in the state, said Jim Lynch, director of the Montana Department of Transportation. Mountain Line provides about 730,000 rides a year with 27 buses. Ridership increased 6 percent in the past year.

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