The wheels on the bus will be going 'round and 'round for the next couple of months as the city of La Crosse was awarded a $1.32 million federal grant to replace three older buses with new diesel-electric hybrid buses.

The funding was made possible by the $20 million that came from the federal Department of Transportation's State of Good Repair program, backed by U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl. The grant will cover roughly 80 percent of the cost for the three new buses.

Keith Lee, operations manager for the La Crosse Mass Transit System, explained the details of how the hybrid buses operate. "The hybrid buses recharge their batteries through braking, while also using less fuel, and they emit less carbon and CO2 into the air," Lee said.

On average, one hybrid bus costs about $550,000 and a regular bus costs $350,000, but MTU is very excited to be able to implement these hybrids into the system. "This is the direction we want to go," Lee said. "The hybrid buses offer better mileage, are much quieter and are overall better for the environment."

The new buses will arrive in La Crosse in about 18 months and there is potential for another four buses to be replaced next year. Lee hopes that the entire 20-bus system will eventually transition into being completely hybrid, but for now he is still very grateful for this opportunity.

Josh Richardson, a college student and frequent bus rider, is really excited about the new hybrid buses being available for La Crosse. "The bus system here is really convenient and is a great alternative for saving money on gas." Richardson said, "I think the hybrid buses are a great idea and it is great that they are better for the environment. I hope more people will ride the bus more frequently."

Along with La Crosse, seven other Wisconsin cities have been approved for grant funds: Appleton, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Madison, Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha.