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ABQ Ride spokesman Jay Faught admits that gas mileage isn't great for nearly three dozen new buses expected to join the city's public transportation fleet in 2007, but it's an improvement.

The 40-foot, diesel-electric hybrids should get 4.5 miles per gallon, compared with 3.2 miles per gallon for the old buses they will replace, he said.

"They're better and cleaner for the environment," he said, noting that it's unlikely any bus will get the gas mileage people are accustomed to with their cars.

Also, the 35 hybrid buses should not need an engine replacement until they've covered 800,000 miles, instead of 350,000 miles for the old buses. That means even more savings in the long run that will make up for the greater cost, he said.

He estimated that diesel-electric buses cost $550,000, or 29 percent more than the $425,000 for a diesel version of the same vehicle.

The new buses will be purchased with $25 million set aside to upgrade to the fleet, Faught said.

The city is also buying six hybrid Rapid Ride buses that may end up serving north Fourth Street or the West Side along Coors Boulevard. They're due to arrive in January 2007.

A test run of the West Side Rapid Ride route has about 12 people riding the bus per hour. Faught said 30 people per hour is the industry standard for good ridership.

"Of course, that's a new route, and it's a commuter route, and it doesn't run as many hours," he said. "It's pretty good for being so early."

He said a regular bus running along Coors Boulevard has about 26 riders per hour.

The city will review bids for the buses Oct. 18, which should take about three weeks, Faught said. The new buses should arrive about a year later.

Faught said the city has 148 buses, 53 of which will be hybrids in 2007.