NABI's Futuristic Hybrid Bus on Tour in the West

The new five-door diesel hybrid-electric 60-BRT from North American Bus Industries, Inc (NABI), shown on page 1, visited several transit properties in Utah and the National Park Service in the Grand Canyon in December.

“It’s a nice vehicle...and the ride was interesting,” Utah County Commissioner Larry Ellertson said. “It was quiet. They’ve obviously put a lot of planning into the aesthetics rather than just the basic transportation.”

Utah Transit Authority is planning several bus rapid transit (BRT) projects in conjunction with cities dotting the I-15 freeway which runs north-south, parallel to the Wasatch Mountain Range, linking several major city-centers together. At least four BRT systems are being studied for use along the Wasatch Front.

“NABI’s 60-BRT vehicle is a rubber-tire solution to light rail,” said Bill Coryell, NABI vice president of sales. “It offers many of the same amenities and features of rail, but with the flexibility afforded to bus route deployment.”