CapMetro puts 1997 bus up for auction

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Always wanted to get your hands on one of those Capital Metro buses for your private garage? Well, now’s your chance.

The agency has put a 1997 "New Flyer" model up for auction on govdeals.com.

The latest bid was $1,650 as of 7 a.m., with just a couple of hours left in the auction. So far, 18 bidders have weighed in.

The bus was still being used for public transit just a couple of months ago and has more than half a million miles on it.

CapMetro officials said they often auction off their buses after they’re retired, and sometimes the agency donates them to charitable organizations. They said the buyer can really be anyone.

But before you make your bid, you should know a transit bus can cost more than $18 per hour on average in fuel and maintenance alone.

If you miss Friday's auction, you’ll still have your shot at owning your own bus throughout the next few weeks.

CapMetro is auctioning off 54 buses because the agency is replacing them with buses that are more environmentally friendly.

The new, cleaner diesel buses will meet 2010 Environmental Protection Agency Standards. CapMetro will release three- to five new buses every week until October.

The transit service said customers can look forward to enjoying a more comfortable ride in the new electric blue, 35-foot buses.

These clean diesel buses produce fewer emissions and meet the 2010 Environmental Protection Agency standards, CapMetro said. They are 25 times cleaner than buses from 20 years ago and 10 times cleaner than the 2009 buses.

Federal grants will fund $11.3 million, local funding provides $1.7 million and loan proceeds will fund $10.3 million for a total of $23.3 million that the new buses cost.

These buses are the first of Capital Metro’s rebranding plan to distinguish service by color. With time, all local service buses will be electric-blue.

The MetroRapid buses will be silver and MetroRail will continue to be red.

Later in the summer, CapMetro will mount a three-position bike rack on 10 of the new buses as a pilot project to test how often the racks are used.

This project is a part of the company’s commitment to advance service for bicycle transit riders.

Now through October, CapMetro will be replacing the existing fleet of buses until all the new ones are in service.