PROVIDENCE
-- Officials are making plans to purchase the city's first hybrid
vehicles, to be used by the Providence Water Supply Board.
The request to authorize the purchase of the cars was approved by the city Board of Contract and Supply on Jan. 11.
The
purchase is yet another example of efforts by city officials and Mayor
David N. Cicilline to make City Hall operate more effectively and
efficiently, according to a statement from the mayor's office. Last
year, the City Council passed an ordinance requiring city departments
to consider fuel-efficiency when buying new cars.
Councilman
David Segal, of the Green Party, who represents the Fox Point, College
Hill and Wayland neighborhoods, noted that even though the push toward
efficiency has been promoted for more than a year, the city does not
buy many vehicles.
Experts
have determined that the initially slow acceleration of hybrid vehicles
precludes them from being used as emergency vehicles in the police or
fire departments, he said.
The Water Supply Board will buy two Honda Civic hybrids, which will cost about $20,000 each, Segal said.
A hybrid car derives its power from two sources -- a standard gasoline-powered engine and an electric motor.
According
to data compiled by the city, the 2005 Civic hybrid has a standard
4-cylinder engine and looks and drives like a non-hybrid compact car.
The 4-door vehicle averages nearly 50 miles per gallon in the city and
can travel up to 650 miles on a tank of gas.
Segal,
who introduced the council ordinance and holds a seat on the Board of
Contract and Supply, applauded the Water Board for making the request
that will bring hybrid cars to the city.
"It
is great to see the Water Supply Board moving forward to purchase one
of the most fuel-efficient cars on the market," Segal said. "Hopefully,
this will be the first of many fuel-efficient purchases made by the
city."
Officials
from the Rhode Island Public Interest Research Group -- which worked
with Clean Water Action to advocate for passage of the ordinance --
also heralded the milestone.
"This
purchase is great news for the city," Matt Auten, an advocate for the
research group, said in a statement. "A lot of other cities and state
have purchased a number of hybrids for their fleets and it's great to
see Providence join the ranks."
Auten said the cars are "not only exciting, but they also cut down on air pollution and will save the city money on fuel costs."
Segal
said it will probably take a month or more before the cars arrive. Once
they do, they will be adorned with the city seal and with decals that
indicate that they are hybrid vehicles.
"We
want people to be able to identify these cars when they see them around
the city," Segal said. "People should know they are there to improve
the environment and save money."
