The Maryland Transit Administration plans to buy 30 gas-saving diesel-electric buses at a cost of more than $26 million, which would quadruple the number of hybrid vehicles in its fleet.

The MTA disclosed its plan in the agenda for the Feb. 27 meeting of the state Board of Public Works, which would have to approve the contract before it goes into effect.

The buses would be heavy-duty, extra-large buses that run on a combination of diesel fuel and an electric battery. The vehicles are made by New Flyer of America Inc. of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Federal funds would pay 80 percent of the $26.5 million cost of the 30 vehicles.

The MTA told the board that the state's share of the funding had been made possible by the General Assembly's approval of more than $400 million a year in transportation revenue during last year's special session.

The agency took its first step toward adopting the technology for its entire fleet in 2005, when it bought 10 of the buses. The vehicles cost about 50 percent more than a conventional diesel bus but consume about 40 percent less fuel.

Jawauna Greene, an MTA spokeswoman, said the agency has been happy with the performance of the first 10 vehicles.

"Operators have been pleased with the handling of these vehicles," she said. "We've had a good record of maintenance of those vehicles."

The MTA hopes to eventually retire all of its conventional diesel buses and replace them with more fuel-efficient vehicles. But Greene said she could not predict how long that would take.

She said that if the board approves the contract, the new buses should be on the street by the end of the year. The acquisition would allow the MTA to retire some of its older "articulated" buses, many of which are more than 10 years old. Articulated buses are oversized vehicles with a flexible middle that allows the operators to make turns despite the increased length.

Greene said the new buses probably would be used on heavily traveled city routes.

michael.dresser@baltsun.com