Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Hosts Meeting Feb. 9 in D.C. To Focus on Advanced BRT Vehicle Design Competition; One Participant - TransTeq - Wants to Revolutionize Urban Transportation

        Members of the Media Are Invited to Meet Dale Hill, President,
Transportation Techniques, LCC (TransTeq), Manufacturers of One of the World's
          Most Energy Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Busses

    WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 On Friday, February 9, 2001, the
Federal Transit Administration will host a 1-day meeting on vehicle issues
relating to the upcoming Design Competition.  The meeting will focus on
building awareness of the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Consortium and Bus
Manufacturers towards the Vehicle Design Competition and the relationship of
new design ideas to the future implementation of BRT systems.
    BRT is an emerging system whereby advanced technology equipped buses
provide a cost-effective upgraded transit service.  BRT is viewed by many as a
third way, combining the best qualities of bus and light rail.  Some key
characteristics of BRT systems include attractive, rail-like vehicles,
exclusive rights-of-way, attractive infrastructure, streamlined fare
collection and fast dwell times.  Advantages of BRT over light rail include
lower cost, far less time to implement and self-contained power generation
(versus electricity hungry light rail).  The BRT Consortium includes 17 cities
throughout the U.S.
    One of the participants in the meeting will be Dale Hill, President,
Transportation Techniques, LCC (TransTeq), manufacturers of one of the
world's most energy efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles.  The
116-passenger bus, called the EcoMark, uses a 70 HP engine fueled by clean
compressed natural gas (CNG) and has lower emissions than a car.
    The EcoMark's 70 HP engine charges on-board batteries, which power a pair
of 220 -- horsepower DC motors.  The bus is so efficient that it literally
saves energy when it stops, capturing the energy normally lost during braking
to re-charge its batteries.  The EcoMark also has a unique ability to be
operated as a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) on battery power alone in areas
where engines are banned.
    Just last week the EcoMark was selected in a public opinion poll in Ft.
Worth, Texas as the number one choice to provide Ft. Worth's downtown
transportation solution for connecting their two light rail terminals.
Transit Executives and Governmental Leaders have visited TransTeq from as far
away as China, Korea and Spain to see this breakthrough low emission
technology.  Numerous transit authorities, airports/airlines and national
parks are looking at TransTeq's ability to provide solutions to urban
congestion, improved fuel economy and lower pollution.
    The EcoMark fleet enters 2001 as the largest full-size hybrid electric
(HEV) bus fleet and operates on Denver's renowned 16th Street Mall, one of the
first BRT routes in the nation.  The route, which carries 50,000 passengers
daily, is the backbone of the Regional Transportation District's (RTD)
system and connects major light rail lines and bus terminals in downtown
Denver.
    "The EcoMark bus is the first HEV and the largest to successfully complete
the rigorous Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 'Altoona' test for noise,
fuel economy, reliability, safety, maintainability and performance," says
Hill.  "This allows for the FTA to fund 83 percent of the purchase price of
the EcoMark."
    TransTeq is pursuing 34 individual projects from throughout the world with
a total contract value of $300 million.  "For those who need an
environmentally superior vehicle," says Hill, "our technology offers improved
emissions, lower life cycle costs, lower costs per passenger and more than 30
innovative features to enhance the rider's experience."
    The BRT Vehicle Design Meeting will take place February 9, 2001 from
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit
Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 2101, Washington, D.C. 20590
    For additional information visit: http://www.transteq.com/index.asp