The MTA's fleet of hybrid-electric buses logged more than 10 million miles since they were first introduced a decade ago, transit officials announced Thursday.

The 325 hybrid buses, that are partially powered electrically, saved an estimated one million gallons of gas when compared to conventional diesel buses, the MTA said.

"The state-of-the art propulsion system produces lower emissions while providing a measurable fuel economy benefit," said Lawrence Reuter, president of New York City Transit.

And I would add that they are significantly quieter than the conventional diesel engine.

While this is definitely a step in the right direction, another way of improving the fuel efficiency of the bus system (Bus Rapid Transit) seems to be stuck in the mud right now - waiting for the NYC DOT to agree on the elimination of parking spaces. Buses use tremendous amounts of fuel in traffic jams.

And of course, the most efficient design would be to move to electric powered buses which produce near zero emissions on city streets and engines that last for much longer than Internal Combustion Engines. But that seems a long way off right now (at least in NYC).