P-I reporter Amy Rolph sent over this note about Kitsap Transit's idea for a fuel efficient hybrid passenger bus:

Concept drawing for VRI hybrid passenger bus; Sarah Blott, Evan McCormack, Anders Mavis.

Environmental advocates and fans of The Jetsons will probably agree that Kitsap Transit's hybrid passenger bus is a step in the right direction.

The Bremerton-based transportation agency is working up a prototype for a bus that will use less than half as much gas as its current fleet. They're getting help from the Vehicle Research Institute at Western Washington University.

"Kitsap's 15-passenger buses are now getting about eight or nine miles per gallon," said Western's VRI director Eric Leonhardt in a statement. "What we hope to produce is a hybrid vehicle that will get at least 20 miles per gallon -- and we're shooting for 30."
So far, technicians have only determined that the bus will be a fuel/electric hybrid. What type of fuel the bus will run on hasn't been determined.

Kitsap Transit is piloting the design, but WWU officials say at least 10 other regional transit systems are keeping their eyes on the project, which could take several years to complete.

What do you think of Kitsap's hybrid bus concept?