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Congressman Maurice Hinchey, whose office was instrumental in
securing the funds for the buggy, touted its potential environmental impact.
"The horse-drawn buggy relies only on natural resources. As the
buggy moves, the only waste the bus will leave behind is fertilizer
for our city-wide tree-growing campaign," Hinchey told reporters.
Ithaca is known for its liberal environmental policies.
When questioned whether it would exhaust CO2, Hinchey reluctantly
admitted that it would, but added, "Carbon dioxide also helps
our trees grow in the city-wide tree growing campaign."
Ghearing also pointed out another benefit to the buggy, saying,
"In Ithaca and the surrounding Tompkins County, many people have
rejected modern conveniences such as electricity, telephones, and
natural-gas powered busses. We hope this will give them a viable
alternative to bring money into the downtown area in hopes of
revitalizing the downtown economy."
Ithaca Downtown Partnership leader Gary Ferguson agreed, but declined
comment when reporters pointed out that the bus' route is rather
small, and does not go into areas of the county where people have
rejected the modern-day conveniences.
TCAT captured national attention in early April when it unvield its historically-themed
trolley replica which runs on natural gas. Ghearing says that the
new buggy-bus will be a delight for people young and old, and hopes
that many people will choose to rent the buggy to use in their
wedding processions. |
