A fleet of new Capital Area Transit buses equipped with better surveillance, lighting, and handicap accessibility hit the streets in February.

The 15 Gillig low-floor buses have several new features that include better video surveillance, LED lighting, four-sided display signage and an automated voice that whenever the bus stops, informs riders of the name and location of that stop.

 The new buses have 40 seats which is slightly fewer than the older buses.

The new CAT buses operate on biodiesel fuel (B20). City officials say, B20 is a domestically produced renewable fuel derived from vegetable oil that significantly reduces harmful elements of diesel exhaust, such as carbon monoxide. At least 75 percent of Raleigh's diesel fleet - or 186 trash collection trucks, recycling trucks and street dump trucks -- have operated on B20 since 2002.

"The new buses reflect CAT's ongoing effort to enhancing customer service and being environmentally friendly," said Stacey Carless, CAT's marketing specialist.

Transit officials said, the 15 new buses cost a total of $5.5 million. A grant from the Federal Transit Administration covered 80 percent of the cost. The remaining 20 percent was split between the City of Raleigh and the State of North Carolina. The buses are federally mandated for 12 years or 500,000 miles of service life.

 "We're doing a lot of planning work within the department with in transit looking at our local services, our regional providers regional services, but you're correct," transit administrator, David Eatman said, "it's really scary, $4 gas possibly as early as this summer, we'll have to wait and see, but certainly transit, not only in this town but across the nation, is becoming a more viable form of transportation on a daily basis. People are starting to feel that pinch."