MADISON, Wis. -- Madison is becoming the first city in the state to use hybrid electric buses.

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Five hybrid electric buses will hit the streets in the next couple of weeks, WISC-TV reported. Two will run on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Campus routes that get about 90 rides an hour and three others will run in the rest of the city. All have a new hybrid battery perched on the roof.

"The hybrid electric bus appears to be one of the leading alternative fuels that is emerging in the engine market," said Metro Transit General Manager Chuck Kamp.

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said that the buses offer many benefits.

"There's reduced noise, reduced maintenance, lower emissions, quicker acceleration, improved braking, so a better ride for folks who ride Metro," Cieslewicz said.

The buses are expected to save thousands of gallons of diesel fuel, WISC-TV reported.

"We know for sure that we can save somewhere between 7,000 to 10,000 gallons of diesel a year with these buses, and with diesel prices increasing from $1 a gallon to $2 and upwards toward $3, that's a significant amount of money," Kamp said.

Each bus costs nearly $500,000, with 80 percent of it paid for by federal funding and the other 20 percent covered by UW-Madison and the city of Madison.

"We'll weigh those factors together to see how the benefits and the costs compare and it's the reason we're buying five now instead of buying all of our buses with hybrid electric diesel technology," Kamp said.

Results and savings will be tracked to determine if the hybrids save the city money, WISC-TV reported.

"Is this a better bus for the community? We hope to answer that question," Kamp said.

Metro drivers are being trained on driving the buses in the next few weeks. Metro said the learning curve is similar to driving a hybrid car, including that the buses can be much quieter than the regular diesel models.