State Sen. Paul Mark tries out the seating in a new hybrid bus. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority is celebrating its 50th anniversary with new hybrid buses that tell a story about its history.

The BRTA was awarded five eco-friendly buses in the past two years as part of President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law under the Federal Transit Administration's Low or No Grant Program.  Each is valued at about $800,000 and is decorated to represent different BRTA eras.

"It's not for us, it's for our customers," Administrator Robert Malnati said. "It's the reason we're here. We're here to make sure that our customers can go where they need to go when they need to get there in a safe and efficient manner."

Three of the buses have been on the road for about a month and the rest are expected this year.  Paying homage to the BRTA's decades of service to the county, they are wrapped in retro graphic designs that call back to its buses in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Local and state officials marked the occasion with a ribbon cutting on Monday, highlighting the importance of public transportation and embracing greener technologies to move people around.

The BRTA is looking at hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for the future, which are powered by pure hydrogen gas and emit water vapor.

"As you move forward in upgrading your bus fleet, you are truly transforming our transformation system while protecting our air, our water, and our shared future," Federal Transit Administration Region 1 Administrator Peter Butler said, explaining that it is the FTA's job to support that innovation.

State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier said Berkshire County is no different than the rest of state RTAs when it comes to the challenge of securing funding but it does have greater geographical challenges.