NORWICH – First Transit, Inc. in Norwich will replace its entire fleet of 23 buses next year and plans to add a park & ride system to and from Sherburne and Greene along the state Rt. 12 corridor.

Each new bus will cost $67,000 and is estimated to last five years. Buses making up the current fleet are between five and six years old, according to President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Thornton.

“We are very excited about getting those (new buses) on the road,” he said.

The Cincinnati, Ohio-based transportation service serves 11 counties throughout New York. It has fixed route contracts with the following agencies in Chenango County: the Area Agency on Aging, the Department of Social Services and Mental Hygiene Services; Broome Developmental Services; and the public transit system itself.