Shorter public transit buses may be in store for the city.

In addition to recommending the city make better use of alternative fuels, a study group on public transit also is recommending the city purchase at least five smaller buses to use on city routes.

The buses likely would be about the size of the 12-passenger van-like buses that the city uses for its paratransit system.

The city currently uses 30-foot buses for its fixed-route operations. The city has been criticized for using such large buses on some routes that often don’t have enough riders to fill the bus.

Casey Toomay, the city’s interim director of public transit, said a city-hired consultant has determined that the city could use smaller buses on several routes. A decision on which routes would use the smaller buses likely would be made in the next year.

The city does plan to purchase at least four to six full-size buses to run on heavily used routes.