New York to electrify complete bus fleet

New York City is planning to electrify their entire bus fleet by 2040. The announcement came from the public transport company Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) who currently operates more than 5,700 buses.

Ten fully electric buses are already being tested by the MTA, and another 60 electric buses are scheduled to join the fleet by next year. Details to the planned electrification beyond 2019 are not known.

The decision is somewhat dependent on the maturation of the technology, according to Andy Byford, president of NYC Transit. This regards both the buses themselves, as well as charging infrastructure. The comment was made by Byford during the publication of the action plan. The plan aims to “transition to a zero-emissions fleet to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions”.

A report released beginning of the month by the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance confirmed that fossil fuel buses contribute significantly to breathing problems, asthma and hospital visits for people of all ages. “These communities have been overburdened by noxious emissions for too long,” Eddie Bautista, executive director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, said in a statement. He was pleased with the development and said that the decision “signals to us that the Authority has heard our call for a clean bus fleet. We are pleased to receive MTA’s commitment to zero emissions and applaud their efforts”.7

insideclimatenews.org, mta.info (PDF)