New York launches bus electrification initiative
New York’s Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced a series of initiatives to increase the number of electric buses in the US American state. Incentives for both public transport authorities are included, as well as funding for electric school buses.
The announced electrification efforts include $16.4 million in incentives for the expansion of electric bus usage amongst public transportation authorities, as well as $2.5 million for school bus operators to acquire cleaner forms of transportation with lower emissions.
“Electrifying transit and school buses at scale is an important step in our fight against climate change and is essential in helping us reach our ambitious goals to create a greener New York State,” Governor Cuomo said. “Through these initiatives, bus operators will now have the support and resources they need to modernize their fleets, reduce emissions and ensure underserved communities have cleaner public transit options as we work to further reduce our carbon footprint.”
The New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP) program covers the previously mentioned $16.4 million from the Volkswagen dieselgate settlement, which is being made available to five of the largest public transit operators in the state: the Capital District Transportation Authority, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, Rochester-Genesee Regional Transit Authority, Suffolk County Transportation and Westchester County Bee-Line Bus System. The funding is planned to help these companies reach New York’s 2035 goal of decarbonising public transport. Cuomo added on to the sales ban with the requirement for 100 per cent zero-emissions fleets by 2035, a goal Governor Cuomo announced in his 2020 State of the State Address.
“One of the most impactful strategies to help bridge New York’s nation-leading greenhouse gas emissions goals is through strategic investments in high-quality, high-frequency public transportation services”, added New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez. “Electrification of public transportation fleets will build upon the more than 17 million metric tons annually of greenhouse gas emissions that these systems help to avoid.”
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