In metropolitan areas around the globe, public transportation is going greener. Many cities are working towards eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning away from fossil fuels — which are responsible for roughly 75% of climate warming GHGs — to renewable energy, and electrifying bus fleets is a priority.
Diesel exhaust from fossil fuel-powered buses contributes to poor air quality in cities, resulting in particulate pollution and the production of ground level ozone. According to Environmental America, replacing all diesel-powered transit buses in the country would eliminate over 2 million tons of GHG emissions every year. Luckily, as technology improves, electric buses are becoming a more feasible option for cities and school districts, with buses operable in different temperatures and topographic areas.
These five cities are among the many paving the way toward electric powered public transit for all.
Chicago, Illinois
An electric bus in Chicago, manufactured by Proterra. Regional Transportation Authority
The Chicago Transit Authority has made a big step toward its goal of transitioning to all-electric buses by 2040. In June, the CTA bought 22 new 40-foot buses, bringing the total number of electric buses on the Chicago streets to 47. The windy city has been a test of how battery-electric buses would work in very cold weather. Lithium-ion batteries aren’t as efficient in the cold and get drained much faster — the CTA reports that buses lose about 8% of their charge over 10 miles. Fast charging sites with roof plugins along bus routes have made electric buses possible despite the frigid winter weather.
Chicago’s entire fleet amounts to about 1,900 buses, so switching them out is no easy task — especially since each electric bus costs over $1 million. However, the CTA calculated that electric buses cost less to operate once they’re on the road, amounting to about $2.01 per mile compared to $3.08 for diesel buses. They report that they’ve been prioritizing electric bus services in neighborhoods with high levels of air pollution, which are often communities of color and lower income areas. This summer, the CTA began featuring all-electric buses along the #63 route that serves Chicago’s South Side.
Denver, Colorado
The Mile High City has been cracking down on carbon emissions. In 2018, Denver replaced their entire Mallride fleet — the free buses that go through downtown Denver — with 36 zero-emission electric buses. The transition to electric hasn’t been easy, however — the city canceled an order for 17 new electric buses in April after determining that they didn’t have the space to charge and maintain them. In spite of the difficulties, the Regional Transportation District (RTD) has set a new goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Electric school buses are where Colorado — including Denver — has had great success. The state will soon double their electric school bus fleet using a mixture of federal and state funding, adding 67 new electric school buses to the 52 that have already been purchased. Denver Public Schools will receive some of the funds, as will schools in the Boulder Valley, Monte Vista, Poudre, and Steamboat Springs school districts.
Boise, Idaho
An electric bus in downtown Boise, Idaho on June 19, 2022. Ac530 / CC BY-SA 4.0
Boise’s electric buses are superheroes in the community — literally. The Charging Champ, the Pollution Solution, the Clean Green Machine, and the Silent Rider take to the streets, their facades painted in comic book style designs. The Valley Regional Transit — which serves Boise and other communities in the Treasure Valley region — even made a comic book about the climate-change-fight buses who want to “stop smog in its tracks, and put an end to congestion once and for all.”
The Valley Regional Transit (VRT) doesn’t get state funding, so it relies on money from other agencies. The Idaho state legislature — which is 83% Republican — has presented barriers to getting electric buses on the road, and passed a law that restricts the use of property taxes to fund road construction and transportation costs. Despite the hurdles, the VRT is working to switch out their 54 diesel vehicles with electric. So far they have 12 on the road, 4 of which are the iconic superheroes. They hope that the flashy design — rather than the typical ad-splattered sides of buses — will entice more people to choose to ride the bus, combatting the high congestion and air pollution in the area.
Seattle, Washington
King County Metro was an early adopter of electric buses, and is moving towards a renewable energy-powered fleet by 2035 starting with its 40 electric buses currently in service. In a city on the water, however, there’s also maritime travel to consider. Washington State Ferries are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the state transportation system. Hybrid ferries are getting phased in starting in 2023, with the goal of reducing carbon emissions on the water by 76%.
Seattle’s big electric initiative is with Amtrak, which is rolling out its first electric bus. Soon, it’ll run on the very popular Cascades line between Bellingham and Seattle, replacing one of the diesel-powered buses used for this purpose. The bus will be able to make the whole journey on a single charge — an impressive feat for a 200-mile round trip.
New York, New York
An electric New York City bus participates in the Hometown Heroes tickertape parade on Broadway in honor of essential workers who endured the COVID-19 pandemic, on July 7, 2021. Metropolitan Transportation Authority
8.5 million is a lot of people to move, but if anyone is up to the task, it’s New York. Home to the largest public bus system in North America, 60 battery electric buses total are entering service in the city in 2023, and further infrastructure will be installed at 5 depots. Between 2025 and 2026, the MTA plans to enter 470 more electric buses into service, with the goal of all 5,800 of the city’s buses transitioning to electric by 2040. It’s estimated that this transition would avoid emitting 500,000 metric tons of CO2 yearly, helping with statewide efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
The current 2020-2024 capital plan has over $1 billion allocated to electric buses. In a city where daily ridership of subways and buses is 3.6 million, the transition would make the MTA’s electric fleet the largest of its kind in North America. Buses have less ridership than subways, but they’re still an efficient way to travel — bus improvements and new lines have recently been deemed the cheapest and most efficient way to reach LaGuardia airport (over subways), so the city will be in need of more buses than ever.
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