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MTA’s two-decade plan for all-electric fleet lacks details, transit advocates say


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MTA’s two-decade plan for all-electric fleet lacks details, transit advocates say

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By CLAYTON GUSE | NEW YORK DAILY NEWS | APR 25, 2019 | 2:53 PM

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An MTA electric bus is parked on Water Street. (New York Daily News)

If the MTA needs 21 years to make its bus fleet fully electric, it ought to have a detailed plan, transit advocates said Thursday.

The agency has 10 electric buses, which operate out of the Grand Ave. depot in Brooklyn and the Michael J. Quill depot in Manhattan, the only depots equipped with battery charging equipment.

MTA officials plan to roll out another 65 fully-electric buses by the end of the year, and another 500 over the next five years.

But the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s present plan would replace around 10% of the 5,700 buses in its fleet — barely scratching the surface of the task of going all-electric by 2040.

“Fortunately the MTA has made the right commitment,” said Nick Sifuentes, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “It’s not enough. We’re calling on the MTA to make sure that they live up to the timeline and commitment that they made.”

The MTA could be a heavyweight in a national push for electric buses. The agency buys about 10% of all the buses sold in North America every year, and converting to a fully electric fleet may prompt other cities to do the same, Sifuentes said.

Advocates also say the push for electric buses is as much a social justice issue as it is an environmental one.

“We know that in New York City that over 70% of all bus depots are in communities of color,” said NYC Environmental Justice Alliance Executive Director Eddie Bautista. “Electrification is about climate justice, and climate justice is about racial justice.”

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Besides buying new buses, the MTA needs to install charging stations at depots as well as on the streets — which could lead to run-ins with community groups averse to more equipment coming to their neighborhoods.

The MTA currently has two on-street electric bus chargers in Manhattan, and one in Brooklyn.

“I think New Yorkers are actually going to want charging stations on their corners,” said Sifuentes. “If we make sure that charging stations are not just accessible to buses, but to average electric vehicles as well, we might actually see them be incredibly popular.”

 

Link to article: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-electric-buses-mta-2040-20190425-week2bdqzvhd5ibo253j5g5qle-story.html

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To me, a busfan, it seems rather obvious that the new diesels will be replaced in about 15-18 years, right before 2040 if the TA sticks to the 12 year retirement recommendation (I saw 15-18 because we all know the TA likes keeping buses longer than necessary).

I suppose the issue is really what the MTA's full plan is, because obvious isn't always obvious.

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1. That's not an electric bus....and that's not Water Street lol.....

2. The issue with the MTA is mostly spec wise. King County Metro in Seattle is already testing long range electric buses from both Proterra and New Flyer(both 40ft and 60ft), with some pending for their BRT service(RapidRide). I feel like every other agency is looking at Seattle with the way they have been progressing with the electric fleet.

Also, most of the details haven't even been out in the open yet.....when they wanted to become the agency with the largest hybrid fleet at the time....not much details came out about that either until they came up with a timeline for it.. 

Edited by Cait Sith
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41 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

LOL, they posted a pic of an diesel XD60 and said it's an electric bus😂

 

37 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

#fail on the Daily News 

 

37 minutes ago, Cait Sith said:

1. That's not an electric bus....and that's not Water Street lol.....

How did they get all of that wrong?

FYI, the picture and caption in question are the actual pictures and captions from the article?

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