Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 4:09PM |  15°
MENU
Advertisement
An electric bus.
1
MORE

Pennsylvania should transition to electric buses, advocacy group says

Reed Saxon/Associated Press

Pennsylvania should transition to electric buses, advocacy group says

Swapping Pennsylvania’s diesel-fueled buses with electric versions would yield the same environmental benefits as removing more than 30,000 cars from the road, a new report says.

The study, released Thursday by statewide advocacy group PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, suggests that ditching diesel buses would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save taxpayer dollars. More than 20,000 school buses and 3,000 transit buses are currently on the road throughout the state.

“There’s no reason we should be running dirty, polluting buses in our communities and around our schools when we have better, cleaner options,” Ashleigh Deemer, the center’s Western Pennsylvania director, said in a statement.

Advertisement

The report recommends Pennsylvania use part of the $118 million settlement it received through Volkswagen’s emissions-cheating scandal. It also recommends using a state and federal grants, and utility investments to cover the cost of electric buses.

The report says the state should also create incentive programs for transit agencies, school districts and bus contractors to pay up-front costs of electric buses and charging stations.

“Major cities across the world have committed to protecting public health and the climate by transitioning to 100 percent all-electric buses,” Pittsburghers for Public Transit Executive Director Laura Wiens said in a statement. “Pittsburgh should make the same commitment.”

Locally, the Port Authority of Allegheny County could cut 23,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year if it transitioned its fleet of 727 transit buses to electric alternatives, according to the report.

Advertisement

The authority plans to have its first all-electric bus on the roads sometime next year, soon enough to test the vehicle before opening the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system in 2020. The proposed system, which would run between Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland, would call for the agency to buy 25 electric articulated buses.

But a widespread shift to electric is probably a long shot for now. The buses are nearly three times as expensive -- about $1.1 million per vehicle -- than their diesel counterparts, and the technology is still developing, Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph said.

Electric buses typically run between 130 and 150 miles before needing to recharge. But that varies when factors like air-conditioning and heating come into play, which is what they will test, he said.

“We want to make sure we’re erring on the side of being conservative to make sure we put a tested product on the street so it will be useful and reliable,” Mr. Brandolph said.

Pittsburgh Public Schools spokeswoman Ebony Pugh said the district has no plans to switch to electric buses anytime soon. PPS works with 18 contractors to transport students. And while the vehicles all meet state emissions standards, a move to electric would require all carriers to make the switch.

"That would be a large undertaking," she said.

Matt McKinney: mmckinney@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1944, or on Twitter @mmckinne17.

First Published: May 3, 2018, 7:27 p.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
The Allegheny County Board of Property Assessment Appeals and Review approved a $25.9 million cut in One Oxford Centre's taxable value for 2025, bringing its new assessment to $54 million.
1
business
Taxable value of Downtown’s One Oxford Centre falls by $25.9M — its 3rd cut in 6 years
Sidequest on 44th in Lawrenceville on Dec. 27, 2024.
2
a&e
Canceled show finds ex-Misfits singer Michale Graves lashing out about being purged from Pittsburgh
Head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith watch a receivers and defensive backs drill at Steelers Minicamp at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex Thursday, June 13, 2024.
3
sports
Gerry Dulac: Next season’s major decisions loom this week for Mike Tomlin, Steelers staff
Najee Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on before playing the Dallas Cowboys at Acrisure Stadium on October 06, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
4
sports
Joe Starkey’s mailbag: Will Najee Harris return, and how does he compare to Frank Pollard and Tim Worley?
The fire began at around 9:15 p.m. Monday at a warehouse owned by SPS Technologies in Abington Township, according to NBC10 and 6ABC.
5
news
Massive fire rips through Eastern Pa. industrial complex: residents told to shelter in place
An electric bus.  (Reed Saxon/Associated Press)
Reed Saxon/Associated Press
Advertisement
LATEST news
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story