Brooklyn Boro

Electric vs. Diesel: MTA can’t make up its mind on bus models

Transit group continues to flip-flop on modernizing future fleet

January 10, 2018 By Scott Enman Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and MTA announced on Monday the start of a three-year pilot program for 10 new, all-electric buses. Using “lessons learned” during the pilot phase, MTA intends to purchase an additional 60 electric buses. Photos courtesy of Gov. Cuomo’s office
Share this:

As the saying goes, it’s one step forward, two steps back.

In this scenario, however, it’s more like one step forward, 30 steps back.

The good news is that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and MTA announced on Monday the start of a three-year pilot program for 10 new, all-electric buses, which will reduce emissions and modernize the state’s transit fleet.

The bad news, which the Brooklyn Eagle reported last month, is that MTA plans to add 200 diesel buses during the 15-month L-train shutdown to transport commuters.

[[{“attributes”:{},”fields”:{}}]]

Adding 200 diesel buses — the equivalent of roughly 2,200 passenger cars — to New York’s streets for 15 months will create an estimated 14,351 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.

Using “lessons learned” from the first phase of the pilot program, MTA intends to purchase an additional 60 all-electric buses.

Kat Fisher, the Sierra Club’s New York Electric Vehicles Initiative Organizer, said that while adding electric buses is an encouraging first step, there is still room for improvement.

“While we are very pleased about the pilot’s resulting addition of 60 zero-emission buses, this represents just one percent of the MTA’s bus fleet,” Fisher said. “The continued investment in fracked-gas buses means dirty buses will be on New York roads for 12 more years, absorbing major resources for maintenance and increasing the demand for fracked gas in New York.

“With a third of New York City’s emissions coming from the transportation sector, and with cities like Los Angeles and Seattle committing to transition their entire transit fleet to zero-emission buses by 2030, it’s clear New York needs shorter pilots and bigger commitments for clean transportation solutions.”

The new zero-emission buses will be quieter than traditional buses and will offer straphangers Wi-Fi and USB ports.

“As we overhaul and reimagine the MTA, we have an opportunity to not only modernize our bus fleet but to also reduce emissions that impact the environment and public health,” Cuomo said.

[[{“attributes”:{},”fields”:{}}]]

“This new program helps the MTA secure a cleaner and greener future while leveraging the latest in innovative advancements to push New York’s transit systems into the future,” he continued.

MTA also ordered 110 new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, which will be implemented in Brooklyn and the Bronx in the first quarter of 2019.

The addition of the new CNG buses will phase out some of the organization’s oldest diesel buses.

“I am encouraged by the electric bus conversation, but am still concerned that the MTA will be using 200 diesel buses during the shutdown,” Councilmember Rafael Espinal told the Eagle.

“These buses have a 12-year life span, so they have the potential to be on our streets for a very long time when we should be investing in clean transportation.”

An MTA spokesperson told the Eagle that the pilot testing will determine if electric buses are feasible during the L-train closure.

MTA selected vendors Proterra and New Flyer to manufacture the 10 electric buses. Both companies were given three-year leases.

Proterra will provide the city with five electric buses that will operate on the B32 route in Brooklyn and Queens. New Flyer will create five electric buses that will operate in Midtown Manhattan on the M42 and M50 routes.

Proterra will also build six depot charging stations in Queens, where the buses will recharge overnight and midday.

In addition, Proterra is responsible for creating an “en route” high power charging station in the Williamsburg Bridge Plaza, where buses can recharge without returning to the depot in Queens.

Cuomo announced in his State of the State on Jan. 3 that New York would be using money obtained from Volkswagen’s “dieselgate” settlement to fund, in part, the electric buses.

The governor also pledged to have 10,000 public electric vehicle charging stations available by 2021.

New York state has the lowest per capita energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the nation, according to Cuomo’s office. MTA produces 2.1 million metric tons of Greenhouse Gas Emissions a year, but it reduces 17 million metric tons annually.

Follow reporter Scott Enman on Twitter.

Subscribe to our newsletters


Leave a Comment


Leave a Comment