New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced several initiatives on Tuesday to increase the number of electric buses in his state as part of his efforts to tackle climate change.
The moves would be part of the state’s ongoing work to create healthier communities, improve air quality, and increase access to clean transportation in underserved communities, his office said in a press release.
Specifically, the initiatives include $16.4 million in incentives for the expansion of electric buses in public transportation authorities and $2.5 million for school bus operators to acquire buses with lower emissions. The initiatives would take polluting vehicles out of service throughout the state, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the quality of air statewide.
“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.”
Funding for the initiatives comes, in part, from the $127.7 million Volkswagen settlement fund, awarded to the state in 2016 over faulty emissions control devices installed on Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche vehicles nationwide. The funds will be given to 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, and will help those transit operators move towards 100 percent zero-emission fleets by 2035.
Public transit operators and school bus operators who purchase new, zero-emission, all-electric buses would be eligible to have 100 percent of the cost covered if the buses are housed at depots or operate on routes within a half-mile of a disadvantaged community.
Additionally, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) would work together to help upstate and suburban transit operators develop plans to convert to all-electric buses, as well as study how to transition to electric bus fleets and install the needed charging stations.