The CEO's recommendation for a zero emissions bus initiative has been revised based on public comments and advice from TheRide's Board of Directors. The recommendation now includes two parts that will work together: a hydrogen fuel-cell bus project, with the addition of hybrid bus replacements.
Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Bus Project
TheRide's recommendation for a hydrogen fuel-cell bus project will span 4-5 years. This includes:
- 2 hydrogen fuel-cell buses
- 1 outdoor fueling station
- Workforce training
- 12 months of operations in all seasons
If successful, this will pave the way for a solution that eliminates all bus emissions, potentially saving about 7,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.
Addition of Hybrid Diesel-Electric Buses
The addition of hybrid diesel-electric buses allows for:
- No infrastructure changes
- Replacing older diesel buses with hybrid buses over the next 3-4 years, based on the Federal Transit Administration's guidelines
- More emissions reductions sooner
Should this approach be embraced, hybrid buses will begin delivering emissions reductions as early as 2025-2026, conventional diesel buses would be phased out 3-4 years earlier than without hybrid buses, and the fleet will become fully zero-emission by 2045.