When the Board of Directors of the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA), led by
Chairman Marvin Crist, first embarked on the journey towards an all-electric zero emission bus
fleet back in 2015, their goal was to make history by becoming the first transit agency in the
nation to accomplish this task, and to become a model for other agencies and local governments
to emulate. Today, California State Senator Scott Wilk and California Assemblyman Tom Lackey
recognized Chairman Crist and his fellow board members with a special Resolution highlighting the
transformational change that AVTA has experienced under Crist's leadership, and the progress
made towards successfully reaching that goal. Assemblyman Tom Lackey was present at the
Board meeting to bestow the honor on Chairman Crist.
“I am extremely proud of AVTA’s tireless commitment in becoming the nation’s first transportation
agency with a 100-percent, zero-emission battery electric fleet. It is because of AVTA’s leadership
that residents of the Antelope Valley will be able to make it to work, school, and medical
appointments in a more sustainable way both economically and environmentally," stated Lackey.
When the Board made the unanimous decision to move towards converting the existing fleet of
diesel buses to an all-electric fleet, there were several key components to the overall plan. First
and foremost was to secure the funding needed to purchase up to 85 battery electric buses, and
the accompanying charging infrastructure. The Board directed AVTA staff to begin aggressively
seeking competitive grant funding for the zero emission buses through the state’s Cap and Trade
program, which is dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year
2020, as well as the state's Transit & Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and other funding
opportunities. With funding now fully in place for all of the buses and the battery charging
facilities, AVTA is well positioned to finish the journey towards total electrification of its fleet.
"As a Board, we are very grateful for the efforts of both Senator Scott Wilk and Assemblyman Tom
Lackey in helping us obtain funding for this amazing project. They have been instrumental in
making our vision a reality," said AVTA Board Chairman Marvin Crist. "I am honored to have
played a part in this groundbreaking initiative and excited for the sustainable future our valley is
enjoying."
Since early 2017, AVTA has taken delivery of a large portion of the new 40-foot buses and has
been operating several 60-foot electric buses from local manufacturer BYD, based in Lancaster,
CA. Under Crist's leadership, AVTA successfully installed WAVE wireless charging stations at both
Sgt. Steve Owen Memorial Park and the Palmdale Transportation Center, and on September 1,
2017, AVTA made history when they became the first transit agency in the world to put a 60-foot
articulated electric bus into service.
Zero emission vehicles have been shown to greatly improve air quality and reduce traffic noise
and congestion, and now the residents of the Antelope Valley may enjoy world class public transit
services, cleaner air and a healthier environment for generations to come.
“Marvin has always gone the extra mile for our community and his work with the AVTA is no
exception. His leadership has resulted in the Antelope Valley moving ahead of the rest of the
nation in implementing an all-electric bus fleet. California may lead the nation on many issues, but
because of Marvin's leadership the Antelope Valley Transit Authority now leads the nation on
implementing a green bus fleet", said Senator Scott Wilk. "He is very deserving of this honor
today.”
