The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) announced it has been awarded $24.4 million from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) to purchase 29 electric buses. A major portion of the funding will be used to procure 13 60-foot, articulated electric buses for the local transit service and 16 electric coaches for the commuter service. AVTA was awarded funding through the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) which allocated a total of $224 million to 14 project.
The TIRCP is a Cap and Trade program which receives annual funding for projects that support high quality public transportation, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The competition was fierce, as more than 30 applicants applied for funding with a sum total request of nearly $450 million. AVTA’s project, at a total cost of $40 million, includes $15 million in matching funds.
“We knew the AVTA could make this happen and today we should all be very proud that the board’s vision for the future will soon be a reality for valley residents,” stated AVTA Chairman Marvin Crist. “The task of converting a large portion of the diesel fleet to an electric fleet is daunting, but one the agency is clearly ready to undertake, and it is an effort that is strongly supported by the entire board.”
The transit system intends to use the 13 articulated electric buses on its popular Route 1 in preparation for future bus rapid transit service along the busy corridor, which connects Lancaster to Palmdale. The plan is to increase the route’s frequency to 15 minutes, enabling passengers to connect more quickly with other routes and effectively decrease travel times.
AVTA attributes its success to a comprehensive application coupled with a strong lobbying effort on the part of state legislators. “This is a turning point for AVTA and we are pleased to have been able to help position the transit agency for success,” stated Senator Sharon Runner. “Electric buses are the future and we are excited to be able to help AVTA lead the industry as it strives to become one of the first fully electric transit systems in the nation.”
The project also calls for 16 electric commuter coaches which will provide service to routes reaching the San Fernando Valley and Downtown Los Angeles, as these regions serve disadvantaged communities which have been allocated a larger share of Cap and Trade funds. AVTA’s grant application was competitive in part because it proposed serving communities that have been identified as disadvantaged in terms of pollution. The electrification of commuter routes will also serve as a major pilot program for the State of California as electric commuter coaches are new to the transit industry. The demonstration project is expected to provide data with regard to long-distance battery electric bus technology that can also be applied to long-distance trucking.
“We are excited to have been able to help AVTA bring this project forward so that decision makers in Sacramento would not overlook our small transit agency, but rather would see the vision it has been working so hard to realize,” stated Assemblyman Tom Lackey. “AVTA is on the cutting edge of new technology and its ground breaking efforts will translate into improved transit service, cleaner air, and more jobs for Antelope Valley residents.”
Charging infrastructure is another component of the project which will include hard wire stations for up to 80 buses, along with four wireless charging stations at a cost of approximately $11 million. The wireless charging stations will be located at AVTA’s two main transfer centers and at two additional locations that have yet to be determined. AVTA’s project also identifies $1.4 million for research and development of a more powerful wireless charging system which is unavailable today, but advancements in this field of technology are close.
The project will be funded over a three year period with the first electric buses slated to arrive by the summer of 2016.
