A major component in Capital Metro’s Project Connect, a long-term plan for reliable transit service in the Austin, Texas area, is the transition to a clean, quiet and fully electric fleet.
A series of grants and the integration of new buses has helped propel progress on this effort. Cap Metro was one of 38 recipients to be awarded FY19 funds from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) Grant program. Cap Metro will use the $2.6 million grant to purchase battery electric buses to expand its electric bus fleet and evaluate the performance and interoperability of various technology providers and platforms.
Additionally, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has awarded Cap Metro nearly $3.5 million as part of the Texas Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust settlement. The funds will be used to replace part of the authority’s diesel fleet with new, cleaner buses.
Cap Metro explains the settlement is a result of litigation over devices designed to defeat emissions control tests that were installed on vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen and its subsidiaries; approximately 590,000 light-duty diesel vehicles in Texas were affected.
Later this month, Cap Metro will begin using 28 new, cleaner MetroExpress buses, which have 90 percent cleaner emissions and replace a portion of the older commuter fleet that have reach or exceeded their 18-year lifespan. The new buses also have added rider amenities such as improved air-conditioning, USB charge ports at every seat and free WiFi.
