The Metro Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston METRO) will be adding battery electric buses to its fleet as the authority moves forward with the purchase of 20 full-size electric buses and 10 paratransit vans.
The buses will operate on the 402 Bellaire Quickline and the 28 OST/ Wayside routes. The vans, meanwhile, will be used for METROLift and Community Connector services.
The introduction of electric buses and vehicles is part of a larger Climate Action Plan that is currently being developed. The proposed plan has a series of environmentally sustainable initiatives, including a zero-emission vehicle program. Houston METRO will also explore the use of vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology.
"We are thrilled to be developing these sustainability initiatives at METRO. This is about the agency moving forward and taking action to build a more environmentally friendly service for our workforce and community," said Houston METRO President and CEO Tom Lambert.
The project also has an equity and access focus with the initial routes serving three of the communities in the city of Houston’s Complete Communities program. These communities are disproportionately affected by carbon emissions.
"We look forward to running these buses in service to evaluate their performance and make sure they meet the needs of our customers," said Houston METRO Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Andy Skabowski.
Houston METRO has applied for federal grants to fund the $25 million purchase of the buses and supporting infrastructure. The procurement process will begin next to select a vendor.
