Federal Transit Administration Administrator Nuria Fernandez visited King County Metro’s next step in our transition of its fleet to a zero-emission future, the newly opened test charging facility for the next generation battery-electric fleet.
Metro General Manager Terry White joined Fernandez in riding to the Tukwila charging facility on one of the new battery-electric coaches that are now part of the Metro fleet. They toured the facility, saw one of the new coaches being charged, and heard from Metro staff on the steps the agency is taking to support King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan. One of those steps is building the infrastructure needed to accommodate Metro’s growing fleet of zero-emission coaches at Metro’s South Base.
Metro is also partnering with the FTA, having signed on to their Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet Challenge. The challenge encourages transit agencies to further reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from public transportation. These efforts support President Biden’s national goal of achieving a 50-52 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2030.
Fernandez’s tour also included briefings from Metro staff on the RapidRide program and the Safety, Security, and Fare Enforcement (SaFE) Reform initiative
I *LOVE* that it’s a non-propietary system. Send the proterras to be recycled! NovaBus can build a suitable vehicle for the Madison BRT with 2 motors from ZF, remember the cantilevered center axle?
Madison Street BRT will be diesel, not electric. We’re actually *losing* emission-free service there.
The Madison coaches can be repurposed to the A line and the battery coach can be placed on the Madison BRT.
With the gondola, these things become possible.