Public transit does its part reducing NYC’s carbon footprint
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | OCT. 1 - OCT. 7, 2021 13
OP-ED
BY CRAIG CIPRIANO
Public transportation is one of the
most effective tools we have to fight
climate change. Every year, MTA services
remove 17 million metric tons of
carbon emissions from the air by getting
people out of their cars – making
New York a national leader in reducing
carbon footprints.
It’s why we think every week is
“Climate Week” at New York City
Transit.
I’ve made it a priority throughout
my career to expand our agency’s positive
impact — because what’s good for
the environment is good for the communities
we serve.
In my former role as head of the
Buses division, I helped develop Transit’s
plans to transition our 5,800-bus
fleet to all zero-emissions vehicles
by 2040. Earlier this year, we ramped
up that commitment by ordering another
60 electric buses, which is 15
more than we had planned. They’re
expected to hit the streets in all five
boroughs late next year, and we’re prioritizing
deployment to underserved
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communities.
This is an exciting step for Transit
after spending the last four years
piloting and learning from the use of
zero-emissions buses in our system.
The expanded purchase order this
year will more than triple our electric
fleet and represents a lot of firsts for
the agency: our first fully owned, 40-
foot, zero-emissions buses; our first
partnership with the New York Power
Authority to install charging infrastructure;
and our first project that requires
adding new power supply from
our utility partners Con Edison for
electric buses.
That’s just the beginning. The historic
2020-2024 Capital Program includes
$1.1 billion in funding to buy
another 500 zero-emissions vehicles,
along with required charging equipment
at eight of our depots.
There’s still a long way to go to
replace the entire diesel fleet — and
install the needed charging infrastructure
to support it — but we’re
optimistic that with local, state and
federal support we can meet our ambitious
2040 deadline.
Continued expansion will not only
involve our local partners like New
York Power Authority, Con Edison
and New York State Energy Research
and Development Authority, but also
qualified bus manufacturers from
around the country working closely
with our agency.
There’s no question the future is
electric. The entire country, not just
the bus industry, is in the midst of a
major transformation to zero-emissions.
We’re getting on board to protect
the environment and improve social
equity for millions of people who
live in our service area.
Most of our bus depots are located
in low- and moderate-income communities,
with routes running disproportionately
through these neighborhoods
as a critical lifeline for
residents. Moving away from diesel
will not only further reduce emissions
that harm the environment — it will
also reduce cases of asthma, emphysema
and other illnesses that affect our
communities.
The arguments for the need for a
zero-emissions fleet are not theoretical,
as the recent flash flooding caused
by the remnants of Hurricanes Henri
and Ida proved what were once severe
once-in-a-hundred years storms
are increasingly becoming more the
norm. Let the passing of Climate Week
2021 serve as a reminder of the powerful
role mass transit plays in creating
a better planet for all of us. Come take
a ride with us to be part of it.
Craig Cipriano is interim MTA New
York City Transit president.
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