Education
Council mandates all school buses be electric by 2035
BY ALEJANDRA
O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
The New York City
Council passed a bill
earlier this month that
would require all school
buses to be electric by
2035 in order to improve
the city’s air quality.
The transportation
sector is the largest contributor
of greenhouse
gas emissions with
gases released from
cars, trucks, and buses
accounting for 29% of
the country’s total CO2
emissions, according to
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the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
In New York City, vehicle
emissions make up
30% of the city’s total
carbon emissions with
traffi c-caused air pollution
contributing the
320 premature deaths
and 870 emergency visits
each year, according
to the Mayor’s offi ce.
Mayor Bill de Blasio
voiced his support
for the measure in
April, committing to
rolling out a 100% electric
school bus fl eet by
2030. In addition, the
mayor announced that
through a partnership
with the New York City
School Bus Umbrella
Corporation, the City
would purchase 75 electric
school buses over
the next two years with
the fi rst of which arrived
in the city this
past June.
“Today we are doubling
down on reducing
air pollution and carbon
emissions from our vehicles,”
said de Blasio.
“The clean transportation
future we need is
being built right here,
right now.”
New York City
Schools Chancellor
Meisha Ross Porter also
supported the move stating,
” our children deserve
an environment
that is cleaner, greener
and brighter than how
we left it, and this announcement
brings us
one step closer to that
reality. New York City
is pioneering this important
work to combat
climate change and reaffi
rming our commitment
to healthier school
communities across the
fi ve boroughs.”
Not only would the
transition from a diesel
school bus fl eet to
an electric fl eet help
the environment and
improve New Yorkers’
health, but it would also
save about $18 million
in health care costs, the
City estimates.
“For our kids’ sake,
it’s time to leave the internal
combustion engine
behind,” said Ben
Furnas, Director, Offi ce
of Climate and Sustainability.“
Electrifying our
school buses will give
our schoolchildren
cleaner air to breathe
while confronting the
climate crisis and accelerating
the transition
away from fossil fuels.”
In order to accommodate
an electric school
bus fl eet, the City
pledged earlier this
year to amend a local
law that would require
parking facilities to include
electric vehicle
charges for at least 20%
of parking spaces and
new parking lots would
be required to have electric
service capabilities
at all parking spaces.
“The clean transportation future we need is being built
right here, right now.”
Reuters
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