City transit eyes electric vans, hybrid buses
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Huntsville is applying for three federal grants, also on tonight's council agenda, to move toward the electrification of its transit fleet and to rebuild its 22-year-old Church Street transit station.
Why it matters: Huntsville Transit is working to keep its fleet up to date as ridership rebounds past pre-pandemic levels.
By the numbers: The largest is an almost $6.1-million grant to help fund a $7.1-million purchase of six 40-foot hybrid diesel/electric buses.
- Another grant of $5.2 million would go toward a $6.5-million effort to rebuild the transit station at 500 Church St. NW to accommodate the larger buses and keep drivers from having to go off-site to refuel as they do today, among other upgrades.
- The third grant application, for $3.1 million, would go toward a $3.68-million plan to purchase eight fully electric vans for the city's paratransit service Access.
Context: The application for new vehicles says the 2015 and 2016 model, 30-foot diesel buses need replacing, as well as older 2008 29-foot Transmark buses that were held over to meet fleet expansion requirements.
- The application cites a study from Charlotte, North Carolina's transit system that compiled data from 67 non-hybrid and 28 hybrid diesel buses showing that non-hybrid buses got 3.8 miles per gallon compared to the hybrids' 5.48.
- Maintenance costs were cheaper, too, for hybrids, at $0.36 per mile compared to $0.60 per mile.
Zoom in: Access provides more than 8,000 monthly trips to individuals with disabilities and senior citizens over 65, with electric vans set to provide air and noise pollution reductions.
Catch up quick: Huntsville's transit system has rebounded to beyond pre-pandemic ridership levels, according to the grant applications, operating 16 buses on 12 fixed routes that serve more than 2,500 riders per day.
- If the grants are approved, they're set to be disbursed in October according to the application, with vehicles to be delivered January 2027.
