One of Florida’s leaders in sustainable transit is about to get even greener. Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) announced plans to unveil all new electric buses this week, and they’re doing so at no cost to taxpayers.
PSTA managed to secure $18 million from a large settlement Volkswagen has been paying the government after the carmaker was caught cheating on emissions testing for its vehicles. On Wednesday, PSTA will debut the first of what will eventually be 60 new zero-emission vehicles added to its fleet using the settlement money.
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The addition of these buses will allow PSTA to “retire” dozens of diesel-fueled buses, which is certainly a boon for local air quality. According to PSTA, each new electric bus cuts carbon emissions that cause climate change by 135 tons per year. Additionally, they cost $20,000 less per year to operate, make far less noise, and don’t force pedestrians to face clouds of exhaust along sidewalks.
“Volkswagen lied and pumped extra pollution into Florida’s air, so they had to pay up. We went after a share of that money to reduce future pollution and continue PSTA’s leadership in sustainability,” said PSTA CEO Brad Miller.
PSTA already operates Florida’s largest fleet of hybrid-electric vehicles, with more than 80 hybrid buses in its fleet. Because of its success in sustainability and other key areas, PSTA was recently named the most outstanding transit system in the nation by the American Public Transportation Association.
What to read next:
- PSTA just won the Academy Award of transit systems
- PSTA announces free rides on all buses for Pinellas County students, teachers, staff
- Contactless payment now available on area transit services PSTA, HART, The Bus
- How to pay your SunRunner fare: Just tap and ride
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