Pace should be focusing attention on building fleet of electric buses
The Chicago suburban area is fortunate to have the Pace bus system, ranked as the 17th largest fixed-route transit fleet in the U.S. with 733 fixed-route buses, to provide innovative transit solutions to tens of thousands of riders daily.
Despite Pace being recognized as a national leader in the transit industry, however, the agency surprisingly is virtually alone as the only large transit system in the U.S. that is not currently testing or committing to any timetable for implementation of electric Zero Emission Battery (ZEB) fixed-route buses.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, and transit agencies can reduce their contribution to climate change by purchasing electric buses. Pace has committed to feasibility studies and exploration of various alternative energy options. However, Pace's progress on electrification is far behind that of almost every other transit system in the country.
Looking at similarly sized fleets to Pace, all have begun using electric buses. Miami-Dade, ranked 15th largest with 743 buses, will have 42 Zero Emission Battery (ZEB) buses delivered next year, to result in 75 ZEB buses in total. The Maryland Transit Administration, which is ranked 16th largest and serves Baltimore and its suburbs, has committed to 50% electric buses in its fleet by 2030. The Port Authority of Allegheny County in the Pittsburgh area is ranked 18th largest and has eight ZEB buses and will add 15 more this year. Larger municipalities have also set goals to transition their fleets to electric - Los Angeles by 2030; and Chicago Transit Authority, King County (Seattle) and New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority by 2040.
A number of concerned citizens representing Climate Reality Project's Chicago Metro Chapter, Sierra Club Illinois and the Active Transportation Alliance attended a recent Pace Board meeting to urge the adoption of no-emission technology. At the meeting, Pace Board Chairman Richard A. Kwasneski announced that Pace will not be ordering any more diesel fixed-route buses. We applaud Pace's decision to end diesel bus purchases now, but Pace needs to be doing more to meet Gov. JB Pritzker's vision of placing 1 million electric vehicles in service by 2030.
Pritzker's mandate led the Illinois EPA to change its specifications for distribution of VW Settlement funding for school buses and public transit vehicles to be exclusively for projects with zero emissions of greenhouse gases. In the past, Pace received funding to purchase Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses from this state funding source. CNG buses, which emit only slightly fewer greenhouse gases than diesel buses, are no longer eligible for these funds. There is $39.9 million available to purchase electric transit buses from the Illinois EPA. Why is Pace not taking advantage of this opportunity to purchase ZEB buses?
While other transit agencies are moving forward with ZEB Buses, Pace is planning to expand its CNG fleet (with 133 new CNG buses) and to build CNG fueling into a new garage in Wheeling. Given the urgency of climate change, and the feasibility of electric buses, CNG is a foolish investment.
Pace needs to stop this garage now, before construction has begun, and incorporate electric charging infrastructure rather than CNG. Neither diesel nor CNG buses fit in Illinois' future decarbonization plans. CNG buses that are put on the road in the next three years will remain in service through 2035, well past the time we must seriously address the climate crisis.
Electric buses are not only operationally feasible now, they also are easily funded through state and federal capital programs. Although ZEBs cost more than diesel alternatives on average, they save an estimated $400,000 in fuel and maintenance costs over the course of their lifetimes. Some manufacturers have set the price of ZEB buses to equal that of CNG or diesel buses, by having the operator lease the battery. Pace can easily use the huge ZEB operating savings to pay for leasing of the battery.
This year, we are seeing the tragic consequences of climate change. Our air quality is compromised due to out-of-control western fires; we are experiencing extreme heat; and severe weather is causing tragic floods and droughts across the globe. It's time for Pace to join other responsible transit operators and get on the ZEB bus.
• Bruce W. Mainzer, brucemainzer@gmail.com, of Chicago, is retired transportation planner for the RTA and retired manager of capital grants for IDOT's Public Transportation Division. He is a member of Climate Reality Project, Chicago Metro Chapter.