The Federal Transit Administration awarded the Delaware Transit Corporation $11 million from the Low-No Program to move its transit fleet to zero emissions buses.
The agency has now received more than $22 million through five separate federal grants to support the purchase of alternative-fueled buses.
DTC, which operates under the DART First State name, will use this funding to purchase two battery-electric buses and two hydrogen-fuel-cell electric buses, install two overhead electric charging stations – a large charger that would contain as many as 16 individual chargers, and a hydrogen fueling station.
The new buses will add to the current fleet of 26 electric buses, or about 10 percent of the total on fixed route buses.
DART, like other transit systems, is seeking the right routes for electric and now hydrogen-fueled buses. Limitations come with long routes in a state with its share of sprawl, limits on charging stations, and a reduction in battery range during cold weather. Advances and lower costs in battery and hydrogen technology are expected to lead to wider use of zero-emissions buses.
Delaware Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski added, “We are committed to reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, particularly in disadvantaged communities, and each diesel bus we replace from our fleet with an energy-efficient bus contributes to the state’s ongoing efforts to improve our air quality.”
“I’m very proud of the hard work and dedication put in by the team here at DTC to reduce harmful emissions from the communities we serve by transitioning our fleet to low and zero-emission buses,” said Delaware Transit Corporation CEO John Sisson. “This grant will allow us to continue these efforts to provide safe, clean and reliable transit services to the people of Delaware.”
