Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City has begun phasing in the first 75 electric school buses on the way toward a complete zero-emissions fleet over the next 15 years.
About 9,500 school buses operate across the five boroughs each day. The majority are owned and operated by bus contractors, but The Big Apple now operates about 850 routes. De Blasio added during a streaming Earth Day press conference on Thursday that those city-operated buses have an accelerated timeline of being electrified by 2030.
“What reminds us of so many good things more than school buses?” de Blasio added. “So, it’s great to know they’ll be leading the way to a greener future.”
Standing outside on the street, school chancellor Meisha Porter and Ben Furnas, the director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability, joined de Blasio to show off the city’s first electric school bus, a Micro Bird G5. Furnas said students will begin riding the bus next week.
Last year, de Blasio signed an executive order to transition all city vehicles to electric-battery power by 2040. On Thursday, he also said his office is working with the City Council to install electric chargers in all parking lots and garages.
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