The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded NJ Transit a $6.8 million grant, which will allow it to determine needed upgrades at existing and planned future garages as it transitions to a zero-emission bus fleet by 2040.
The $6.8 million zero-emission bus study grant will allow NJ Transit to continue developing long-term capital investment and implementation plans while advancing engineering and facility design for deploying a zero-emissions bus fleet. This study aims to develop and create standards and best practices to modernize service. This effort will identify the investments that are critical to a successful transformation of the bus network.
This will provide robust investment plans that can be seamlessly incorporated into the capital plan and guide large-scale deployments in the future. NJ Transit operates more than 2,300 buses out of 19 garages. Eight of these are electric buses based in the Camden garage, which has been retrofitted with electric bus infrastructure.
The zero-emission bus study grant was awarded under the US DOT’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program, which provides grants for surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact.
In October 2022, NJ Transit unveiled its first of eight battery-electric buses at its Camden bus garage, setting the stage for the goal of transitioning to a 100% zero-emission bus fleet by 2040, in line with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s Energy Master Plan.
The Camden project is the first of its kind for NJ Transit. This deployment of eight buses is an opportunity for NJ TRANSIT to introduce zero-emissions vehicles into the community while collecting valuable data and information on the effects of weather, passenger volume, road conditions and other factors on battery-electric bus performance, such as travel distance between recharging.
NJ TRANSIT’s Zero Emission Timeline
In January 2020, Governor Murphy signed legislation establishing goals to increase the use of zero-emission vehicles in New Jersey, prioritized for low-income, urban and environmental justice communities.
- By Dec. 31, 2024, at least 10 percent of new bus purchases will be zero-emission buses.
- By Dec. 31, 2026, at least 50 percent of new bus purchases will be zero-emission buses.
- By Dec. 31, 2032, 100 percent of new bus purchases will be zero-emission buses.
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