CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – The Chicago Transit Authority on Tuesday shared details about its multi-year analysis for the full electrification of the nation’s third largest bus system.
The study will serve as the first-ever roadmap for full electrification of CTA’s bus fleet, facilities and supporting infrastructure by the year 2040.
“For nearly a decade, the CTA has been at the forefront of the shift to electric bus technology. As proud as I am of the progress we’ve made, we still have a long way to go,” CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. said in a statement.
The process is no easy feat for CTA’s current fleet of more than 1,800 buses and would require vital upgrades and capital investments be made to facilities and other supporting infrastructure, including charging equipment.
This includes substantially upgrading and retrofitting its seven bus garages and heavy maintenance facility where the buses are serviced with charging infrastructure required to operate electric buses.
CTA introduced its first two all electric buses in 2014, becoming one of the first transit agencies in the country to run electric buses in revenue service, year-round and across all four seasons. It currently has 11 electric buses in service and 14 more that are being outfitted at our garages in preparation for entering revenue service later this year. It also has secured more than $130 million in grant funding to continue expanding its electric bus fleet and expanding its charging infrastructure.
“We’re excited to see one of our regional partners set a bold vision for cleaner air and a more resilient future in northeastern Illinois,” Erin Aleman, executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning said in a statement. “The CTA has been a national leader in deploying electric vehicle technology and plans to prioritize efforts in historically disinvested communities to support our regional goals. This is a critical undertaking toward a transportation system that serves everyone better.”
In addition, the study provides strategic recommendations on various facets of the electrification effort including:
– Which technologies to invest in;
– Where to install charging infrastructure;
– How to sequence the electrification of garages and routes;
– How to ensure that the related facility upgrades are coordinated with other modernization needs to maximize cost effectiveness and overall system reliability; and
– Outlining an achievable transition timeline for meeting the agency’s 2040 conversion goal.
Currently, the e-buses are operating on route No. 66 Chicago, connecting the Austin neighborhood to the near West Side and Navy Pier. CTA said it aims to prioritize routes serving the South and West sides in the next few years.
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