As part of the City’s Transportation Electrification Plan, Transfort’s first two battery electric buses arrived in 2022 and have been buzzing about the city ever since. Transfort has plans to convert its 53-bus fleet by 2040 and hopes to have eleven (11) battery electric buses, or 21% of the fleet, in service by the end of 2025. Plans also include installation of on-route charging stations at the transit centers.
Fleet Electrification Timeline
- 2021 – infrastructure upgrades and 2 depot chargers installed at the Transfort Maintenance
- Facility
- 2022 – delivery of 2 battery electric buses and installed 1 depot charger
- 2023 – installed 3 additional depot chargers
- 2024 – delivery of 4 battery electric buses
- 2025 – delivery of 5 battery electric buses, installation of 2 on-route chargers at the Downtown Transit Center
Why are we transitioning our fleet? The transition to emissions-free public transit is a strategy for
municipal sustainability and in Our Climate Future (the City’s Climate Action Plan). Ozone levels in Fort Collins are higher than federal health-based standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Locally, transportation sources are one of the largest contributors to ozone causing pollutants. By reducing transportation emissions, we can both lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve ozone levels, creating cleaner air for our community.
Where does funding for this project come from? The Transfort budget is made up of a variety of
revenues from local, state, and federal sources. Funding for fleet electrification is from the following sources:
- The Funding Advancements for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery Act of 2009 (FASTER) allows the state of Colorado to improve roadway safety, repair deteriorating bridges, and support and expand transit. Transfort received FASTER Transit Grants to support our fleet electrification project.
- Federal grants from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program, a funding source for State and local governments to fund transportation projects and programs to help meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA).
- VW Settlement funds used to reduce air pollution in Colorado.
- Federal Transit Administration Low or No Emission Vehicle 5339(c) competitive grants program provides funding to state and local governments for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses as well as acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities.