GEORGIA — 15 school districts in Georgia are taking part in the 5-year, $5 billion Clean School Bus Program launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The program is part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed in November 2021.
“We are the first person they see in the morning when we’re going to school, and the last ones they see in the afternoon, so we make a big difference. Providing them with clean air gives them the opportunity to learn more, excel more,” said Denise Hall, the Director of Transportation for Clayton County Public Schools.
Clayton County is expecting to have 25 electric buses in its fleet by the end of the school year.
This is joining a push to electrify transit in Metro Atlanta — the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) announced earlier this year that it would launch electric buses on two of its routes.
Intelligent Transport reported in May that MARTA Interim General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood stated, “Electric buses are ideal for routes that travel through dense urban corridors like the 2 and 102, leaving no noise or emissions in their wake. Our goal is to continue adding electric buses to the fleet to help combat climate change and reduce the public health impacts from air pollution.”
The rest of MARTA’s fleet is mostly compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.