Madison, Wisconsin, announced that it is purchasing 46 electric buses to convert its entire fleet from diesel buses, a move that’s expected to reduce gasoline use by nearly 250,000 gallons yearly, The Wisconsin State-Journal reported.
The city hopes to have one east-west route for the electric buses ready by fall of 2024 and has planned a north-south route for the future.
In announcement from early last year, Madison announced that federal funding will provide $41.6 million to buy 27 electric buses for the Bus Rapid Transit Fleet, a high-frequency, high-capacity service with limited stops. The buses are 60-feet long and will have dedicated lanes and special stations.
The city also figures to save up to $125,000 in maintenance costs per bus over the lifetime of the vehicles by converting to electric. It also estimates that each electric bus replacement saves an estimated 135 metric tons of greenhouse gas emitted into the atmosphere.
Funding for the remaining 19 buses is to be determined depending on the status of funding from the Infrastructure and Jobs Act and Small Starts grants programs.
Dave Lubach is managing editor, Facility Markets.
