Phoenix Takes the Next Step to a Green Future with the Expansion of its Low and No Emission Bus Fleet

Last week (January 25, 2023,) the Phoenix City Council took the next step in advancing the fifth largest city in the country’s green sustainable future by voting to expand its low and emission bus fleet with the purchase of 200 clean energy buses that run on either hydrogen fuel, electric, or hybrid engines over the next five years.

The approved plan, following a December vote approving the transition to a clean energy bus fleet by 2040 and earlier passage of the City’s Climate and Transportation Electrification Action Plans will cost $230 million. The goal is to purchase 40 clean energy buses a year. Funding will be provided by federal and regional sources. The buses will be purchased from GILLIG and New Flyer of America.

After five years, Phoenix will have purchased the following clean energy buses:

44 Battery electric
52 Fuel Cell Hydrogen/Electric
69 Hybrid Electric
35 CNG (Compressed Natural Gas;In year 1 and 2 only until more of the electric and hydrogen buses are available.)

Commenting on the vote, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said:

“With 500 heavy-duty buses, we have the largest fleet in Arizona, and so when we make steps in this area, it makes a big difference.”

Phoenix Vice Mayor and District Seven Councilperson Yassamin Ansari also commented on this next step toward the city’s greener future, relaying:

“I am thrilled about the vote that was taken last week. As you may know, this is an area that myself and my colleagues have been working on for more than a year now. We voted on two separate contracts that will help us acquire our first fuel cell electric and hybrid buses and begin transitioning our fleet to much cleaner vehicles. Our intent with our fleet transition plan is that we will be a hundred percent electric by 2040. That means by that point you’ll be seeing our fossil fuel powered buses phasing out. This is a very big deal. It is also exciting that it was a nine to zero vote for this contract which is significant because I think it just goes to show that clean energy and the importance of investing in clean energy, especially when it comes to our transportation system, is really a bipartisan issue at this point.”

She also posted on social media.

⚡️Today we unanimously passed two Green Transit contracts that will allow us to purchase our very first electric buses!

After a year of community and stakeholder engagement, we are finally taking momentous, tangible steps toward a zero-emission future! #climateaction #phxd7 pic.twitter.com/QsYK4S1Squ

— Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari (@District7PHX) January 26, 2023

Brenda Yanez, the Public Information Officer for the Phoenix Public Transit Department offered:

The Phoenix Public Transit Department continuously looks for ways to support the City’s Climate Action and the Transportation Electrification Action plans, and the plan towards a zero-emission bus fleet builds upon our efforts to implement a cleaner bus fleet. The federal funding we’ve secured will help pave the way for us to begin transitioning our heavy duty fleet to 100 percent zero emissions by 2040.

 

Mark Hartman the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Phoenix also pointed out that the $230 million clean energy bus transition “is a part of Transportation 2050 that is a $32B transit initiative with the goal to have all residents within a 10 minute of walk of transit. And that the light rail expansion is also electrification.  We are the only major city in the US with a major transit expansion.”