MetroLINK is dipping into the battery-powered bus world with the roll-out of two brand new buses.
The company will be buying the zero-emissions vehicles, and if the buses are a popular selection with riders and drivers, MetroLINK could make an even bigger investment in the buses over the next four years. The move to get the buses comes as the Chicago Transit Authority is investing $30-40 million in electric-based transportation.
People with MetroLINK are excited to bring in the new buses that will not only offer a clean energy alternative to their normal buses, but also a quieter option.
"I would say over the past couple years, we've been watching the electric bus market, and Proterra has come up with a bus that was built from the ground up, and we're really proud to partner with them," MetroLINK's Jennifer Garrity said.
Garrity says they're hoping this could lead to an entire fleet less reliable on the diesel option and more connected with a more environmentally-friendly option.
"As funding becomes available, and we're going to test out these two and see how well they work out in the community. We'll continue to move forward as funds become available to replace aging buses," Garrity said.
MetroLINK is buying the two buses with federal grant money, totaling around $1.2 million for the buses and charging stations, and they're set to go into circulation by the spring of 2017.