CTA Receives Grant for Two All-Electric Buses
- By Kevin Zolkiewicz
US Senator Dick Durbin announced today that the Chicago Transit Authority will receive a $2.2 million federal grant for the purchase of two all-electric, battery-powered 40-foot buses. The funding is provided through the Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) II and Clean Fuels grant programs.
The CTA will test the buses to assess the viability of all-electric propulsion systems on CTA routes. CTA spokeswoman Noelle Gaffney told the Chicago Tribune that the buses will likely be used for shorter runs.
CTA will still need to determine a manufacture for the buses and has not announced when the pilot project will begin.