NJ Senate Select Committee on NJ Transit Says NJT Needs Full Funding & Needs To Supercharge A Path Toward Full Bus Electrification by 2040

The committee heard from transit experts on electric buses who called on NJ Transit to electrify

Trenton – The second meeting of the New Jersey State Senate Select Committee on NJ Transit convened this afternoon to hear from a series of transit experts, including representatives from Tri-State Tranporstatino Campaign and RPA. The panel on electric buses included Doug O’Malley, Director, Environment New Jersey, Pam Frank, CEO of ChargEVC and Nick Sifuentes, Executive Director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign and they were united in their call for NJ Transit commit to a full electrification timeline in 2040 that will include ongoing repairs.

In response to the hearing, Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey and the ChargEVC Board President, delivered extensive testimony outlining the experience of other transit agencies electrifying their bus fleets, the public health and climate benefits of bus electrification, operational savings and commitments from nearly every major transit agency in America to move towards electrification and urging support for the comprehensive omnibus electric vehicle legislation (S2252/A4819) which is waiting to be heard in both houses of the Legislature. He issued the following statement:

“The future is now for NJ Transit to commit to electrify their bus fleet over the next two decades. Dirty diesel buses, especially running through our cities and polluting our air and climate, need to be phased out by 2040. NJ Transit should join other major transit agencies to make the commitment to electrification. The Camden electrification pilot is a good start, but NJ Transit needs to aggressively ramp up electric buses in our cities in the early 2020s and to work to electrify all new bus purchases by the end of the next decade.

“Full dedicated state funding is critical for NJ Transit, but the most critical action the Legislature can take in the next 4 weeks is the passage of the omnibus electric vehicle bill (S2252/A4819. The legislation will create a timeline for full electrification of NJ Transit’s bus fleet that will bring NJT to par with other leading transit agencies across America. The best way to move forward on electrification right now is to pass this legislation in the lame duck session.”

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