Broome County Transit (BC Transit) celebrated the arrival of its first six battery electric buses (BEBs) with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 14. Manufactured by GILLIG, the zero-emission buses will begin carrying riders this month, marking the start of a cleaner, quieter era of public transit in Broome County. Supported by nearly $11 million in competitive federal grant funding and state-level investment, the new buses are part of a larger effort to bring 13 full battery-electric buses to the BC Transit fleet by 2027. These vehicles will replace older diesel models, improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and lowering operating noise across the community.

Augusta residents joined city leaders, community partners, and transit riders today to celebrate the launch of Augusta Transit’s first five battery-electric buses—the first of their kind in the Central Savannah River Area. The ribbon cutting ceremony, held October 13 at Augusta Transit’s maintenance facility, marked a major milestone in the city’s efforts to modernize its transit system and improve air quality.

On September 29–30, transit agencies from across the U.S. and Canada traveled to the Puget Sound region and the picturesque city of Everett, WA, for the ZEBRA Fall Roundtable. Co-hosted by member agencies, Community Transit and King County Metro and organized by the Zero Emission Bus Resource Alliance (ZEBRA), this gathering marked the largest ZEBRA roundtable to date—bringing together representatives from 22 agencies to exchange insights and explore the latest in zero-emission transit technologies.

The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is excited to bring the ZEB Con Roadshow to the New York Public Transit Association (NYPTA) 2025 Annual Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY! This special track of zero-emission bus sessions will provide transit agencies and industry partners with actionable insights, real-world lessons, and strategies for accelerating the transition to zero-emission fleets.

National Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Day, recognized on October 8th (for hydrogen's atomic weight of 1.008), highlights the growing role of hydrogen technology in transportation. At the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), we are focused on demonstrating and deploying fuel cell vehicles in medium-and heavy-duty applications across the US and Canada, proving that hydrogen as a transportation fuel is not just a concept for the future- but is economically and operationally viable today.

Georgia State University (GSU), the largest in-person university in Georgia and one of the ten largest in the nation, is taking a bold step toward sustainability with the transition to a fully battery-electric bus fleet.Supported by a $22 million award through the Federal Transit Administration’s 2023 Low or No Emission Vehicle Program (Low-No), GSU will deploy 18 electric buses, a new transit depot, and charging infrastructure to serve its downtown Atlanta campus.

TCRP Research Report 256: Resilient Zero-Emission Transit Bus Fleets: A Guide provides a step-by-step approach to adapt existing resilience plans, originally designed for internal combustion engine fleets, to the distinct requirements of ZEBs. This comprehensive framework guides agencies through assessing potential threats, evaluating risks, and implementing cost-effective resilience strategies.

TCRP Research Report 256: Resilient Zero-Emission Transit Bus Fleets: A Guide, from TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program, provides a framework for transit agencies to update their resilience plans to operate ZEB fleets. It also offers a roadmap for transit agencies to integrate their existing zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) transition strategies into broader resilience planning efforts.

As the US policy environment evolves, it is more critical than ever to demonstrate the positive economic impacts of the transition to alternative fueled vehicles. Lawmakers are focused on the economic and workforce benefits these vehicles may provide to their constituents, shifting focus from climate and health benefits highlighted in the previous administration.

The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) proudly announces that Niki Rinaldi El-Abd, Senior Managing Consultant and head of CTE’s Berkeley, California office has been appointed to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Board of Directors for a three-year term beginning in 2025.