ATLANTA NONPROFIT RECEIVES FUNDING FOR THREE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION GRANTS
Atlanta, GA -The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) was recently awarded funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to manage three cutting-edge transit projects focused on reducing energy consumption, greenhouse gases, and other pollutants. These projects are among the 27 projects chosen from more than 200 proposals submitted as part of FTA's Transit Investment in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program.
CTE will assist transit agencies in three states on bus replacement projects that will demonstrate the energy efficiency and cost effectiveness of fast charge, battery electric buses versus that of traditional diesel buses. Regional Transportation Commission in Reno, Nevada, Central Maryland Regional Transit in Columbia, Maryland, and StarMetro in Tallahassee, Florida will each replace three diesel buses with zero-emission electric buses. Taken together, these projects demonstrate the viability of all-electric bus transit technology by operating on an assortment of routes and in varying climates.
The advanced technology buses to be deployed by these three transit agencies will feature all-electric drive systems and regenerative braking, offering zero-emission operations and lower maintenance costs. Using fast charge electric power systems to fuel the vehicles will provide a tremendous reduction in fuel costs for the transit agencies.
CTE, in partnership with one of its members, Proterra, Inc., recently set the standard for zero emission bus performance through the demonstration of a composite-body fuel cell hybrid electric bus as part of FTA's National Fuel Cell Bus Program (NFCBP). The vehicle debuted at the National Hydrogen Association's annual conference in 2009 and was subsequently showcased in Columbia, SC, Washington, DC, Victoria, British Columbia (as part of the Winter Olympics), and will soon go into service in Austin, TX.
About CTE:
The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that develops technologies and implements solutions to achieve energy and environmental sustainability. Since its founding in 1993, CTE has managed a portfolio of more than $190 million in federal, state, and local cost-shared research, development, and demonstration projects involving more than 450 organizations in the advanced transportation technology field. CTE has facilitated and leveraged funding for its projects and initiatives from the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, Interior, and Transportation, as well as from the U.S. Army and NASA, among many others. CTE is also nationally recognized for its expertise in the measurement and evaluation of Transportation Demand Management programs and manages the Southern Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Coalition (SHFCC) in partnership with the Federal Transit Administration.
