The Maine Department of Transportation received funds through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Low or No Emission Vehicle Program (Low-No) on behalf of Greater Portland Transit District (GPTD) and Biddeford-Saco-Old Orchard Beach Transit Committee (BSOOB) for each agency to deploy two Proterra battery electric buses (BEBs) and supporting charging infrastructure. The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) partnered with both GPTD and BSOOB and will be working with the agencies as they deploy the first zero-emission vehicles in their fleets.
CTE is providing technical support and project management services to GPTD and BSOOB in support of the zero-emission bus project. CTE is managing the entire deployment, including coordinating regular meetings and information sharing, advocating and advising for the interest of GPTD and BSOOB, tracking project tasks, risks, budget, and timeline, and preparing quarterly reporting required by FTA.
CTE conducted separate analyses of both GPTD and BSOOB routes proposed for deployment of the BEBs. This route analysis assessed BEB feasibility, efficiency, and energy consumption. The results of this analysis were used to advise GPTD and BSOOB on the procurement and operation of BEBs and charging infrastructure for each of their deployments. CTE assisted GPTD and BSOOB in finalizing the technical specifications required for the bus and charger procurement through Proterra.
The buses were delivered in 2022 at which time CTE conducted validation testing to confirm the expected levels of bus performance. When the buses were deployed into revenue service in early 2023, CTE began collecting, analyzing, and reporting on key performance indicators to help GPTD and BSOOB track and understand the performance of the BEBs for 12 months following deployment.
