Tampa Bay Commits to Electric Regional Rapid Transit

As reported by C.T. Bowen, “The governing board of the Tampa Bay Regional Transit Authority, known commonly by the acronym TBARTA, agreed Friday to use electric buses on the proposed transit system that is not expected to be operational until 2030.”

In prior plans, “The 41-mile route posed a challenge to running buses without a way to recharge while in service. The board agreed to a plan to install 11 charging stations at eight locations in addition to the 15 chargers needed at the overnight depot.” As Sen notes, “The earlier plan to use hybrid buses entailed 22 vehicles to run the four planned routes from State Road 54 in Pasco County to downtown Tampa and on to the city of St. Petersburg.” 

Now, the agency has agreed to make all 29 buses electric. “The upfront spending on more expensive electric vehicles and charging stations will have other benefits. Calculations, compiled by a federal Transit Agency matrix, put annual environmental savings at $568,000 per electric bus, including better safety, reduced energy use and air quality benefits.”

While the agency is pushing ahead with plans to build the BRT route, “Opposition to the regional transit plan remains in Hillsborough County because of public reluctance to add additional lanes to Interstate 275 to accommodate the buses and added vehicle traffic.”