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Posted: 9/21/2009

The federal government has awarded $5,000,000 to VIA Metropolitan Transit to purchase and operate three electric powered buses in the downtown area.

The funding comes from the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction grant program as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. A total of $100 million was awarded in a nationwide competition, and VIA is one of 43 transit agencies from across the nation slated to receive this funding to pursue cutting-edge environmental technologies. VIA is also the only transit agency in Texas to be awarded in this process.

“VIA is excited to have the opportunity to bring completely emissions-free transit service to San Antonio,” said Keith T. Parker, VIA’s president and CEO. “With this grant, we will be able to replace three of our diesel-powered buses with new vehicles that are powered solely by rechargeable batteries. Because these buses will have zero emissions, they offer the cleanest operating technology from the source to the road of any buses we know of in the world.”

The three composite body buses will circulate in the central business district, and they will be recharged at VIA’s Robert Thompson Transit Station at the Alamodome. As the batteries are charged, they will receive energy that is generated either by solar panels installed as part of the project or by turbines in West Texas wind farms as part of VIA’s Windtricity agreement with CPS Energy.

When operating, the 35-foot electric buses will provide public transportation for the downtown area that is sustainable and free of pollution.