Roseville Transit buys five electric buses for fleet

The city of Roseville has replaced four of its decades-old, diesel fuel buses with five electric buses, part of a transition to cleaner transit. Five 40-foot ZX5 Proterra electric buses replace four year-2000 diesel-fuel commuter buses and "add one additional bus to the commuter fleet." This is the first among many steps that Roseville is taking to comply with the state's Innovative Clean Transit regulation (ICT) that took effect in 2018. The regulation sets "a statewide goal for public transit agencies to gradually transition to 100-percent zero-emission bus fleets by 2040." According to the Innovative Clean Transit regulation, bus fleets with less than 30 buses do not need to buy EV buses until 2026. Roseville's fleet falls just below the limit at 29 buses, as stated in its Roseville Transit Zero-Emission Business Plan. However, the zero-emission business plan determined that, based on current technology and routes' layouts, Roseville Transit commuter routes are capable of running battery-electric buses." Mike Dour, the Alternative Transportation Manager who oversees Roseville Transit, said that the zero-emission business plan "will guide our rollout of electric buses over the next 15 to 20 years as required by the state Innovative Clean Transit Regulation." Those who take the Roseville Transit regularly will personally experience the EV fleet roll out. Miguel Melendrez, 26, has rode buses since he was about 20, due to his Grand Mal seizures. Melendrez also rides the bus because"Ubers and Lyfts are very expensive." Electricity aside, Melendrez said that he is happy that fresh buses will arrive in the fleet. Melendrez said that the current fleet is decently-kept and that no matter where you go, "you're always going to have dirty people." Having buses "that run off of energy versus gas," Melendrez said, "might make riders think, 'It's cleaner than gas, so [the interior] should be clean as well,' improving the quality of the buses as a result." Destiny Salinas, a Placer High School senior, takes the Roseville Transit about five days a week to get home from school. Salinas occasionally travels with her younger sister, she said, so it is essential that the interior stays clean for her safety. "Most of the time, I feel like they're in pretty 'decent-ish' condition," Salinas said, but "occasionally, there are weird substances on the seat and even dead spiders." Both Melendrez and Salinas said they are eager to make use of the complimentary USB charging ports when the fleet is rolled out. Salinas said it will be especially useful because she uses her school-issued computer to charge her phone, which isn't the most reliable. The Roseville Corporation Yard was determined to be the best location to locate the zero-emissions bus depot, according to the City Council meeting plans. The city will begin construction on the yard late this spring and its completion is expected for this fall. The cost of the buses are estimated at $5,343,006, according to the purchase order and budget adjustment. The project is estimated to receive funding from the Federal Transit Administration, Sacramento Emergency Clean Air Transportation, the California Department of Transportation State of Good Repair and the Transportation Development Act. It will not require any general funding. The bus depot is estimated to cost $4,325,000, according to the purchase order and budget adjustment. Estimated to be received in funding is $4,545,000 from Local Transportation Funds, Electric Funds, the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program Grant, the Placer County Air Pollution Control District Grant and other undetermined local funds. One of the main concerns that many cities have had when beginning to implement the state's Innovative Clean Transit plan is the cost. Electric buses are "50 to 60 percent more expensive than their counterparts," according to Dour. Dour and his team have addressed these concerns "to date… through state and federal grants available to zero-emission buses. Electric buses require new electric charging infrastructure, which is also expensive, but can also be offset by grant funding." Further down the line, California is employing state regulations for various types of vehicles. For example, "CARB (California Air Resources Board) is currently developing the Advanced Clean Cars II program "for regular cars," which speeds up electrification in line with Gov. Gavin Newsom's Executive Order, which says that all new cars sold must be electric, according to California Air Resources Board public information officer David Clegern. For heavy-duty vehicles, California Air Resources Board is also developing the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, "which requires trucks pass emissions-checks of the type required by light-duty vehicles," according to Clegern. "CARB is also developing the Advanced Clean Fleets regulation," Clegern said, "which sets the goal of achieving a zero-emission truck and bus California fleet by 2045."