Location: Petersburg Transit
Fleet Type: Transit Agency
Narrative
In 2018, Virginia Clean Cities (VCC) began working with Charles Koonce to implement renewable propane autogas paratransit buses in the City of Petersburg. This renewable, domestic fuel is 40% lower in carbon intensity than diesel and gasoline. As VCC continued to assist Petersburg, the Transit Agency began to show interest in electrifying several of their paratransit shuttles that serve Virginia State University. VCC provided several level 2 charging stations for the fleet to install at their maintenance garage.
Outputs & Outcomes
As a result of donating the level 2 charging station, Petersburg Area Transit (PAT) began exploring electrification options for the transit buses. Petersburg Transit and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit applied for an Area of Persistent Poverty grant through the Federal Transit Administration. The VDRPT will receive funding to develop a plan designed to improve transit accessibility and advance transit electrification efforts in Petersburg, Virginia through an inclusive and equitable planning process. The plan will identify opportunities for improved paratransit service reliability, evaluate the potential for transit accessibility improvements to key regional destinations and identify a course for Petersburg Area Transit to electrify its transit fleet.
The outcome will be the replacement of diesel transit buses with electric zero emission buses and reduced vehicle emissions in Petersburg’s Justice40 communities
Best Practices & Lessons Learned
- Interest in one alternative fuel can lead to a fleet exploring other alternative fuels.
- Understanding the available incentives for different kinds of fleets is important to completing a project.
- Working with the state agency’s can leverage resources.
PDF Version
Petersburg Transit Fleet Story
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