Cherriots hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Aug. 14, to commemorate the fleet of 10 electric buses the company will now use for a specific route.
The ceremony was held at the Keizer Transit Center located inside Keizer Station.
The ceremony featured US Senator Jeff Merkley as the keynote speaker.
The new electric buses were acquired through federal funding aid in the form of grants such as the Low or No Emission Grant Program – 5339(c), which Cherriots was awarded in 2020, 2021 and 2023.
The electric buses mark the start of Cherriots shift towards zero emissions vehicles with a gradual phase out of gas-powered buses.
The battery electric buses (BEB) are powered solely by electricity, utilizing large onboard batteries for energy storage. BEBs are recharged at charging stations and produce zero tailpipe emissions.
While initially the cost to run, install and expand electric bus systems are high, over time making the switch to electric buses will help reduce greenhouse emissions, reduce vehicle noise impact and lead to cost-savings down the road due to a reduced dependence on fuel and other maintenance costs.
“We are excited to introduce these battery electric buses into our fleet, marking a significant step forward in our sustainability efforts,” said Maria Hinojos Pressey, Cherriots board president. “This achievement would not have been possible without the support of our federal delegation and our project partners.”
The introduction of the electric battery-powered bus fleet will create cherriots first zero emissions corridor, according to Cherriots representative Patricia Feeney.
The buses will be placed on Route 11, a 12-mile corridor which stretches from Keizer Transit Center to the southeastern corner of Salem.
“The decision to electrify Route 11 was based on a number of factors including ridership, logistics for on-route charging at Keizer Transit Center and our focus on mitigating historical inequities within our community,” Feeney said.
Riders should expect minimal delays as only one route, Route 11, will be serviced by the electric vehicles.
Other routes and bus schedules are to be largely unaffected, though they may change in the future to help optimize the use of the electric buses.
The project partners are CTE (Center for Transportation and the Environment) InductEV, ChargePoint, Salem Electric, Mott MacDonald, PGE Fleet Partner, JH Kelly, EC Electric, WB Engineering, GILLIG and Cummins.
For more information about the battery electric buses, go to https://www.cherriots.org/zec/.
Contact Quinn Stoddard
[email protected] or 503-390-1051
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