(The Center Square) — New Jersey's plans to replace its fleet of diesel-powered buses with electric vehicles is getting a nearly $100 million boost from the federal government to upgrade a regional bus depot.
The Federal Transit Administration announced this week that it has awarded New Jersey Transit a $99.5 million grant to modernize the 31-year-old Meadowlands Bus Garage in Secaucus to accommodate electric buses. The project includes installing charging equipment and constructing shelter and maintenance facilities.
Gov. Phil Murphy said the tranche of federal funding "marks an important step in our transition toward a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet" and the state's work on "environmental justice and equity" initiatives.
“In the most densely populated state in the country, it is critical that we keep our people moving while still leading the nation with bold environmental goals," the Democrat said in a statement.
NJ Transit is facing a state mandate requiring that 10% of new bus purchases be zero-emission by the end of the year and 100% by 2032. The transit agency has launched only seven electric buses since 2023, according to state data, representing only a fraction of the agency's 2,000-bus fleet.
The funding will cover costs for designing and constructing an outdoor charging facility with a canopy design and pantographs supplying electricity to the buses at the Meadowlands Garage. The depot was designed to accommodate only diesel buses and lacks infrastructure to support e-vehicles, state officials said.
The upgrades will install charging equipment for at least 67 e-buses with the goal of expanding the site to accommodate 130 buses in later phases, NJ Transit officials said.
"Through grants like this from FTA, we can continue transforming that vision for the future into reality and put New Jersey on track to a more sustainable, environmentally friendly transportation network," DOT Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chairman Fran O’Connor said in a statement.
The grant award is part of $1.5 billion in federal funding for 117 transit projects in 47 states through the FTA’s Low- and No-Emission Grant program.
The Biden administration is pushing electric buses, with plans to divert $5 billion in funding earmarked for states and local governments, despite criticism that the expensive vehicles lack range and reliability.
A recent report by the conservative Institute for Energy Research found electric buses are "sitting unused as they are broken-down and either cannot be fixed, are too expensive to fix, or have been scrapped altogether."
"EV buses cost multiple times more than their diesel counterparts, and their performance is marred by expensive and frequent repairs, charging equipment costs and much lower range than existing buses," the report stated. "Cities and school districts are left holding the bag, even as the Biden administration uses celebrity spokespeople like Vice President Kamala Harris and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to pitch Americans on them."
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