Port Authority doubles electric shuttle bus fleet at NJ, NY airports

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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has 36 electric buses and 19 accompanying charging stations now operational at LaGuardia, Newark Liberty International and JFK airports, doubling its airport electric shuttle bus fleet to be the largest on the east coast.

The Port Authority said it would take aggressive steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2018 in accordance with the Paris Climate Accords, pledging then to convert its airport shuttle buses to all-electric buses by the end of 2020.

The 12 buses at each of the three airports will cut down on both greenhouse gases and local air pollution as they serve passengers and employees traveling daily between airport facilities, including parking garages and terminals, Port Authority announced Thursday.

“The Port Authority is taking aggressive steps to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions by investing in a green bus fleet,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole in a prepared statement. “By converting our airport shuttle buses from dirty diesel fuel to clean, battery-operated engines, we’ll be reducing air and noise pollution in the areas around our airports to better serve our customers, employees and the surrounding communities.”

The 36 battery-operated buses are projected to save a combined total of approximately 1,600 tons of greenhouse gas emissions and about 240,000 gallons of diesel fuel each year, Port Authority said.

Use of the new buses will eliminate the emissions of approximately 12,000 pounds of nitrous oxide and 900 pounds of particulate matter annually.

“We recognize that cleaning up our own fleet is a critical step in engaging our partners and tenants in similar climate action, which will have significant amplification effects across our air, land, rail, and sea facilities,” said Director of the Office of Environmental and Energy Programs Christine Weydig in a prepared statement. “We’re proud to be leading the region in this important transition.”

The Port Authority’s sustainability agenda includes innovative and industry-leading strategies to advance its commitment to achieving a 35%reduction in greenhouse gases by 2025 and 80% by 2050 as outlined in the agency’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.

Since 2018, 130 of the agency’s light-duty vehicles, used by employees and police officers to uphold the safety and security of facilities, have been converted to electric. By 2023, more than 600, or 50% of the light-duty fleet, will be electrified.

Over 150 additional charging ports have been installed across agency facilities, including the 19 charging ports for the airport electric shuttle buses, to support this transition.