An MBTA Silver Line bus. Photo via Shutterstock.
August 1, 2019 (BOSTON) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and GreenRoots released the following statement today as the MBTA debuts new zero emission electric buses on the Silver Line.
“Combatting climate change means we have to break our dependence on fossil fuels and go electric,” said Staci Rubin, Senior Attorney at CLF. “Traditional buses are a menace, spreading toxic pollution in our communities and making people sick. These buses are a good first step in the MBTA’s promise to provide a 100% electric fleet, and that transformation needs to happen much faster than is planned.”
Transportation is the largest source of carbon pollution in Massachusetts and in New England as a whole.
Three of the new buses went into service yesterday, with two more expected to begin serving riders soon. The MBTA has promised to gather feedback and use these buses as a test in its goal of transitioning the entire fleet to electric.
“Prioritizing electric buses on a route that primarily serves an environmental justice community is a major step towards reducing emissions, improving public transit infrastructure, and addressing health inequities,” said Roseann Bongiovanni, Executive Director at GreenRoots. “Riders in Chelsea deserve high-quality bus service that does not pollute our neighborhoods. We hope the T will work with the community to ensure that riders are benefiting as much as possible.”
Experts are available for further comment.
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