Did you know GATRA is using electric buses? Will that mean more charging stations?

TAUNTON — GATRA has six electric buses running in the Taunton area that have already logged 81,000 clean miles since they hit the road in January, officials said.

Mayor Shaunna O’Connell said the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) electric buses replaced six diesel engine-powered buses.

“These buses are really quiet and send a message that we are a community that is reducing our carbon footprint,” she said during a ceremony at the GATRA headquarters on Thursday, Sept. 22 to celebrate Climate Week.

“The team at GATRA has worked very hard to make this happen.”

GATRA Director of Administration Stacy Forte said the electric buses are being used in the Taunton area and “have collectively logged over 81,000 miles which is a savings of over 104,000 kilograms of greenhouse gases.”

“GATRA hopes to expand this program throughout its service area in the future,” she said. “The new design, quiet ride and environmental impact of these busses appeal to riders, drivers and the general public.”

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Martin Suuberg said GATRA hopes to have electric buses operating in Attleboro.

The six buses operate out of the Taunton terminal and cover routes in Taunton and Raynham, he said.

State pays for GATRA buses

Forte said the DEP helped GATRA purchase six electric buses through a $5.8 million state grant in November 2021.

Suuberg said the DEP awarded GATRA funds through a federal Volkswagen Clean Air Settlement Act signed by the Department of Justice and several Volkswagen firms in 2017.

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“Mass DEP has developed a new approach due to the Volkswagen settlement,” he said.

The litigation is based on Department of Justice allegations that the Volkswagen firms failed to meet federal vehicle emission standards for nitrogen oxides.

Suuberg said the DEP got $22.5 million from the state’s allotment to help communities to purchase electric buses.

“We have invested $700,000 to purchase electric shuttle buses across the state,” he said.

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More motor vehicle charging stations

O’Connell said the Department of Public Works is placing additional charging stations for electric motor vehicles in city parking lots, “thanks to the DEP.”

“We appreciate how they care about our communities,” she said. “We are grateful to the Baker-Polito administration, and we look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts.”

State Sen. Marc Pacheco, D-Taunton, said future purchases of electric charging stations should be possible under an $11.4 billion bond bill approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in August.

“We can’t have electric buses without charging stations,” he said. 

He said the DEP “led a team of people” to distribute funds to communities that want to purchase electric buses.

“Their work is impacting the quality of life,” he said. “Thank you for your leadership.”

State Rep. Carol Doherty, D-Taunton, said climate change is “a national security, a public health issue, and an economic development issue.”

“The jobs today and tomorrow are going to be in the clean energy field,” she said. “Everything we are involved with moving forward will be linked to having clean energy.”

Doherty said people with differing political views must work together to ensure clean energy now and in the future.

“We can no longer work in silos,” she said. “We need to have leadership on every level of government. We are on the cusp of a sustainability revolution. Let’s roll up our sleeves as we go forward.”

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: GATRA: Electric buses are in use in Taunton and Raynham