Going green will soon mean big bucks for the city of Seneca. City leaders announced Tuesday that Seneca will soon be the first city in the country to have an "all electric" public transit system. "This is huge," says Mayor Dan Alexander. Electric bus maker Proterra will help roll the six brand new buses into town. The project comes thanks to a $4.1 million grant with the Federal Transit Authority. "It's really going to help the environment," says Alexander.
It will help taxpayers, too. Currently, it costs anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000 to fill up a diesel bus, per year. The city estimates it will save $120,000 by eliminating diesel costs. That money, according to city administrator Greg Dieterrick, might be used to expand the city's bus service to underserved areas, like Walhalla. "When you look at the domino effect of everything from the cost of fuel, to the environment, to the quality of life for people, it's just unbelievable, the savings," says Alexander.
The city expects more jobs to result from the project, as well. There will be construction, along with the installation of electric charging stations throughout the city. "The job ripple effect will be tremendous," says Al Babinicz, director of the Clemson Area Transit System, which will operate the buses.
Proterra CEO, David Bennett, says the buses pay for themselves, and start to produce savings within three years. "It's a pretty easy economic decision," Bennett says.
City leaders expect the electric buses to roll into town sometime in the next year.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement