Despite the ongoing threat of the climate crisis, Chicagoland public transit agencies are planning on buying more dirty, polluting buses. The Chicago Transportation Authority plans to purchase at least 600 more 100% new diesel buses and as many as 1,280 buses in the next 4 years, but only plans to buy 70 more zero-emission electric buses. Pace plans to purchase another 51 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses in 2022 and up to 88 over the next five years.
The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is the financial and oversight body for Chicagoland’s public transit, including Chicago Transportation Authority (CTA) and Pace. Transportation is the country’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. We need our government to lead the way and electrify their fleet, not buy more fossil-fuel-powered buses.
Take action today by submitting a comment to RTA’s Board of Directors asking them to reject these purchases and to insist CTA and Pace increase electrification efforts. Comments on next year’s budget are being accepted until December 15, 2021.
