New York’s largest electrified bus depot is now operational in Buffalo.
Governor Kathy Hochul made the announcement Tuesday that the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority project features 36 overhead charging systems in the Cold Spring maintenance garage and a new substation to accommodate future expansion.
“We are building a transportation infrastructure that is cleaner, healthier and more sustainable, and the Buffalo bus depot is the newest feature of our efforts,” Governor Hochul said. “Our investment in electrified buses and charging infrastructure not only improves the environmental impact of the fleet itself, but encourages New Yorkers to make public transportation their first choice – resulting in cleaner air and a greener future for everyone.”
Currently, the NFTA has 24 electric buses and plans to have another 21 operational in the next two years. The authority plans to solely support zero-emission vehicles at the Cold Spring facility by 2035.
Using overhead chargers, buses don’t need to be plugged and unplugged for charging. Instead, they automatically connect when parked.
A bus can be fully charged within six hours.
Design and installation of the overhead charging systems were overseen by the New York Power Authority.
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