New York State has mandated that by 2035 all school...

New York State has mandated that by 2035 all school buses in the state be zero-emission, like the electric buses above.

 

  Credit: Logan Bus Co. Inc.

This guest essay reflects the views of Bella Cockerell, New York organizing manager for Mothers Out Front, and Joseph Ambrosio, chief executive of Unique Electric Solutions Inc., a Holbrook-based company that repowers diesel buses into electric buses.

When New York’s all-electric school bus legislation passed in 2022, environmentalists lauded it as a visionary plan and a victory in the climate fight, while school administrators and parents cheered the health and safety benefits it would provide for the state's more than 2 million children who ride to and from school each day.

In the two years since that groundbreaking legislation passed, questions have been raised about the feasibility — both financially and operationally — of meeting the 2027 deadline for new purchases and the 2035 deadline for the entire fleet.

These concerns are misplaced, and the urgency remains to address the detrimental effects of diesel-powered buses on the environment and our children's health.

Air pollution inside a diesel bus can be as much as 12 times higher than outside the bus. That’s because when a school bus stops at a traffic signal, is stuck in traffic, or pauses to pick up or drop off students, the filthy tailpipe emissions drift back into the cabin for the children and driver to breathe in.

This is a major contributor to the surging asthma epidemic, which is especially prevalent in low-income communities and communities of color. For these children, that means difficulty breathing, regular visits to the emergency room, and missed classes. In fact, asthma affects 10% of children and is the leading cause of school absenteeism in New York, according to the state Department of Health. In the long term, it contributes to poorer learning outcomes, lower earning potential, and chronic health conditions.

Alongside the public health benefits of electric school buses are unquestioned environmental benefits. With the transportation sector making up nearly 30% of statewide greenhouse emissions, transitioning our school bus fleet to electric is crucial to the climate fight.

Fortunately, substantial funding is available right now at the state and federal levels for electric school buses and charging stations, as well as for a pragmatic alternative to purchasing new buses — retrofitting existing gas buses to make them electric. Changing over an entire fleet to electric in one year is not always practical; retrofits can address cost concerns and provide more flexibility for a phased transition.

Funds from New York’s Environmental Bond Act and the state's School Bus Incentive Program are already easing the financial burden on school districts, as are the federal bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean School Bus Program. The state incentive program alone can provide up to $171,000 for each electric school bus purchased, which would pay for most of the cost of a repower or nearly 50% of a new electric bus. Enough resources exist for school districts to begin the transition immediately.

Even in rural upstate districts, where bus routes face longer commutes and colder temperatures, electric buses have the juice to make these journeys. In Havre, Montana, for example, a sparsely populated rural county, electric school buses have handled temperatures as low as minus-40 degrees.

With school budget votes taking place next week, the time is now for parents to tell their local school officials that they will not stand by while dirty diesel buses compromise their children’s health.

Starting small and learning as we go are key principles. School districts can begin with just a single bus, gaining valuable insights into the operational and logistical aspects.

As the saying goes, “Start small, but start now.”

This guest essay reflects the views of Bella Cockerell, New York organizing manager for Mothers Out Front, and Joseph Ambrosio, chief executive of Unique Electric Solutions Inc., a Holbrook-based company that repowers diesel buses into electric buses.

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