Bay Shore Launches 4 New All-Electric School Buses

BAY SHORE, NY - The Bay Shore School District recently unveiled its new line of fully electric buses — becoming the first in Suffolk County to implement these environmentally-friendly vehicles.

The Suffolk Transportation Service, which transports 6,600 students in the district, is operating the four 100 percent electric buses which have rolled off the production line from Blue Bird Corporation. The new buses are part of a district plan to reduce transportation emissions to 100 percent emission free, within the next 10 years.

The buses, which can travel up to 120 miles on a charge, are powered by a Cummins electric drive train produce zero emissions and require less maintenance than diesel equipment. The four Bay Shore buses are part of the first production line series of electric buses (not development model, hybrid or retrofit) from Blue Bird.

They were purchased by the school district through a $695,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant coordinated by Suffolk Transportation Service and Robert McBride Consulting.

The grant covered a portion of the $1.5 million purchase of the buses as well as infrastructure upgrades required for charging stations, with Suffolk Transportation Service paying the remainder of the costs.

"The school bus of the future is here today," Suffolk Transportation Service President John Corrado said. "These fully electric buses are clean, efficient and provide a smooth, quiet ride. A typical bus consumes 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel each school year, so just through this purchase the Bay Shore School District is reducing consumption of fossil fuel by nearly 6,000 gallons and lowering its carbon footprint."

According to Richard Gallagher, Director of Transportation for Bay Shore, the cost to operate a diesel bus is $0.75 per mile while an electric bus runs at $0.17 per mile, since there are fewer moving parts requiring care and repair. The buses are able to fully charge overnight.

To celebrate the launch of the new vehicles, Islip Town Councilman John C. Cochrane, Jr. recently met with Bay Shore High School Superintendent Joseph C. Bond, State and local officials.