COTA to seek electric buses; union rejects proposal

The Central Ohio Transit Authority plans to buy 10 electric buses that officials hope will save them money in the long run while lowering emissions.

COTA’s board voted Wednesday to pursue integrating electric buses into the fleet. Each bus would cost between $729,000 and $829,000, with another $2 million required to pay for 10 charging stations and the electrical infrastructure.

Mike Bradley, COTA’s vice president of planning and service development, said electric buses are more fuel-efficient than diesel or natural gas buses, leading to lower costs. A manufacturer of electric buses, Proterra, said agencies can save $237,000 per bus on maintenance costs over the buses’ lifetime compared to diesel-hybrid buses.

“The industry’s gone cleaner,” Bradley said.

David Norstorm was the lone COTA board member to vote against the resolution. He said COTA officials should review how electric buses are working out in other cities before committing to them.

More than 22 cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Louisville, are using or testing the buses.

Board member Craig Treneff said buying 10 electric buses would be a modest step. COTA has 322 buses in its fleet, including 150 that use natural gas. The electric buses would replace diesel buses.

COTA officials want to pursue federal grants to help pay for the buses and seek money from a settlement Volkswagen made with the federal government for cheating on emissions standards. According to COTA, $15 million of that settlement is available through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

COTA will solicit bids later this year. If available, buses would arrive by late 2019.

Meanwhile, members of Transport Workers Union Local 208 rejected a three-year contract offer from COTA that would have given members raises of 3 percent each year of the contract, said Andrew Jordan, the local’s president. That compared to the raises of 3 percent, 2.5 percent and 2.25 percent during the last three-year contract, which expired Dec. 27, 2017. Also, some employees would have seen an increase in their monthly health insurance premium contributions.

Employees have been working under the terms of the old contract. The vote was taken Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, said Jarvis Williams, first vice president of the local, which represents 831 COTA bus drivers, mechanics, customerservice workers and others.

Jordan did not have vote totals when reached Wednesday afternoon. He said members were concerned about seniority and training language.

Union officials and members have also been concerned about driverless buses. The contract stipulates that any proposed use of autonomous vehicles in revenue service is a proper subject for discussion between management and the union.

Williams said the two sides will head back to the negotiating table. COTA declined comment.