Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission on Friday will unveil a new bus fleet operating 100% alternative fuel buses. RTC reached the clean transportation milestone thirteen years ahead of schedule, officials said.
U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto will be on hand to celebrate the launch of the clean fleet. She has used some of her time in office to push for cleaner transit and alternative fuels infrastructure.
In 2021 the senator secured $6.5 million to aid in the purchase of low- and no-emission buses for Washoe RTC, including for hydrogen fuel cell buses and a hydrogen fuel site.
“I pushed for this federal grant funding for clean energy bus routes in Washoe County because it helps increase bus ridership, trains RTC employees in using cutting-edge technologies, and reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,” she said at the time.
Other buses in RTC’s alternative fuel-powered fleet include hybrid electric/biodiesel buses and Proterra all-electric buses.
Other vehicles in RTC’s fleet have yet to be fully transitioned to alternative fuels. This weekend also marks RTC’s return to its regular bus routes and schedules. Routes 2s, 3CC and 19 have been discontinued.
