Every year, school bus contractors drive 150,000 New York City children to school in approximately 9,000 diesel buses that harm public health and the environment. Diesel exhaust exposure increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, and respiratory symptoms, such as asthma. Exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions pollute the air and exacerbate the effects of climate change. Electric school buses offer an opportunity to eliminate these harms while providing safe, reliable transportation for schoolchildren. Despite presently high upfront costs, electric buses may also save owners money in the long-term due to reductions in fuel and maintenance costs, and the potential to save or earn money by using the buses as utility grid assets during the summer.
Author: Stephanie Thomas (JD ’20)
