Responses to Council Questions and Comments
5/5/2025
Sent to Council 5/5/2025 at 3:00 PM
Item #5: Resolution Authorizing the Submission of an Application for the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program and the Execution of the Certifications and Assurances for the Following Project: Purchase One Replacement Zero-Emission Bus
• Question: The resolution is for a "replacement" e-bus for the fossil fuel bus replacement. There is no mention of what size of busses we are looking at, maybe a full size, a mid size Luma Go type bus, or even a smaller one for paratransit whole city use. Can we get an update on if bus size will be shifting down in size and if smaller is more efficient.
o Response: This grant will be for the purchase of a fixed route transit bus. It will be for a 40’ battery electric bus replacing an existing 40’ diesel transit bus. The purchase of this vehicle will occur in January 2026. For the 15 year life span the vehicle will experience, this will provide maximum flexibility for the vehicle as it will be run on all fixed routes over the time and will be able to accommodate up to 50+ riders as can often be required on heavy capacity school tripper routes or field trips. Energy and cost savings for a smaller bus (30 or 35’) are minimal vs a 40’ bus as they often have the same battery packs/motors and the biggest cost for operating any vehicle are driver wages and the cost difference for buying a smaller bus is negligible.
Staff will also be purchasing five 20’ battery electric cutaway vans in summer 2025. These vehicles will be used to operate paratransit, microtransit and possible shuttle service in the future. These vehicles provide additional variability in the Petaluma Transit fleet and will allow for smaller vehicle types that can be used in operation of future services.