Environmental advocates call for switch to electric buses

BOSTON — A group of environmental advocates are calling on the MBTA to switch to electric buses.

In a report released on Thursday, the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG) sites the harmful environmental and health effects of diesel emissions.

“The majority of America’s buses remain dirty — burning fossil fuels like diesel that put the health of our children and communities at risk and contribute to global warming,” states the report.

They say that replacing MBTA buses with electric ones would be the equivalent of taking more than 10,000 cars off the roads in Boston.

In addition to it's impact on global warming, diesel gas emissions contribute to tens of thousands of heart attacks and a significant amount of lost work days.

And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2,000 people die prematurely each year due to diesel emissions.

In the report are real world examples of how the crossover to electric buses is working in other states. For instance, the Chicago Transit Authority estimates that each electric transit bus in its fleet saves the city $25,000 in fuel costs every year.

MASSPIRG is asking for the transit agency to transition to 100 percent electric buses by 2030.

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