Yesterday, local government officials and leaders from the NFTA broke ground on the $8 million upgrades to Metro’s Cold Spring bus facility that will pave the way for state-of-the-art battery-electric buses.

This project centers around safe and efficient charging equipment for electric buses, as well as their maintenance. The new infrastructure will be ready in the Spring of 2022, and the delivery of ten electric buses is expected in the summer of 2022 with many more to follow.

NFTA-Metro is getting out ahead of the state directive to electrify twenty-five percent of its fleet by 2025. The charging substation can be scaled up as Metro determines the best way to service and deploy electric buses in Western New York. Funds supporting this project came from New York State, the Federal Transit Administration and National Grid. The latter, along with the New York Power Authority, have added their expertise to the design and construction of the facility upgrades.

This is the first major renovation to Metro’s Cold Spring Bus Garage since opening in 1992. The Main and Michigan structure is one of Metro’s three bus garages. Nearly seventy-five percent of its buses serve “Environmental Justice Communities of Concern”, as designated by Erie County. Riders in this area will soon benefit from the newest, quietest, and most environmentally friendly buses in the region.

Along with upgrades to the facility, NFTA-Metro is up-skilling employees. The Authority is training employees who want to add battery-electric knowledge to their diesel and gasoline expertise. The Authority’s continued investment skill-building will greatly benefit both the Metro staff and the entire service area.