ANGOLA, N.Y. — On Monday, one of Western New York's first electric school buses will take the road.
Lake Shore Central School District will debut the electric bus, which is the result of a project to convert all of the district's buses from diesel to electric.
"Eliminating diesel fuel emissions provides public and environmental health benefits, and electric buses also offer school districts operational savings," said Superintendent Dan Pacos in a press release.
"The upfront cost of an electric school bus is higher than a diesel, but electric buses cut fuel and maintenance costs in half over the vehicle's lifetime. We anticipate annual savings of $15,000 in fuel and maintenance costs with the electric bus. With state aid reimbursements and funds cycling in from auctioning off the old buses, we were able to purchase the electric bus at a very small local cost to taxpayers, which will be made up through the annual savings that the bus will generate. Lake Shore Central Schools strives to keep pace with new ideas and technology, so we decided now was the time to give electric buses a try and work out any kinks before we are required to convert our full fleet."
The new electric bus will be used to transport students to and from Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES programs located in Dunkirk, Fredonia and Cassadaga.
"By eliminating diesel exhaust emissions, we reduce air pollution and ground level ozone, as well as air quality-related illnesses and asthma," said District Transportation Supervisor Perry Oddi in a press release.
"It's not just about decreasing our carbon footprint, it's about having the opportunity to preserve the health and safety of our students and staff."
The state of New York has committed to converting all school district buses to electric by 2035. The state's fleet has roughly 45,000 traditional school buses.