LANCASTER – The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) on Monday announced the purchase of two 40-foot, battery-electric buses as part of its clean bus initiative.
The buses were funded through a grant arranged by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich to support an electric bus demonstration project in the Antelope Valley.
The $1.9 million grant came from Proposition A local return funds and will cover the cost of both buses plus the charging system.
“The AVTA is grateful to the Supervisor for his leadership and we are ready to get started on this important initiative,” stated AVTA Executive Director Julie Austin. “We look forward to this exciting partnership with BYD.”
Chairman of the Board Norm Hickling added, “We see the value of modern, clean and efficient buses. The AVTA is a proponent of green technology and we look forward to being a leader in zero emission bus deployment.”
AVTA serves a population of more than 450,000 residents in the cities of Lancaster, and Palmdale as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south and Interstate 5 to the west.
(Information via press release from the Antelope Valley Transit Authority.)
