Florida State signs agreement with StarMetro to expand its fleet of electric buses

Florida State University will be adding 15 all-electric buses this fall as part of its goal to provide a more environmentally friendly campus.

The addition will bring to 18 the number of electric buses serving the campus. FSU currently uses three electric buses for campus transportation.

The university recently signed a 10-year-contract with StarMetro to operate the buses. It allows FSU to replace 15 diesel-powered buses with battery-electric models that are cheaper to operate. 

The city of Tallahassee/StarMetro is purchasing the zero-emission buses, and Florida State will pay the city an hourly fee of $91.45 to operate each bus. Those fees will amount to $4.1 million a year.

Plans call for the university to continue adding to its all-electric fleet. In the fifth year of the contract, it will add three more buses, bringing the total number to 21. After seven years, another four will join the fleet.

The total cost of the 10-year contract is $51.5 million.

“The decision to deploy all-electric buses highlights FSU’s commitment to climate action, which is one of the four major initiatives in our Sustainable Strategic Plan,” said Elizabeth Swiman, director of FSU Sustainable Campus.

The four initiatives are climate action, waste minimization, resource stewardship and sustainability education.

The buses are custom-built by Proterra, based in Burlingame, California, and are designed to meet specific usage needs around FSU’s campus, the university said.

Proterra will build the buses at the company’s plant in Greenville, South Carolina. The emerging city has been selected by the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce for its April tour to study its success in economic development.

“The City of Tallahassee continues to be a leader across the state, region and nation when it comes to environmental sustainability and clean energy,” Mayor John Dailey said. “This new fleet of all-electric buses and our continued partnership with FSU is a testament to our commitment to a clean energy future for our community.”

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The 35-foot bus releases zero greenhouse gas emissions, uses no liquid fuels, requires no oil changes and operates with 30-percent fewer parts than a traditional bus. Each has a seating capacity for 28 people.

Each year, Florida State’s new bus fleet is expected to eliminate more than 5 million pounds of carbon emissions. Over the fleet’s lifespan, it is projected to save about $10 million in fuel and maintenance costs, the university said.

“Florida State’s Transportation and Parking Services Department is doing its part to become more environmentally friendly by deploying electric buses and encouraging people to walk or bike and not drive to campus," said Matthew Inman, director of Transportation and Parking Services. "That helps clean up the environment, reduces traffic, creates safer conditions for people who walk or bike on campus and generally improves quality of life.”

The buses, wrapped with a special banner for FSU, will cover all routes on the Seminole Express and Nite Nole transportation systems.The buses are expected to serve 700,000 riders annually.

Proterra has studied all of FSU’s bus routes and tailored the vehicles to meet the schedule. The buses will be in service up to 18 hours a day with recharging throughout the day.

Two charging stations will be installed on campus — one near Doak Campbell Stadium and another on Stadium Drive.

“Every recharge gives a bus another 15-18 miles of travel,” Inman said. “The fast-charging stations are equipped with an overhead charger that fits into a special mount on top of the bus, and the process only takes about 10 minutes.”

FSU's Sustainable Strategic Plan major initiatives:

• Climate Action: reducing the campus footprint through conservation, sustainable transportation, greenhouse gas reduction, and green building;
• Waste Minimization by enhancing reduction, reuse, and recycling efforts;
• Resource Stewardship by expanding conservation on campus, through environmentally friendly land, habitat, and watershed management practices;
• Education for sustainability by increasing outreach to the campus community through curricular and co-curricular activities.

Contact senior writer Byron Dobson at bdobson@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @byrondobson.