MTA Acting Chair & CEO Janno Lieber, Interim NYCT President Craig Cipriano, and Acting SVP of NYCT Buses Frank Annicaro were joined at the Jamaica Depot by State Senator Leroy Comrie, Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman, and City Council Member I. Daneek Miller on Tuesday to announce that construction on a new all-electric bus facility will commence next year Marc A. Hermann / MTA MTA)
Dec. 15, 2021 By Christian Murray
The MTA plans to redevelop the Jamaica Bus Depot in Queens to fully support an all zero-emissions fleet of up to 60 electric buses.
Transit leaders made the announcement at the existing depot Tuesday, with MTA officials saying that they plan to appoint a contractor next year with the aim of completing the project by the summer of 2026.
The depot will have 60 charging stations supporting 60-plus buses upon opening. The facility will be the MTA’s first all-electric bus depot.
The MTA will be buying up to 500 all-electric buses as part of its 2020-2024 Capital Plan. It currently has a fleet of 5,800 buses, with only 15 being all-electric.
The agency also plans to modify up to eight additional bus depots, which will include the required charging infrastructure to accommodate the extra electric buses.
The plan to overhaul the Jamaica Bus Depot and buy 500 all-electric buses is viewed as a significant step toward the MTA’s goal of deploying a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040.
“We are serious about zero-emissions buses and our 2040 goal,” said MTA Acting Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “This is exactly the kind of investment New York needs to build back better at this critical moment and it solidifies the MTA’s status as the transit agency most dedicated to protecting the environment.”
The existing depot will remain open while the new one is being developed.
The all-electric buses on display at the Jamaica Bus Depot Tuesday (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
