Senator Scott Wilk and Assemblyman Tom Lackey Honor AVTA Board Chairman Marvin Crist for Commitment to Electric Bus Fleet

When the Board of Directors of the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA), led by 

Chairman Marvin Crist, first embarked on the journey towards an all-electric zero emission bus

fleet back in 2015, their goal was to make history by becoming the first transit agency in the

nation to accomplish this task, and to become a model for other agencies and local governments

to emulate. Today, California State Senator Scott Wilk and California Assemblyman Tom Lackey

recognized Chairman Crist and his fellow board members with a special Resolution highlighting the

transformational change that AVTA has experienced under Crist's leadership, and the progress

made towards successfully reaching that goal. Assemblyman Tom Lackey was present at the

Board meeting to bestow the honor on Chairman Crist.

“I am extremely proud of AVTA’s tireless commitment in becoming the nation’s first transportation

agency with a 100-percent, zero-emission battery electric fleet. It is because of AVTA’s leadership

that residents of the Antelope Valley will be able to make it to work, school, and medical

appointments in a more sustainable way both economically and environmentally," stated Lackey.

When the Board made the unanimous decision to move towards converting the existing fleet of

diesel buses to an all-electric fleet, there were several key components to the overall plan. First

and foremost was to secure the funding needed to purchase up to 85 battery electric buses, and

the accompanying charging infrastructure. The Board directed AVTA staff to begin aggressively

seeking competitive grant funding for the zero emission buses through the state’s Cap and Trade

program, which is dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year

2020, as well as the state's Transit & Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and other funding

opportunities. With funding now fully in place for all of the buses and the battery charging

facilities, AVTA is well positioned to finish the journey towards total electrification of its fleet.

"As a Board, we are very grateful for the efforts of both Senator Scott Wilk and Assemblyman Tom

Lackey in helping us obtain funding for this amazing project. They have been instrumental in

making our vision a reality," said AVTA Board Chairman Marvin Crist. "I am honored to have

played a part in this groundbreaking initiative and excited for the sustainable future our valley is

enjoying."

Since early 2017, AVTA has taken delivery of a large portion of the new 40-foot buses and has

been operating several 60-foot electric buses from local manufacturer BYD, based in Lancaster,

CA. Under Crist's leadership, AVTA successfully installed WAVE wireless charging stations at both

Sgt. Steve Owen Memorial Park and the Palmdale Transportation Center, and on September 1,

2017, AVTA made history when they became the first transit agency in the world to put a 60-foot

articulated electric bus into service.

Zero emission vehicles have been shown to greatly improve air quality and reduce traffic noise

and congestion, and now the residents of the Antelope Valley may enjoy world class public transit

services, cleaner air and a healthier environment for generations to come.

“Marvin has always gone the extra mile for our community and his work with the AVTA is no

exception. His leadership has resulted in the Antelope Valley moving ahead of the rest of the

nation in implementing an all-electric bus fleet. California may lead the nation on many issues, but

because of Marvin's leadership the Antelope Valley Transit Authority now leads the nation on

implementing a green bus fleet", said Senator Scott Wilk. "He is very deserving of this honor

today.”