Burns & McDonnell to provide Foothill Transit with road map to convert bus fleet to electric by 2030
Foothill Transit selected Burns & McDonnell to develop an electrification road map that will allow the transit agency to convert to an all electric bus fleet by 2030. According to Burns & McDonnell, the electrification road map will provide a conceptual plan to incrementally build out the infrastructure needed at the depots to support an electrified fleet.
“We’re thrilled to assist Foothill Transit in meeting its zero-emission goals by 2030 as they transport nearly 15 million passengers per year to various locations throughout Southern California,” says Renita Mollman, vice president and general manager for Burns & McDonnell in California.
Foothill Transit’s fleet of 370 buses includes more than 30 electric buses. In July, the transit agency announced plans to add the first electric double-decker bus in North America to its fleet in 2019.
Burns & McDonnell, which has supported transportation electrification projects with airports, electric vehicle manufactures, cities, seaports and transit authorities, will provide consultative planning and conceptual engineering services for the transit agency, partnering with Greenlots, AMMA Transit Planning and ebusplan. The project to electrify the transit bus fleet consists of the following stages:
- Analysis of bus routes and operations, which includes energy consumption modeling to inform charging needs.
- Evaluation of commercially available charging technologies.
- Assessment of onsite electrical systems and future infrastructure needs.
- Conceptual construction phasing and budgetary cost estimating.
- Power supply and local utility grid assessment.
- Facility planning, including depot layout analysis and space utilization optimization.
- Survey of renewable energy, onsite storage and onsite generation options.
“Electric charging infrastructure is a crucial component of successfully reaching our all-electric by 2030 commitment,” said Doran Barnes, executive director of Foothill Transit. “Myriad variables require thoughtful and thorough review. Having Burns and McDonnell on board is the next, game changing step in making this fleet a reality.”
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
