RATP Dev has announced it has introduced the first electric bus to the transit fleet at Zion National Park in southern Utah. The vehicle, a Proterra E2, is being used full-time on regularly scheduled routes from August through October. It operates alongside the rest of the current LPG-fueled fleet and is part of a pilot program that will inform broader plans to introduce more electric units at the park.
Plans to transition the entire Zion National Park fleet to electric began two years ago as part of the park’s sustainability initiative that started in the late 90s. The park shuttle system, which was implemented to eliminate automobile use in scenic areas, was initiated in 2000, and LPG was chosen as the fuel source over diesel to eliminate smog buildup in the park's canyons. The use of electric buses are aimed to not only help continue to reduce emissions, but drastically cut noise pollution generated from the fleet so visitors can truly appreciate the park’s natural beauty and serenity. RATP Dev advocated for the three-month evaluation period to ensure the electric bus could support the incredible ridership numbers and the strenuous conditions of the park where temperatures can reach as high as 113 degrees fahrenheit during the day.
The Zion National Park transit system currently experiences an average of 105 riders per service hour — New York City records an average of 58 riders per service hour on their buses, to put that in perspective – and operates buses and passenger trailers that can accommodate up to 68 passengers per ride. This means that every bus going out is entirely filled with standing room only. These ridership conditions are crucial for testing the capabilities of the electric bus system for both at the park, and in other environments across North America.
“We are very excited to see how this new electric unit performs here at the park,” said Frank Austin, RATP Dev’s general manager of the Park’s transit service. “Sustainability is a crucial goal here, and an electric bus fleet gives us the ability to continue to protect the park. We trained nine drivers to operate the vehicle, which is longer than the rest of units in the fleet. Our pilot program will provide us with the necessary data we need to ensure that an electric fleet can reliably support the 5,143,148 riders we transported last year under the extreme conditions of the desert. A true crucible test if there ever was one. ”
“More and more transit agencies are turning to RATP Dev because we have global experience deploying and training teams to operate electric buses,” said Blaine Rigler, vice president of bus services for RATP Dev North America. “Our parent organization, RATP group, already operates nearly 900 hybrid buses, 55 electric buses, and 140 buses using renewable gas in cities around the globe. RATP group is strongly committed to the transition to low-emission vehicles in major, transit-heavy cities, notably through its Bus 2025 program which consists of a 100 percent low-emission bus fleet throughout Paris, and two fully electric bus routes in London in 2018. We are excited to bring these new models to Zion National Park and helping our clients research and invest in greener transit innovations.”
