Transit agency in Harris County, Texas adopts sustainability goals

The Metro Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) Board of Directors recently adopted the Authority's first Sustainability Vision Statement.

The vision statement includes a series of environmentally sustainable initiatives and investments, including the adoption of a 100% zero-emission bus replacement goal by 2030 and the development of an agency-wide Climate Action Plan. Staff will present the Climate Action Plan for Board approval no later than January 2022, METRO said in a press release.

METRO has already moved forward with the purchase of 20 full-size electric buses and 10 paratransit vans and has applied for federal grants through the FTA Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program to fund the $25 million purchase of electric vehicles and supporting infrastructure. The Authority will also explore the use of vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology, METRO says.

The move toward procuring more environmentally friendly vehicles also focuses on improving equity and accessibility. Initial routes will serve communities designated in the city of Houston’s Complete Communities program and those disproportionately impacted by carbon emissions. 

METRO says it is one of 69 public transit organizations nationwide that has stepped up to the FTA’s Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet Challenge launched in June. Participating organizations are supporting a goal of achieving a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2030.

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SOURCE: Metro Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas