With California mandating zero emissions, Bay Area agencies are split on hydrogen vs. electric techxplore.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from techxplore.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Santa Cruz Metro's new hydrogen-fueled vehicles have water as their only tailpipe emissions. There’s just one problem: Most of the hydrogen that is currently available is produced from fossil fuels.
With the state mandating zero emissions, Bay Area agencies are split on hydrogen vs. electric timesheraldonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesheraldonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In an effort to keep things simple and easy during the period of transition, Metro is also offering free fares throughout its bus system from Feb. 8-25.
Among the improvements Metro staff said would come in the second phase are a 43% increase in overall service, 15-minute day service that is currently not offered anywhere in the county, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and free fares for all riders.
The local agency has already deployed four of its 60-foot buses on campus, looking like gigantic accordions on wheels, with six more that are expected to be put into service by the end of the year and two that will be kept in reserve.
The funds will be used to install 23 bus shelters, 23 bus benches and 18 trash cans concentrated within Metro's South County service area along the Watsonville-Santa Cruz transit corridor.
This weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 862 which gives voters the opportunity to decide if the county should raise the transaction and use tax – otherwise known as a sales and use tax – above the state's combined tax rate limit as a means for supporting Santa Cruz Metro's long-term financial health and operational goals.