Posted on 11/04/2022 9:52:13 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- From his TARC stop at Broadway and 10th street to GE Building No. 5, Lanice Malone Jr. said it takes 45 minutes to get to work each day on the bus. Friday was even worse.
"This bus is already late, so I'm probably going to get to work late," Malone said Friday.
But it's not the late bus that bothered him most Friday. It was the busses he no longer sees on the road.
Louisville is one of several cities that purchased first-generation Proterra electric busses, but TARC later idled the fleet. It spent $9 million on nine electric busses, and they haven't moved in more than two years.
"That just sucks," Malone said while looking at pictures of the busses parked in a TARC garage. "Sitting, and you can literally tell with all the dust."
Carrie Butler, executive director of TARC said the buses can only work on shorter distances with charging stations located mid-route. So they couldn't be placed in service in other places. Also, the cleaner, greener models had mechanical issues.
"The route those buses were on — the Lou Lift route — was suspended during COVID, when downtown employees shifted to remote work," she said. "Any time there's a new technology in that first generation, we will see some problems."
Louisville joins several cities — including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Reno, Nevada, and Stockton, California — that purchased early-model Proterra electric buses and later idled the fleet.
In a written statement Friday, Proterra said, "With every first-generation technology, performance challenges and bumps in the road are expected and we work diligently with our customers to help resolve issues as they arise."
The union representing the agency's bus drivers and maintenance workers said it goes beyond manufacturing.
"When you purchase busses and you don't factor in the training and safety and the cost of parts, that is the problem," said Lillian Brents, president of ATU Local 1447, which represents rank-and-file TARC workers.
The news of TARC's parked electric bus fleet comes amid contentious contract negotiations. TARC and the union are at odds over wages, working conditions and other considerations. As part of a negotiation this week, TARC said it made a verbal offer to the union that included "a commitment to jointly explore additional long-term operational funding needed for TARC to maintain a strong workforce and expand service, which may include a ballot referendum for the community to decide."
"Operationally, things are not good with TARC right now," Metro Council President David James said.
TARC is now considering a tax hike to generate more revenue. A plan calls for 0.2%, of every paycheck in Jefferson County going to TARC.
"I think we're an excellent steward of taxpayer dollars," Butler said. "We've been able to survive on a 50-year-old tax referendum."
In 2021, that percentage generated nearly $64 million.
"I haven't heard a reason TARC should have a tax hike yet ..." James said. "They told me — in order to improve service — they would need more funds. But I have not seen a plan for that."
Malone said his service is not good enough to support a tax increase. On Friday his bus was so late he ended up taking an Uber to work.
Copyright 2022 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
Spot on. We see exactly the same thing with the idiotic windmills. They put all their money into acquiring the stupidity, and then they end up sitting idle.
About five or six years ago I drove on Route 80 eastbound through Iowa, and there was a massive wind farm that seemed to go on for miles and miles.
Not a single one of those damn things was turning. Not one. And it didn’t appear to be a lack of wind that I could see, as I saw the trees stirring.
EV school buses might work in an urban area. They only run a couple of routes in the morning and then in the afternoon with the ability to plug them in between the morning and afternoon routes. The transit buses have to run all day with AC/heater on.
But, do you suppose those A holes will ever admit they F’d up? Not a chance.
Until the fire department had to respond to an emergency along the route, blocking the street with fire trucks and hoses. It wasn't like the trolley buses could cut over to the next street and go around.
Wreck? Same result.
This is the whole green New Deal writ small. Plunge into electric vehicles without seeing the ramifications like Transmission lines, charging stations etc.
The Head of the Louisville Transportation Dept was heard to exclaim “It takes HOW LONG to charge them?” before going on an extended vacation.
Never. Being a Leftist means “Never having to say you are sorry” for misfeasance, or even be prosecuted for malfeasance, which is what most of it is.
Great story.
I spent a lot of time in Louisville many decades ago—the corruption in the city government was truly astounding.
I should know—we bribed some of the Aldermen!
If they are using the excuse about first generation new technology why buy nine of these things at a million dollars a copy?
I'm missing something here to make this debacle make sense. Then again, this has to be a Democratic, Union pubic service.
Louisville / Jefferson county government is very leftist and very corrupt. But I repeat myself
Detroit just added 4 new electric buses to its fleet......
The way it worked in Louisville (decades ago) was that if you wanted to do business with the city you hired a “guy” that was “connected” and then he paid bribes to Aldermen and they voted for whatever you wanted.
It was the only city in the country where I never had to meet with city officials directly (to get city contracts).
The “fixer” just “took care of it”.
I was stunned—had my Powerpoint slides all ready to go and was told by the “fixer” that would just confuse the Aldermen.
;-)
Proterra offers a battery leasing program where customers pay for the price of the battery over time, rather than upfront when the bus is purchased. The company says that many customers can make lease payments using their operational savings from reduced fuel and maintenance costs.[1]
“It spent $9 million on nine electric busses”
$1 million per bus shows they are not good stewards of taxpayer dollars, even if the buses worked.
53 freaking years (Just 6 years after LBJ declared, "I'll have them ******* voting Democratic for the next two hundred years.").
The County Attorney's office nearly Democrat that long as well.
Both of the current office-holders -- Greg "BikeLane" Fischer and Tom Wine-o, respectively -- were responsible for killing St. Bre and invading the ghetto with a combined po-po / Nat Guard force that killed two more, during the 2020 Antifa Summer of Shoot'em, all due to a Fischer-led gentrification push called Vision Russell.
The last Republican to hold any local office of note was Miotch, who was Jefferson County Judge-Executive (1978-1985).
You know, Proterra put their battery packs on top, these buses could be retrofitted for hydrocarbon: Remove the battery pack and raise the interior roof with the room saved (which would be attractive, total headroom always a premium even on a premium bus); then remove the last four benches in back and lay in a Cummins diesel.
Translation of this liberal speak = "Those buses are a piece of crap."
You been over the 2nd street bridge recently? According to the symbols on the right lane, bicycles are allowed to ride there. I’ve never seen one, but it is abject insanity to even consider that bikes should permitted to be ridden there.
I’m not completely comfortable riding a good sized motorcycle there. Ditto for anywhere downtown. But the Indian dealer is on the Indiana side so....
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