When we look at the future of public transportation, we might think of what is happening with our local transit districts. However, it may be the iconic yellow school bus that is pointing the way towards what we can expect to see next. The American School Bus Council estimates that each day over 25 million children take one of the more than 480,000 school buses that comprise the collective national fleet. This makes school buses the single largest mass transit system in the nation.
Vista Unified School District may best exemplify the next evolution of school bus technology. This is because Vista Unified is going green with everything from fourth generation electric lawn mowers to their school bus fleet. Recently the first six fully green technology electric buses arrived at the district bus yard. We anticipate converting more than 15 buses to electric in the coming year. “This conversion represents our commitment to the environment and positioning the district for operational success now and in the future” stated Superintendent Dr. Matt Doyle. Vista Unified, a nationally recognized thought leader in educational excellence and innovation, has taken a proactive approach that has included receiving grant awards for going green.
Over the next two months the first group of the Vista Unified electric buses will undergo commissioning. This is a rigorous process to ensure that school buses meet the highest safety standards for student riders and the public. Once commissioning has been completed, you can plan to see students being transported on these new green technology additions to the district bus fleet. However, it will come as no surprise that while these buses will be powered by green technology, they will still appear in the same iconic yellow that have been the hallmark of school buses for over 80 years.
