OCTA CEO Darrell Johnson recently attended Global Mass Transit’s third annual Conference on Clean Buses in San Francisco. This conference provided a forum to discuss funding, policies and programs for zero-emission bus (ZEB) deployment, along with optimal strategies to transition to a clean fleet. The conference also provided a platform to showcase new technologies and bring together policymakers, transit agencies, state transportation departments, local government officials, manufacturers, consultants and researchers.
At the conference, Johnson participated in a keynote session discussing the role of ZEBs in the journey to net-zero and overcoming barriers to ZEB deployment. He highlighted some of the projects and programs that OCTA has delivered so far and some of the challenges faced.
In 2020, OCTA became the first in California to submit the zero-emission bus roll-out plan that guides its transportation investments to ensure that 100% zero emissions are achieved by 2040. Also that year, OCTA unveiled the largest transit-operated hydrogen fueling station in the nation and purchased 10 hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses. Currently, OCTA is testing both hydrogen fuel-cell and battery-electric buses to determine which zero-emission technology, or mix of technologies, will work best for Orange County.