TRAVERSE CITY — In celebration of Earth Week 2025, the Bay Area Transportation Authority is emphasizing its commitment to sustainability and green energy.
According to an April 22 news release, this month BATA added two more electric vans to its vehicle fleet and has started the installation of approximately 600 solar panels on the roof of its new operations headquarters located on the corner of Hammond and LaFranier Roads in Traverse City.
“BATA continues to look for ways to be more environmentally friendly, incorporating green technologies into all facets of the organization,” said Chris Davis, BATA Interim Executive Director. “Whether it’s solar panels, alternative-powered vehicles or just getting a few more cars off the road, BATA is dedicated to helping make the community it serves greener.”
Electric Vans
With the addition of two new Ford e-Transit vans, BATA’s electric vehicle fleet now consists of six vehicles. The new vans are equipped with mobility lifts for transporting wheelchairs. BATA has been running electric vans for more than a year and has been seeing solid performance, averaging around 120 miles per charge, depending on the weather. Other features of the electric vans include:
- Seating for up to 10 passengers, with ADA accessible versions being able to accommodate up to two wheelchairs each
- Smooth and quiet ride
- Regenerative braking system
- Onboard telematics to track battery life in real-time
- According to Ford, each Ford e-Transit van has a lifetime savings of 55 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to an internal combustion engine Ford Transit. That’s equivalent to 6,189 gallons of gasoline saved.
EV chargers are in the process of being procured for BATA’s new operations headquarters, and fast EV chargers are also being installed at BATA’s Hall Street Transfer Station to charge buses mid-route. BATA also received a $5,000 grant from the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation in 2024 to install EV chargers at its new LaFranier Park-n-Ride transfer point for public use and promote the free 40+ space Park-n-Ride lot, which should be installed later this summer.
Solar Power
In the Fall of 2024, BATA received a $795,673 grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to install more than 600 solar panels on the roof of BATA’s new Operations Headquarters. Keen Energy Inc. was selected as the solar vendor and installation has started and will be completed by the end of May or early June. Benefits of the solar project include:
- $60,000 in annual estimated recurring electrical utility savings
- 320 kW of electricity will be generated for use by BATA, with any excess returning to the grid
- 260 tons of estimated carbon dioxide and 1 ton of sulfur dioxide removed from Michigan’s air, land and water, which is equivalent to removing 64 vehicles from roadways
“Using public transportation is a great way to shrink your own carbon footprint. By sharing a ride with friends and neighbors, it benefits our local community with cleaner air and water and reduces our region’s impact on climate change,” said Eric Lingaur, BATA Director of Communications and Development. “Changing individual habits can make a big impact on our environment, and Earth Week is a great time to explore how we can incorporate public transportation into our routines.”
Other green features of BATA’s new HQ and operations include:
- Windows – plenty of low and high windows throughout office areas to allow for natural sunlight, improving employee performance while also reducing the need to turn lights on and off
- LED lighting throughout with occupancy sensors that automatically turn off lights when no one is in a room
- High-speed overhead doors in the bus garage – minimizing heat loss during cold temperatures
- Insulated precast concrete wall panels as part of the bus storage garage, improving HVAC performance
- On-site bus wash bay that reclaims water for reuse, limiting water consumption
- BATA continues to operate 65% of its fleet with low or no emission vehicles by utilizing 46 propane-powered vehicles along with the fleet of 6 EV vans
- There are 21 solar-powered shelters throughout BATA’s network
According to the 2021 UCLA report on the 5 Environmental Benefits of Sustainable Transportation, public transit makes a positive impact on the environment and the climate by helping reduce pollution, creating healthier communities and reducing the number of cars on the road. Learn more about the benefits of public transit and how it directly makes a positive impact on the environment by saving fuel, lowering an individual’s carbon footprint and reducing vehicle congestion on area roadways by visiting www.bata.net/green.
