CTA Receives $1.5 Million Federal Grant For Electrified Vehicle Stalls

By Anna Deem in News on Mar 7, 2010 10:00PM

The Chicago Transit Authority has received a $1.5 million federal grant from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to construct electrified vehicle stalls that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and unnecessary fuel consumption.

The stalls will deliver electrical power for up to 80 vehicles and provide services such as heating and air-conditioning to vehicles that would otherwise be left idling during overnight cleaning, said a press release from Sen. Dick Durbin's office. The electricity would also help to reduce diesel consumption and emissions from parked buses in Chicago and suburban areas.

"The funding announced...will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Chicago," Durbin said to the Chicago Sun-Times. "As more and more people are choosing to leave their cars at home for their daily commute, helping ensure that public transit is not only affordable and reliable, but also environmentally friendly is the right thing to do."