Bloomington awarded $7 million to gamble on electric buses
Despite reported drops in usership in town, and well-documented charging problems in Indianapolis, Bloomington has jumped into the Electric Bus game, accepting Federal funds to gamble on the shaky-at-best track record electric buses have demonstrated throughout the country.
Bloomington Transit (BT), was awarded $7 million from the federal government to add eight (8) “zero emission: Battery Electric Buses (BEB) needed for transit service expansion. The City of Bloomington stated in a Press Release, that this project complements the recommendations from the 2021 Bloomington Public Transit Corporation Alternative Fuels and Infrastructure Assessment Study for the long-range transition to alternative fuels for the BT fleet. Additionally, and that it supports the goals of the City of Bloomington’s Climate Action Plan, which has the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Although the release did not address the long term issues which many cities have been facing along the subject.
Indianapolis’ IndyGo has recognized the realities of power losees, especially at temperatures below 50 degrees. The City of iIdianapolis has had to undergo millions of dollars in capital expenditures throughout the years, to install booster stations throughout the City to accommodate the electric buses.
Additionally, cities throughout the nation have experienced unplanned boosts in servicing electric buses, considering many studies demonstrate tghat the electric fleets only travel 1/5 of the mileage in between service calls, compared to their diesel counterparts. And of course, there is the plaguing challenge of how to handle the batteries once they fail . . . a problem which presents an environmental nightmare.
Is it worth the overall risk to the taxpayers and potentially the environment, to make this call, while serious questions remain? The Hamilton Administration believes so. Mayor Hamilton thinks that these 8 Federal taxpayor-funded buses will, “help Bloomington Transit be the sustainable social and economic engine that improves lives and offers equitable freedom of mobility for our community residents.”
Learn more about Bloomington Transit, including routes, schedules, and fares at bloomingtontransit.com.
Johnson Creamery smokestack being reduced in size
The nearly 75 year old smokestack of the Johnson Creamery is in the midst of a reduction, being resized from 110 to 60 feet.The reason the Bloomington icon is undergoing surgery is the City of Bloomington issuance of an unsafe building order for the smokestack earlier this calendar year. The cellular tower hosted atop, was removed this past Spring, to accommodate the construction.
The Bloomingtonian was onsite during the commencement of construction, to film the event.
Butler and IU offer Art Survey
Butler University and Indiana University are in the early stages of developing continuing education opportunities in arts management. These offerings center around education to develop management skills, organization efficiency, and fundraising strategies. To make our potential offerings as meaningful and as impactful as possible, we seek your input as we embark upon this collaborative initiative and development. See survey
This Week in Hoosier History
2010 – Walnut Grove, an historical park, was dedicated in Vincennes. The park was located at Grouseland, the home of Territorial Governor William Henry Harrison.
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