Update on CAT Bus arrival in Seneca

The City of Seneca is eagerly awaiting the arrival of four new all-electric passenger buses.  The City contracted Proterra to build the new high tech, energy efficient buses.  Seneca Planning and Community Development Director Ed Halbig gives an update on the expected arrival of the new CAT buses.  “They are on their way sooner than later is what I would say and we’ve got CAT buses that are going to be painted this month.  Two of them that are sitting waiting to get to the painting facility and then two more that are basically ready to come off the line this month and then they will be following to the painting facility.  As they get painted and we get the decals put on to them, they will be coming into the area.” Work has already begun in preparation for the new all-electric buses.  Crews are in the process of establishing the charging stations, adds Halbig. “For these buses we have to install our charging stations and that is what is going to be happening here this month in the downtown and over at Oconee Medical Center.  You will see some work starting, we have got Zorn coming out and they will be working on grading, fixing the sidewalks, putting in pull-outs essentially for these buses to take them out of the drive lanes and put them in their own dedicated lanes where they will be able to meet up with the fast charging stations.” Halbig explains how the charging stations will operate. “Drive up to the charging stations, have the charge heads lower onto them and within under ten minutes get the bus back to a fully charged state.  That is going to happen basically during the normal service, so, when the buses come into the downtown, several of them will be getting charged there on the hour, on the half-hour and when the buses go past the medical center they will be getting charged there as well.” The City received a $4 million Federal Transportation Administration grant and a $1.8 million Livability grant to fund the project.  Halbig said the City is already tentatively planning a dedication ceremony to celebrate the fact that Seneca will be the first city in the United States to operate an all-electric, fare-free, public transportation system. “We are expecting to see all of this probably within October or early November that is when we expect to see buses actually running through the City of Seneca.  We hope to have a dedication at some point there after, probably sometime around the beginning of December.  We will celebrate the achievement, all the hard work that the people at Proterra, the people at CAT Bus have done to put this together plus some of our local and state officials who have been instrumental in helping us get these grants.” Work is also being done at the old Propex property to house the buses and perform any future maintenance.  Livability grant funding is paying for that as well as improvements to the downtown bus station including restrooms.