Calif.'s San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) will convert its existing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Express Route 44 to 100% battery-electric, zero-emissions buses in August. That BRT route, featuring vehicles designed and built by Proterra, will be the first in the U.S. to feature all-electric bus service.

At the time of the conversion, Route 44 will be extended to serve passengers from the Downtown Transit Center (DTC) in Central Stockton to as far south as Qantas Lane near Arch-Airport Road.

Electric buses can travel up to 40 miles or 2 hours on a charge, according to Proterra. The RTD charging stations take about 10 minutes to completely recharge a bus. The benefits of using electric buses include cleaner air, quieter operation, and reduced maintenance cost.

The price of each bus is approximately $850,000. RTD received grant funding to cover the cost of the new electric buses. RTD will launch a second all-electric BRT route in January 2018 along the MLK corridor in South Stockton. That route will connect with RTD's existing three BRT corridors. 

In further support of RTD's commitment to its clean air initiatives, RTD's Board of Directors will be asked to pass an official resolution to declare its intent to convert to 100% electric, zero-emission buses for all routes serving the City of Stockton by 2025.