BATA Showcases The Power Of Green Public Transportation

With the addition of two new Ford e-Transit vans, BATA’s electric vehicle fleet now consists of six vehicles. (Photo courtesy of BATA)

For the recent Earth Week 2025 (April 18-24), the Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA-Traverse City, MI) highlighted its role as a regional leader in green energy and sustainability. BATA continues to focus on providing essential transportation while lowering the agency’s environmental footprint.

In April, BATA added two more electric vans to its vehicle fleet and has started the installation of approximately 600 solar panels to the roof of its new operations headquarters in Traverse City.

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.

EV chargers are also in the process of being procured for BATA’s new operations headquarters, and fast EV chargers are being installed at BATA’s Hall Street Transfer Station for the purpose of charging 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 to promote the free 40-plus space Park-n-Ride lot which should be installed later this summer.

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.

“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,” BATA Director of Communications and Development Eric Lingaur said. “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.”

Visit www.bata.net/green.