Pittsburgh Public Schools adds 16 electric buses to fleet
Pittsburgh Public School district buses are going electric.
The district is adding 16 electric buses to its fleet, which officials showed off at a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday morning.
PPS says the new buses are more efficient and better for student health, especially for kids with asthma.
'These electric buses will mean fewer inhalers, fewer ER visits for asthma, and clearer skies over our playgrounds,' Rep. Summer Lee said. 'It means parents can rest easier every morning knowing that their kids are not breathing diesel fumes on their way to school.'
The buses are part of a partnership between PPS and transportation provider First Student. The buses were funded through the EPA's Clean School Bus Program.
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A series of recent actions by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to roll back environmental regulations includes plans to eliminate all limits on greenhouse gases from coal and gas-fired power plants and to rescind the 2009 finding that planet-heating gases, like carbon dioxide, pose a real threat to human health. These rollbacks also come on the heels of recent proposals from the European Union, Australia and Canada to relax rules related to emissions and environmental protections. The overwhelming international scientific consensus is that if we are to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net-zero around 2050. Unfortunately, current commitments from the international community through the Paris Agreement fall far short of reaching those goals. 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The goal is to demonstrate innovative solutions and policy approaches that are replicable and that can inspire other cities to take action to reach carbon neutrality as soon as possible. And, as cities learn from each other about what works to achieve these goals, they are paying it forward by sharing the work and encouraging other cities to take similar action. Why is the work of cities so vital to addressing climate change? Urban areas are responsible for an estimated 75 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. By setting and achieving these carbon neutrality goals, global cities have the ability to keep us on track toward the Paris Agreement climate goals despite wavering support from the U.S. and other governments. Most critically, these efforts are vital to offsetting the threat to natural systems and promoting the health and well-being of all its citizens. Simone Mangili is the executive director of The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
