Atomic City Transit presents zero-emissions fleet transition plan, requests federal funding for initial vehicles and chargers

Atomic City Transit staff and consultant Stantec presented a zero-emissions fleet transition plan and funding strategy to the Transportation Board, recommending battery-electric vehicles as the primary near-term technology and outlining funding needs, facility upgrades, utility partnerships and workforce training requirements.

James (Atomic Transit staff) introduced the report and said the work was undertaken to meet federal grant requirements. Anna Lee Castillo of Stantec, the project manager, described a six-element plan required for FTA “low- or no-emissions” grant applications: a long-term fleet strategy, funding needs assessment, policy assessment, facility assessment, utility partnerships and a workforce development plan. Castillo said the study used a proprietary modeling tool to test operational feasibility and concluded that battery-electric buses are the recommended technology for most vehicle types today, while hydrogen may become feasible in future years if regional fuel supplies and infrastructure develop.

Castillo summarized the phased approach: replace vehicles as they reach the end of natural service life and phase in zero-emission buses to reach a full transition by the 2040s. The report projected approximately $35,000,000 in vehicle procurement costs over the multi-decade transition and calculated initial facility and charging capital of about $5,500,000 for a complete implementation. The first funding request for the current federal application would seek about $3.9 million to procure five electric vehicles for initial implementation and support early charging equipment needs.

Castillo emphasized the operational requirement of on-route (opportunity) charging for some routes: “Without the on-ride charging, they will have to be very substantial modifications to the service or the size of the fleet,” she said, adding that demand-response and some vehicle classes (for example, cutaway vehicles) currently have better battery-electric availability than hydrogen.

Board members pressed on operational and cost details. Vice Chair Nancy Talley asked about en-route charging times, additional bus and staffing needs, and maintenance costs. Atomic Transit staff said they have modeled layover charging windows (10–15 minutes in service schedules) and are evaluating yard charging vs. on-route charging; yard-only charging would require more vehicles and drivers. The agency reported ordering two electric buses in November 2024 with expected delivery in November 2026 and described continuing coordination with the county power utility (DPU) for electrical upgrades. Stantec said DPU has been supportive and was preparing a letter of support once mapping and charging plans are provided.

On workforce planning, Stantec recommended a “train-the-trainer” approach and collaboration with local training institutions; the firm estimated workforce training support at roughly $300,000 and included training timelines tied to vehicle arrival.

Public commenters and board members asked about earlier electric-bus procurements and funding stability amid federal budget changes; Stantec said its funding source list predated recent federal administration changes but the firm is preparing an update and that, to date, they had not seen notices freezing funding for current 2024–25 awards. Atomic Transit said they secured additional FY25 funding from NMDOT to support two buses ordered in late 2024.

No formal board vote was taken. Staff and consultants said the agency will continue to refine the grant application materials, finalize DPU coordination and return with required documents for any formal endorsements or approvals tied to specific funding requests.