Menu
Find a rewarding career, check out the many opportunities that await you HERE!
  • |
  •  

GILLIG, Pierce Transit Partner On Fleet Electrification

Pierce Transit is adding six GILLIG electric buses to its fleet, providing clean, quiet public transportation to Pierce County residents. The benefits of all-electric buses include zero emissions, 30 percent fewer parts, and lower maintenance costs compared to standard fuel buses.

The new buses are similar in appearance, operation and componentry to Pierce Transit’s standard 40’ GILLIG low-floor Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, which will save Pierce Transit maintenance and training costs. The propulsion system for these electric buses is manufactured by Cummins and features battery packs and an electric traction motor versus the standard engine and transmission. The buses can travel between 150 and 170 miles on a single charge (actual figures can vary based on driving conditions).

Mike Griffus, CEO of Pierce Transit, notes “these buses are a continuation of our desire to become carbon neutral as soon as possible. One of our goals as a transit agency is to help combat climate change and we are exploring all initia-tives to achieve that goal. A side benefit is to help diversify our fleet in the unlikely event of supply line failures.” 

Pierce Transit already has one of the cleanest bus fleets in the nation, with about 80 percent of its buses running on clean, compressed natural gas, another 13 percent are hybrid-electrics, and 5 percent are battery-electrics. Just 2 per-cent of the agency’s bus fleet runs on diesel. Pierce Transit has a goal of converting 20 percent of its bus fleet to electric by 2030. 

In 2016, Pierce Transit received a $2.55 million “Low or No Emission Program” federal grant to purchase three battery-electric buses and related charging infrastructure. Those electric buses, the first in South Sound, went into service in 2018. This year, six new battery-electric buses were purchased, three with Washington State Department of Ecology Air Pollution Control Account funds and three with federal Volkswagen settlement funds. The new buses went into service this week.

“These additional six battery electric buses will provide Pierce County with reliable and environmentally friendly transit,” said Bill Fay, GILLIG Vice President of Sales. “We’re looking forward to building on our partnership with Pierce Transit which began in 2010 and helping the agency achieve its goals of transitioning more of its fleet to electric. These new zero-emission buses will deliver industry-leading performance and durability.”   

Pierce Transit plays a key role in reducing the number of single-occupant vehicles on the road and the pollution they gen-erate. In 2019, Pierce Transit customers skipped 9.3 million car trips, taking Pierce Transit buses, paratransit rides or Vanpools instead. Pierce Transit’s commitment to sustainability is reflected throughout the conception, planning, design, construction and operation of its system. They agency believes sustainability practices must make good business, public, and environmental sense by balancing the community's economic, social and environmental needs. Adding new GILLIG electric buses to the fleet supports these sustainability efforts.

For more information about Pierce Transit’s electric bus fleet, visit PierceTransit.org/electric-bus/

About Pierce Transit:
Founded in 1979, Pierce Transit is a nationally recognized leader in the public transportation industry. The agency’s ser-vice covers 292 square miles of Pierce County with roughly 70 percent of the county population. Serving Washington’s second largest county, Pierce Transit provides three types of service:  regular bus, SHUTTLE paratransit and Vanpools that help get passengers to jobs, schools and appointments. In 2019, the agency provided 9.4 million rides on its com-bined services.

About GILLIG LLC
GILLIG is the leading manufacturer of heavy-duty transit buses in the United States. The company offers a portfolio of clean-energy propulsions including zero-emission battery electric, diesel-electric hybrid, near-zero emission compressed natural gas and clean-diesel, all designed on the proven GILLIG Low Floor Platform to maximize fleet commonality. GILLIG products help reduce congestion, contribute to a cleaner environment, and provide mobility to all. More information about GILLIG can be found at www.gillig.com.


##

Back To News

© 2024 Pierce Transit, All Rights Reserved. Site Design and Development by SiteCrafting

Trip Planner Help

Trip Planner Tips - Entering Locations

To create a trip plan you need to enter both a starting location (origin) and an ending location (destination). For information about stops, schedules, or service at a specific location, you only need to enter one location.

The Trip Planner recognizes most street intersections and addresses as well as many landmarks in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties. If what you entered is not immediately recognized, the Trip Planner will offer you a list of options. You can choose one of the options, but if your intended location is not there, select the "Revise Original Entries" link to return to the entry page and change the entries you have already made.

Addresses

  • You don't need to type in the city along with the address. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
  • You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type 110 Jones instead of 110 Jones Boulevard.)
  • You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 1000 Main instead of 1000 S Main. But type 1000 West Viewmont for 1000 West Viewmont Way W.)
  • Some streets and addresses are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby location, such as an intersection or a landmark.
  • You should not enter the suite number or apartment number.  Just the house number and street name (Example: type in 401 Broadway instead of 401 Broadway Avenue Suite 800).

Intersections

  • The "&" symbol is the only character used between two street names to show an intersection. (Examples: 1st & B, James & Madison)
  • You don't need to type in the city. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
  • You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type Conifer & Jones instead of Conifer Circle & Jones Boulevard.)
  • You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 3rd & Main instead of 3rd S & S Main. But type 34th & West Viewmont for 34th W & West Viewmont Way W.)
  • Some streets are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby intersection or a landmark.

Landmarks

Government Sites: Pierce County Health Dept, Pierce Co Sheriffs Office, Tacoma City Hall

Major Commercial Sites: Tacoma Mall, Sheraton Hotel

Transportation Facilities: Sea-Tac Airport, Greyhound Bus Depot

Schools & Colleges: Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Community College

Sports & Leisure: Cheney Stadium, Pt Defiance Zoo

Medical Facilities: Group Health, Tacoma General Hospital


Close

Email Route


Close

Report Issue With This Planned Trip


Close