Business

La Crosse in the market to buy more electric buses, charging station for MTU

Published

1 year ago

February 1, 2023

Brad Williams

FILE - La Crosse city busses at Grand River Station on Jan. 30, 2023 (PHOTO: Brad Williams)

More electric buses could be added soon to La Crosse’s MTU fleet.

The city council Finance & Personnel Committee will consider Thursday a plan to purchase two 35-foot electric buses, along with two charging stations.

The F&P Committee meets at 6 p.m. (agenda here), in the council chambers at City Hall.

City leaders also plan to upgrade the electrical grid at the bus barn on Isle La Plume. The proposal could be passed along to the full council meeting next week.

FILE – President Joe Biden participates in a tour of the La Crosse Municipal Transit Authority with Adam Lorentz, Transit Manager, La Crosse Municipal Transit Utility, left, and Laurie Nederloe, bus driver for La Crosse MTU, Tuesday, June 29, 2021, in La Crosse, Wis. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The MTU already has two electric buses in operation. The plan is to increase the charging facility so those buses can be charged more quickly.

President Joe Biden visited the La Crosse MTU facility in June of 2021, to promote electric and hybrid buses as part of the 10-year, $1 billion Inflation Reduction Act that was signed into law in the fall of 2022.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.