Member Briefing: February 28, 2020
- February 28, 2020
- Posted by: Joe Milazzo II
- Category: Member briefing
Here is a brief weekly update from the RTA business coalition — the voice of the regional business community on transportation.
More electric buses? RDU says “yes.”
At the February 2020 RDU Airport Authority board meeting, RDU voted to purchase four additional battery electric buses from Proterra. RDU was the first public transportation entity in the Triangle to provide battery electric buses when it launched four buses into service last spring, shuttling passengers between Park Economy 3 and 4 and Terminals 1 and 2. RDU notes that their existing electric buses have already saved RDU an estimated $47,000 in fuel and maintenance costs. Proterra is a long-standing RTA member firm and they and other members have been leading the way to a more sustainable, and financially efficient, mobility future. Within about 12 months there will be a total of 20 electric buses serving RDU Airport, GoTriangle, GoRaleigh, Chapel Hill Transit, and Duke University Transit.
More passengers? RDU says “and more and more.”
Earlier this month, RDU announced that passenger traffic for January 2020 was up 8% compared to January 2019. On the heels of an overall level of 14 million annual passengers in 2019 — the largest in Airport history — the increases in passengers shows no sign of abating. We have previously noted that our region will face a funding gap for RDU between $1 and $2 billion over the next two decades. The RTA RDU AID task force will begin meeting again next month as they work to advance solutions to RTA’s top priority: identifying sustainable funding for essential growth at RDU.
More RTA members? The region says “let’s get moving” and joins RTA.
The RTA Leadership Team, RTA Steering Committee, and RTA professional staff are fully committed to providing the focus, action, and impact that our members expect in order to advance the most critical priorities of the regional business community. Whether your company has been a member for a few weeks or more than a decade, we appreciate your commitment to regional business leadership.
Let’s get moving,
Joe
Joe Milazzo II, PE
RTA Executive Director
