OUSD To Help Clean Oakland’s Air By Adding Three New Electric School Buses to Fleet, in Partnership with Zum, Through Major Clean Mobility Options Grant
Oakland – Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is taking an important step with its student transportation partner, Zum, to contribute to a greener environment in Oakland. The two organizations have been awarded a $450,000 grant to purchase three new electric school buses to serve Oakland students by the Clean Mobility Options (CMO) Voucher Pilot Program. The project is part of California Climate Investments (CCI), a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment — with a focus on disadvantaged communities.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant with Zum so we can transition our buses to electric,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “Many Oakland residents suffer from respiratory issues including asthma, often caused by vehicle emissions and other airborne pollutants. We will do everything we can to help clean the air that our students and families breathe, and the greening of our buses is a huge win for the District and for everyone who lives in Oakland.”
The Zum fleet currently takes 1,500 OUSD special education students to and from school every day, running nearly one million miles per school year. Electrifying all of the buses within the fleet will reduce carbon emissions by 1,200 tonnes per year, which are otherwise emitted by diesel buses.
“We are proud to partner with the Oakland Unified School District to provide modern, safe and reliable transportation for students. This grant from CMO will support our work with the district to drive sustainable change for the community,” said Vivek Garg, co-founder and chief operating officer at Zum. “At Zum, we’re reimagining student transportation. This is a meaningful step to advancing the use of clean technology, which is healthier for both the environment and the communities we serve.”
The California Air Resources Board awarded a total of $20 million in Clean Mobility Vouchers across the state as part of the CMO pilot to support the implementation of mobility projects like bike-sharing and scooter-sharing, zero-emission carsharing, carpooling and vanpooling, innovative transit services and ride-on-demand services.
Post based on press release to Zennie62Media from Oakland Unified School District.