noise reduction is extremely significant, especially for the students we serve. And three, we do believe electric transportation is less polluting overall.” In fact, Berlin said the most immediate and measur- able benefit has not been air quality, but noise reduction, particularly for students with special needs. “All of the kids we transport are in special education
programs,” he said. “The buses are much quieter, and the kids arrive calmer. The attendants and teachers notice it right away.” By contrast, improvements in cabin air quality have been harder to detect in a dense urban environment. “We’ve done some limited air quality monitoring, and
we haven’t seen a big difference in the air inside the bus compared to outside,” Berlin said. “We think this is because there’s already a relatively high baseline level of pollution in a crowded city.” That reality underscores a key point. The benefits of
electric buses can vary significantly depending on geog- raphy and surrounding conditions. Berlin emphasized that New York City’s operat- ing environment, which consists of shorter routes,
stop-and-go driving that can harvest power from regenerative braking, dense infrastructure and available electrical capacity, might make electrification more fea- sible than in rural districts. “We think it makes sense for New York City,” he said.
“But we also recognize that other places, like rural areas or mountainous regions, may have very different oper- ating environments.” At the same time, Berlin urged policymakers and
industry observers to recognize that the transition is still evolving.
“This is a very big change, and there will be growing
pains,” he said. “We’ve seen early-generation buses with limited range, and we’ve worked with manufacturers to improve things like the routing of wiring harnesses, charger integration and battery capacity. That’s normal. It’s how new technology gets better.” Rather than waiting for perfect conditions, Berlin en- courages fleets to start small. “We started with two buses and two chargers on our
shortest routes,” he said. “That helped us get over the fear and learn what works.”
42 School Transportation News • JUNE 2026
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