Chattanooga Shuttle Buses Run on Electricity
Last Updated: 10/27/2009
Chattanooga, Tennessee, sits between a river and a mountain, and the downtown corridor stretches about two miles north to south and between 6 and 10 blocks east to west. The corridor includes the museum district along the riverfront, the business district, and the main shopping district. The Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) was formed as part of a city renaissance program and CARTA decided to switch to electric shuttle buses to transport residents and tourists.
The fleet of 15 22-foot electric shuttle buses run at 5-minute intervals and the ride is free. CARTA transit authorities estimate that the vehicles have covered more than 2.5 million miles saving an estimated 86 tons of pollutants. CARTA also financed and built parking structures at both ends of the route to intercept automobile traffic before it reached the downtown corridor.
Former Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater acknowledged that Chattanooga's innovations in streamlining the connections between automobiles and transit, and introduction of electric buses and other alternative-fueled vehicles as a major contributor in "reducing traffic congestion, protecting the environment, enhancing mobility and revitalizing communities." For more information, contact CARTA.
