New jersey seeking gas-powered bus ban to start in 2031

TRENTON, NJ – Senator Bob Smith, representing the 17th District of Middlesex and Somerset, has sponsored a pivotal bill, Senate No. 214, which mandates the transition of New Jersey’s public transportation motorbuses to electric power by 2035. This legislation, pre-filed for the 2024 session, underscores New Jersey’s commitment to environmental sustainability and public health.

The bill outlines a phased approach for public entities, including the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit), to adopt electric motorbuses. Starting in the fiscal year 2031, 25% of new motorbuses purchased for regular route services must be electric, escalating to a 100% requirement by fiscal year 2036. This initiative is part of New Jersey’s broader efforts to mitigate environmental impact and transition to cleaner transportation options.

To support this ambitious transition, the bill stipulates an annual appropriation of $82 million from the societal benefits charge and revenues from carbon emission allowance sales through the Transportation and Climate Initiative Program. These funds are designated to assist public entities in preparing for the shift to electric buses, including training staff and retrofitting facilities.

Additionally, the bill mandates NJ Transit and county transportation services to submit a comprehensive report by March 1, 2025. This report will detail their progress in preparing for electric motorbus adoption, including staff training, facility upgrades, transition scheduling, fleet analysis, and financial impacts compared to maintaining a non-electric fleet.

The legislation also revises the Statewide Capital Investment Strategy for NJ Transit. The current requirement for transitioning to lower emission buses will sunset in FY 2030, paving the way for the full electrification of the motorbus fleet starting FY 2031. This move is expected to significantly reduce emissions from public transportation, aligning with New Jersey’s environmental goals.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.