Campaigns

Post-ballot report

Bus bond proposition #2 passed by a vote of 1,207 to 549 (68% in  favor) despite Croton100's strong opposition. We note that the general  budget passed by 1,517 to 261 (85% in favor) so we particularly thank the 17% of voters who voted FOR the general budget  but AGAINST bus bond proposition #2 and said NO to a fossil fuel bus. 

By this vote, residents have given the School permission to  purchase one smaller fossil fuel bus despite the urgency of the climate  crisis.

While we are disappointed with this result, we are encouraged by  the possibility that the School can obtain two electric buses in this  cycle, and we offer our partnership to the School District to achieve  this goal. We have conveyed the purchase possibilities below to School officials and Croton100's willingness to participate and assist.

A few points to note:  

• Even leaving aside Federal EPA funding (which is subject to a lottery system), NYSERDA funding is available that will allow us to buy two electric buses within the bond amount as follows:
  • Large bus (class 7): cost = $350,000, NYTVIP funding = $120,000, our cost = $230,000.
  • Small bus (class 4): cost = 270,000, NYTVIP funding = $90,000, our cost = $180,000
    OR
  • Small bus (class 3): cost = 250,000, NYTVIP funding = $60,000, our cost = $190,000
  • Either way, we are within the $448,000 envelope of the Bond Anticipation Note.
• In other words, the BAN allows borrowing upto $448,000 which is sufficient for two electric buses due to the recent changes in the funding program.
• Note that bus scrappage rules have been loosened, which makes the above funding feasible for us.
• The School has said it needs a smaller bus that can ply on the Parkways, and that there are no such  buses on the market.  Unfortunately, BOE member Dr. Mayyasi repeated  this incorrect statement in a letter to the editor of the  Gazette.  We met with several School officials and raised concerns about the accuracy of this claim. We have posted 4 makes and models of buses that are suitable on our website.
• Given  the environmental crisis and NY State's clear directive that we can't  buy diesel buses after 2027 or drive them after 2035, we hope we can get a good result in this cycle.
• The  School needs to look beyond Bluebird for their purchases -- there are so  many good electric buses available from Proterra, Green Power, Lion,  Motiv, etc.

In conclusion, we urge the School to purchase two electric buses in this  cycle within the financial envelope of bus bond proposition #2 and we  repeat our assertion that anything else would be both environmentally  and fiscally irresponsible. 

VOTE NO on Bus Bond - Proposition #2 on May 17, 2022 Ballot

We urge you to oppose the Bus Bond - Proposition #2 on the May 17 ballot because it does not commit to use any of the $447,800 for the purchase of electric vehicles. It is fiscally and environmentally irresponsible (click here for detailed information and reasoning). And, like last year’s flawed ballot, it asks voters to support funding for fossil fuel buses as the only way to hold out hope for a possible electric bus purchase. For reasons we have thoroughly documented on our website, we have no confidence in the School District’s decision-making and management of transportation electrification activities (see 2021 Fiscal Fiasco here for more details).

Scientists and policy makers have made clear: we must make immediate and drastic reductions in carbon emissions because we are now in the era of Code Red for Humanity. We face dire consequences for our inaction.  Our School District must heed the call by not using tax dollars to buy more fossil fuel vehicles. The District’s plan to replace one fossil fuel bus with one electric bus over the next five years in its 45 bus fleet falls short of the carbon reduction pace needed to stabilize climate systems. Safe transportation of our youth also requires us to protect them from the harm caused by particulate emissions from fossil fuel buses.

Additionally, New York State has created more funding that will favor rapid adoption of electric school buses. State mandates restricting the purchase of fossil fuel school buses in the near future and requiring fully electric student transportation by 2035 are legal forces that buttress the need to forego the purchase of fossil fuel school buses now. If Bus Bond - Proposition #2 is defeated, the School can take advantage of recently announced NYSERDA funding that expands electric bus opportunities, it can use competitive bidding, and it can partner with Croton100 and other stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of electric buses. If the School were to take these actions and others that have been suggested by Croton100, a new Transportation Proposition could be presented to voters that Croton100 could support.

Just say NO.

Below are supporting documents detailing our position:

• Sample ballot with Croton100 recommendation
• 1-page summary supporting a NO vote.
• Detailed rationale for NO vote (4 pages).
• The School District's 2021 $180,000 Fiscal Fiasco.

The School has made a statement that suitable electric minibuses are not available on the market. This is false. Thanks to Mothers Out Front and Jai Thakor of Motiv, below are 5 suitable electric minibuses.

1. Lion A
2. Green Power EV Star
3. Proterra ZX5
4. MicroBird G5 electric
5. Motiv

Below, you will find campaign material including letters to the editor, submissions to the School and relevant articles in the press:

• Photo of lawn sign on Route 129 at East Mount Airy Road urging NO vote on bus bond proposition #2.
• Article in the Croton Gazette, April 14, 2022, about the success of a Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) pilot with Lion electric school buses in White Plains.
• Boston to replace (700) school buses with electric ones by 2030, starting with 20 buses this year, Associated Press, April 7, 2022.
• Vote NO advertisement in River Journal North, May 5, 2022.
• Drumbeat of letters to the editor of the Croton Gazette:
  • Letter to the Editor of the Croton Gazette by Cecilia Sarcone, May 12, 2022, urging a NO vote on bus bond proposition #2 (please note that Croton100 does not support individual candidates running for elected office).
  • Letter to the Editor of the Croton Gazette by Leo Wiegman and Chandu Visweswariah, May 12, 2022, summarizing all the reasons for a NO vote on bus bond proposition #2.
  • Letter to the Editor of the Croton Gazette by Leo Wiegman and Chandu Visweswariah, April 28, 2022, about available funding from NYSERDA from which the School is walking away.
  • Letter to the Editor of the Croton Gazette by Leo Wiegman and Chandu Visweswariah, April 21, 2022, about the harm to children's academic performance by transporting them in diesel buses.
  • Letter to the Editor of the Croton Gazette by Leo Wiegman and Chandu Visweswariah, April 14, 2022, about the obvious reasons to forego diesel buses forever more.
  • Letter to the Editor of the Croton Gazette by Leo Wiegman and Chandu Visweswariah, March 31, 2022 about the School side-stepping the will of the voters to electrify our school fleet.
• Public comments by Patty Buchanan of Croton100 at "Budget Saturday Work Session," March 19, 2022 to Board of Education of Croton Harmon Union Free School District.
• Electric school buses are reaching cost parity with diesel, and a California district will deploy one of the largest e-bus fleets in the state, Electrek article by Scooter Doll, March 18, 2022 (provided to the School Board prior to their transportation decisions for 2022-23).
• Submission to the Board of Education by Croton100, March 22, 2022, before their March 24 meeting to discuss Transportation Bond Propositions.