Proterra founder proclaims a “first in the world”

The founder of the company that makes electric-powered buses proclaimed Seneca’s all-electric bus service achievement a “first in the world.” Dale Hill was one of the headline speakers as Seneca held grand opening for its electric vehicle facility, inside the Seneca Rail Park building on Shiloh Road. Seneca contracted with Hill’s Proterra Company, which produced an all-electric fleet of passenger buses for the city. Those electric buses have since replaced gas diesel-fueled buses, and the city is realizing savings. But Poterra’s Ryan Popple, the company’s CEO, says in this area the electric buses “have avoided 500 thousand pounds of air pollution.” Seneca Mayor Dan Alexander retraced some of the steps his city took to get into the bus business and, with a handful of county leaders in the audience, expressed the hope that an effort will succeed to extend bus service to other parts of the county. The city has announced the finish of the Rail Park as part of the Livable Communities Initiative of the Federal Transit Administration.