As of April 2025, WTA no longer uses fossil fuels to power our fixed route buses. We're also on target to operate a fleet that's 55% low- or no-emission by 2030.

What is renewable fuel? Renewable fuel is made from agricultural byproducts. It creates 60% less lifecycle emissions than diesel. When powered by renewable fuel, even conventional (diesel) buses achieve 90% of the carbon efficiency of our hybrid-electric buses.


Is WTA shifting away from electric buses? At least temporarily, yes. WTA operates 12 electric buses. To expand our electric fleet beyond these 12, we would need to invest several million dollars in charging infrastructure. In addition, current model electric buses do not meet our standards for range or performance


Is WTA continuing to invest in hybrid-electric buses, powered by electricity and renewable fuel? Yes, thanks to a 2025 grant from the Federal Transportation Authority's "Low & No Emissions" grant program, WTA will purchase an additional 14 hybrid electric buses in the coming years.

40% of WTA’s Current Fleet is Electric or Hybrid-Electric:

What are WTA’s non-fleet related Decarbonization Strategies?

  • WTA is investing in ways to replace car trips with bus trips by improving the convenience of transit. For example, by:
    • Offering frequent, convenient bus service on high density corridors and providing new service to developing areas of multifamily housing, for example Old Town, King Mountain, and Bellingham’s Waterfront
    • Planning for “Rapid Transit,” with frequencies better than every 15 minutes, on key corridors in Bellingham
    • Partnering with Whatcom Council of Governments on their Smart Trips program, which provides tools and incentives to increase trips by walking, biking, sharing rides, and riding the bus
    • Through our Transit Access Fund, partnering with local jurisdictions to improve access to WTA bus stops, for example by building sidewalks, improving ADA accessibility, and providing storage facilities for bikes
    • Facilitating shared rides for long commutes through our Rideshare (formerly vanpool) program
    • Pursuing public-private partnerships to build Transit Oriented Development in Bellingham and “Transit Friendly Development” in Lynden
  • By partnering with Whatcom Land Trust and Whatcom Million Trees Foundation, WTA is also lowering local carbon emissions by preserving forested lands. To date, these efforts have resulted in
    • preservation of 53 forested acres in Whatcom County
    • sequestration of approximately 190 metric tons of carbon per year (equivalent to eliminating the emissions from 935,000 car miles)