Miami Beach, the South Florida island city of nearly 100,000 people, has joined a growing list of cities around the world that are embracing zero-emission technology in an effort to foster more modern and efficient transit systems. Last week, the Miami Beach Mayor and City Commission unanimously approved a resolution to ensure that its trolleys and buses are all emission-free by 2025.
Miami Beach, which has been called “ground zero” in the fight against sea level rise, hopes to make zero-emission technology a centerpiece of its efforts to curb harmful pollution, address climate change, and boost resiliency. The resolution also urges other Miami-area municipalities to pursue the same zero-emission goal.
Many leading global cities, including Los Angeles, Barcelona, and Copenhagen, have embraced a zero-emission future and committed to creating more sustainable transportation systems. By signing the C40 Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration, for example, twelve big-city mayors pledged to procure only zero-emission buses beginning in 2025 and pursue other clean, pedestrian-friendly transit initiatives.
While some have claimed that U.S. transit agencies have been slow to adopt the technology, zero-emission transportation options are growing more central to the future of mobility. Battery-electric buses, which, relative to traditional buses, are cheaper to maintain and foster cleaner cities, are at the forefront of conversations regarding better, more sustainable transit solutions.
