Senator Chuck Schumer has introduced legislation that would subsidize car owners as they transition from gas-powered to all-electric vehicles. Transit advocates say this is just one part of the solution.
The legislation would provide around $3,000 in subsidies for car owners who trade in their gas vehicles. Low-income households would get a $2,000 rebate for new electric vehicles.
“Senator Schumer’s proposal is a good one, [but] it must be paired with investments in mass transit, particularly buses, and by that I really do mean electric buses of course, in our urban and suburban communities, if we’re going to make the impact we want to,” said Nick Sifuentes, executive director of Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a transportation advocacy group for New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Schumer’s legislation would also provide $45 billion in grants to develop charging stations in private homes, streets and parking lots.
