DIFFERENCE TOGETHER.

WE CAN DRIVE CHANGE.

>> MORE ILLINOIS DRIVERS ARE GETTING BEHIND THE WHEELS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES, BUT IT'S TAKING MORE TIME FOR SCHOOL BUSES TO GET UP TO SPEED.

CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE AMONG THE FIRST IN LINE FOR FUNDING TO PICK UP THE PACE.

WDW NEWS REPORTER AMANDA PHENICIE JOINS US NOW WITH MORE.

AMANDA CPS LEARNED THIS WEEK THAT IT WON A CLEAN BUS GRANT.

TELL US MORE.

>> AND THERE'S THAT.

SO CPS IS AMONG THE 67 WINNERS NATIONWIDE IN A FIRST BATCH OF MONEY GOING THROUGH A COMPETITIVE FEDERAL PROGRAM.

IT WAS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW THAT PASSED IN 2021, THE CPS DUE TO RECEIVE 20 MILLION DOLLARS AND THAT WILL BE USED TO BUY AS THE PROGRAM NAME SUGGESTS CLEAN BUSES BUSES THAT RUN ON ELECTRICITY AND NOT ON DIESEL.

I MEAN, THE WIRE, ELECTRIC BUSES, PREFERABLE RAN IN PART.

IT IS JUST THEY REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES.

SO OVERALL, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT FROM A MORE LOCAL LEVEL.

THEY DON'T SMELL.

THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH OF A SOUNDS.

YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT NOISE.

POLLUTION, BUT ALSO, OF COURSE, THE ARTS VIEWING THAT DIESEL EXHAUST.

AND THAT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHO IS WRITING THESE BUSES.

SO WHILE IT BENEFITS THE THAT THE PLAN IS TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY OVERALL, REALLY, THAT'S BENEFICIAL FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS WHOSE YOUNG LUNGS ARE STILL DEVELOPING AND THEY COULD SUFFER EFFECTS LIKE ASTHMA WHEN THEY ARE DEALING FOSSIL FUEL VEHICLES.

AND WE'RE GETTING A BIT OF A LOOK AT SOME ELECTRIC PROCESS THAT ARE IN USE BY A CTA.

A MINUTE.

YOU SAID THIS PROGRAM IS COMPETITIVE.

>> WHY DID CHICAGO WIN?

WELL, CHICAGO ONE BECAUSE I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY SEEN THE GRANT PROCESS THAT HAS OR THAT THE GRANT APPLICATION THAT HASN'T BEEN RELEASED YET.

BUT I DID SPEAK WITH FOLKS ON THE PRESIDENT'S ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COUNCIL WHO SAID THAT ONE BIG THING THAT THE EPA WAS CONSIDERING WHEN DETERMINING WINNERS THINGS SUCH HISTORICALLY HARM TO NEIGHBORHOODS AS IT WAS PHRASED IN REALLY THIS APPLICATION INTENTIONALLY PUT DOLLARS TOWARD HELPING THOSE COMMUNITIES.

THESE BUSES, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE IN A 50 BUSES, NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH FOR ALL THE STUDENTS IN CPS.

OF COURSE, RATHER, IT IS GOING TO GO TO SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE'RE TALKING ALL GARDENS BACK OF THE YARDS EAST SIDE, LITTLE VILLAGE, MCKINLEY PARK NORTH LAWNDALE NEW CITY PILSEN ROSELAND SOUTH DEERING AND SOUTH LAWNDALE 20 MILLION DOLLARS.

SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY BUT ONLY 50 BUSES.

AND SO ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH SOMEBODY FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND POLICY CENTER ABOUT THIS.

HE SAID REALLY BAD UP FRONT BECAUSE REGULAR SCHOOL BUS THEIR NORMAL AS WE WOULD THINK OF IT IS ABOUT $100,000 IN THESE COST 3 TIMES THAT.

BUT SHE SAID THAT ACTUALLY LONG-TERM, THAT'S AN INVESTMENT THAT PAYS OFF BECAUSE ELECTRICITY IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN FOSSIL FUELS AND PARTICULARLY LESS EXPENSIVE THAN DIESEL.

AND ALSO THERE ARE A LOT FEWER PARTS.

SO THEY'RE EASIER AND QUICKER TO MAINTAIN REAL AND I THOUGHT CHICAGO HAD A SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS WHO'S GOING TO RIDE THESE BUSES STILL DOES BRAND AS CPS'S LATEST DATA THAT I GOT JUST YESTERDAY IS 714 DRIVERS.

BUT 586 VACANCIES STILL SO NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH.

BUT ANOTHER A PORTION OF THIS IS TO TRY AND BRING IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

AND THAT IS YOU'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON THE ROADS, INCLUDING MORE MANUFACTURERS, INCLUDING HERE IN ILLINOIS, WILL USE THE TERM AGAIN UP TO SPEED WORKERS WITH HOW TO DEAL WITH THOSE.

AND INCLUDING FROM SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THESE BUSES WILL BE ROUTED THROUGH, TRY AND PERHAPS HIGHER FROM COULD DRIVE THOSE PUNS ALL AND OF