AASHTO Journal - Nine State DOTs Win ‘Low-No’ Emission Grants from FTA

The Federal Transit Administration issued roughly $182 million on June 25 to fund the acquisition of low- and no-emission buses and to support the facilities that maintain those buses. The agency originally posted a notice of funding opportunity for this grant money in February.

[Above photo collage by the FTA]

Some 49 projects in 46 states and territories are receiving a share of that $182 million through the FTA’s Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) Grant program, which funds the deployment of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses and supporting equipment and facilities.

That includes nine state departments of transportation, which are receiving grants to cover costs for a variety of “Low-No” projects, such as:

The Connecticut Department of Transportation will receive more than $7.4 million to purchase battery electric buses and upgrade its Waterbury bus facility to support and maintain electric buses.
The District of Columbia Department of Transportation will receive more than $5.1 million to purchase battery electric buses to replace older diesel buses that have reached their useful life, build re-charging infrastructure, and install a solar canopy to power the buses.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation – in partnership with the counties of Hawai’i, Kauai, and Maui – will receive more than $5.1 million to purchase battery electric buses and support charging infrastructure to replace diesel buses that have reached their useful life.
The Iowa Department of Transportation will receive more than $2.7 million to replace older diesel buses with zero emission buses for the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (known as “CorridorRides”), the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency, and southeast Iowa Bus or SEIBUS regional transit agencies. The funding also will support charging infrastructure and facility upgrades to accommodate the new buses and enable each agency to reduce fleet emissions in their urban and rural communities.
The Idaho Department of Transportation will receive more than $2.5 million to purchase electric buses and associated charging infrastructure on behalf of Mountain Rides in Blaine County.
The Michigan Department of Transportation will receive more than $5.1 million on behalf of Thumb Area Transit in rural Huron County to replace an undersized, aging transit facility with a centrally located Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED-certified maintenance, operations and administrative center to improve transit services and maintain its new battery-electric bus fleet.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation will receive more than $4.9 million to purchase new electric buses and charging infrastructure on behalf of the North Central Regional Transit District.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation will receive more than $1.02 million to purchase electric buses and chargers for Tri-Valley Transit as well as train its mechanics and drivers.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation will receive more than $1.1 million to purchase battery electric buses on behalf of Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit.

“Public transit connects people to jobs, services, and loved ones – and when our transit buses produce low or zero emissions, it’s an even bigger win for communities,” noted U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement.

“There is overwhelming demand to support low and no emission transit all around the country – in both rural and urban areas – and meeting this need is a matter of climate responsibility and public health,” he said.