FTA announces grants to expand low- or no-emission transit vehicles & facilities

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced approximately $182 million in funding for low- and no-emissions buses and the facilities that support them.

FTA says this program helps contribute to the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by the end of the decade. The project selections were approved as part of the 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. A total of 49 projects in 46 states and territories will receive funding through the program.

FTA's Low-No Program supports transit agencies in purchasing or leasing low- or no-emission buses and other transit vehicles that use technologies to provide cleaner, more efficient transit service. FTA says this year's funding opportunity prioritized applications with an environmental justice component as well as those that support workforce development to help America’s transit workers succeed even as their jobs change along with technology.

"The Federal Transit Administration is proud to support our transit partners to upgrade their fleets with newer, cleaner vehicles and facilities," FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said in a statement. "These projects are all designed to take dirty buses off the road and replace them with clean, electric models, improving the air we breathe and protecting our planet for future generations."

A few examples of 2021 Low-No grant projects include:

• The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will receive nearly $7 million to purchase battery electric buses and charging equipment, upgrade its Southside bus depot, and provide workforce training. 
• The Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will receive $5.1 million to purchase electric chargers and make improvements at its East Liberty Garage to support future electric buses as part of its planned bus rapid transit system.
• The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Washoe County, Nevada, will receive nearly $6.5 million to purchase hydrogen fuel cell-electric buses and construct a hydrogen fueling facility to improve service reliability and air quality for residents in the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.
• The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community's Salt River Transit, which provides transit service to Native American communities in and around Scottsdale, Mesa, and Tempe, Arizona, will receive $611,840 to replace diesel-powered transit vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life with battery electric vehicles as well as install charging stations. 

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SOURCE: Federal Transit Administration