The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced $84.45 million in grant selections through the Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) Grant program, which funds the deployment of transit buses and infrastructure that use advanced propulsion technologies.
In total, 52 projects in 41 states will receive a share of the funding. Eligible projects include the purchase or lease of buses that are powered by systems such as hybrid or battery electric engines, as well as related infrastructure investments such as charging stations.
“Communities across America will benefit from these investments in their transportation infrastructure,” says Elaine L. Chao, DOT secretary.
“FTA is proud to partner with transit providers across the country to support their transit priorities,” adds K. Jane Williams, acting administrator of FTA. “The participation from our local partners shows a dedication to improving access to jobs and opportunities.”
Examples of selected projects include as follows:
- Broward County Transit in Florida will receive $2.2 million to replace aging vehicles in one of the country’s largest and most congested metro areas with zero-emission battery electric buses and supporting solar power infrastructure.
- The Transit Authority of Lexington in Kentucky will receive $2.3 million to purchase zero-emission battery electric buses and will partner with a nonprofit research organization to assess the operational and cost benefits.
- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will receive $1.5 million for the Rural Electrification Initiative, which will replace aging buses in rural transit fleets with battery electric buses, deploy charging stations, and make infrastructure and electrical facility upgrades.
- The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will receive $1.5 million to purchase battery electric buses and charging equipment, as well as technical support and workforce development.
- The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corp. will receive $980,000 to purchase solar power infrastructure to support charging capacity for its electric bus fleet.
Proterra, a provider of heavy-duty electric transportation, says 23 transit agencies will deploy the company’s battery-electric buses and charging infrastructure.
“Now in our fifth year of Low-No Grant participation, it’s gratifying to see such widespread momentum and enthusiasm for zero-emission transportation and battery-electric fleets,” comments Ryan Popple, CEO of Proterra. “We commend these transit agencies for their efforts to reduce fossil fuel consumption and build a cleaner, healthier future together.”
A full list of the funded projects is available here.
Natural gas vehicles with the new LoNox engines using Renewable Natural Gas are proven to be cleaner for the environment than EV’s according to CARB. They are also cheaper than electric. Why are they not being considered for these projects?