The Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the selection of 10 projects that will receive a share of $55 million in competitive grants that will put a new generation of advanced, non-polluting transit buses on the road across the country. Funding is provided through FTA’s Low or No Emission Vehicle Deployment Program (LoNo). “These buses will help increase efficiency, improve air quality and reduce our nation’s dependence on oil,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
The projects selected include Sunline Transit Agency, in partnership with the Southern California Association of Governments, which will receive $9.8 million to deploy five hydrogen electric hybrid fuel cell buses, allowing the agency to offer expanded transit service in the Coachella Valley area. Ballard Power Systems, BAE Systems and ElDorado National will form an Integrated Product Team to build these new buses, as well as another five same-kind units for the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority (SARTA), Ohio, which will receive $8.8 million for this purchase.
Regarding Proterra buses, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority (DART), Texas, will get $7.6 million to buy and operate seven of all-electric vehicles; Duluth Transit Authority (DTA), Minnesota, will receive $6.3 million to acquire six Fast Charge Electric buses, two charging stations and a maintenance facility charger; Lextran, the transit authority in Lexington, Kentucky, will receive $6 million to purchase five battery-electric buses, one charging station and one maintenance area charging system; and San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD), California, will obtain $4.7 million to purchase five battery-electric buses and a charging station.
The Transit Authority of River City (TARC), the agency for the Louisville, Kentucky, and southern Indiana area, will also buy five Proterra battery-electric buses and a fast charging station with a $3.3 million grant. Moreover, the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA), the transit provider in Central Massachusetts, will receive $1 million to purchase and install a Proterra charging station for its existing fleet of zero-emission battery-electric buses.
Another recipient is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston, which will receive $4.1 million to develop and deploy five 60-foot articulated New Flyer battery-electric buses on the MBTA Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit System. Finally, the Red Rose Transit Authority (RRTA) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will get $2.6 million to purchase 17 electric hybrid buses to be manufactured by BAE Systems and Gillig.
Source: FTA
