The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced some good news last week, support for more efficient bus fleets. More efficient means they should be more economical, create energy savings, and cut pollution.
Vehicular exhaust adds to global heating, and also leads to many kinds of illness and premature death and maximizes some viruses. Children who ride mass transit in cities are affected the most by such pollution. Air pollution causes and exacerbates asthma for countless children, as well as others.
Air pollution is taking three years from the average human life, worldwide. We can’t avoid it — though, young children and the elderly are more vulnerable.
Image courtesy of New Flyer Infrastructure Solutions.
The DOT announced approximately $130 million in grant selections through the Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) Grant program. The funds support the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses and supporting facilities, such as charging infrastructure.
At this point in time, based on years of coverage on CleanTechnica, we think funding should support a 100% focus of no-emissions for anything for mass transit, but the DOT/FTA is being softer on the problem and less optimistic about the solutions available today.
Nonetheless, it is nice to see some good support for clean transit and transit infrastructure, as too many governmental policies and agencies in are failing US citizens at this time — all while other countries are setting examples and honoring the Paris Climate Agreement.
In total, 41 projects in 40 states and the District of Columbia will receive funding through the program. Below are the projects, with their funding total being $129,956,625.
Fiscal Year 2020 Low or No-Emission (Low-No) Bus Program Projects
| State | Project Sponsor | Project Description | Funding Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| AK | City and Borough of Juneau (Capital Transit) | The City and Borough of Juneau will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace aging diesel buses and associated charging infrastructure. | $5,014,400 |
| AL | Alabama A&M University | Alabama A&M University will receive funds to purchase zero-emission electric buses, which will replace diesel buses that have reached the end of their useful life. | $2,229,189 |
| AZ | City of Tucson | The City of Tucson will receive funds to purchase electric buses and associated charging infrastructure to improve service efficiency and customer service. | $3,757,100 |
| CA | Antelope Valley Transit Authority | The Antelope Valley Transit Authority (AVTA) will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to improve service efficiency to the cities of Palmdale, Lancaster and Northern Los Angeles County. | $6,253,255 |
| CO | Colorado Department of Transportation | The Colorado Department of Transportation on behalf of Avon Transit in Avon, CO, will receive funds to purchase new electric buses, which will replace diesel vehicles that are reaching the end of their useful life. | $1,600,000 |
| CT | Connecticut Department of Transportation | The Connecticut Department of Transportation will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to support the CTfastrak Bus Rapid Transit Service. | $1,931,452 |
| DC | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) | The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will receive funds to purchase new electric buses, associated charging equipment and infrastructure improvements. | $4,162,472 |
| FL | Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS) | Gainesville RTS will receive funds to purchase a new electric bus to replace an existing diesel bus that has reached the end of its useful life, and to modify its existing charging station equipment to support its electric bus fleet. | $1,205,620 |
| GA | Chatham Area Transit (CAT) | Chatham Area Transit (CAT) will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace aging diesel buses and associated charging infrastructure. | $1,871,240 |
| HI | Honolulu Department of Transportation Services | The Honolulu Department of Transportation Services will receive funds to purchase electric buses to support fleet expansion, on-route chargers and associated charging infrastructure. | $5,940,005 |
| IA | Iowa City Transit | Iowa City Transit will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace diesel buses that have reached the end of their useful life, to ensure a state of good repair. | $3,017,280 |
| ID | Idaho Department of Transportation | The Idaho Department of Transportation on behalf of Mountain Rides in Blaine County will receive funds to purchase new electric buses and associated charging infrastructure. | $2,445,000 |
| IL | Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLINK) | The Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLINK) will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace buses that have exceeded their useful life and to expand service. | $2,965,851 |
| KS | City of Lawrence (Lawrence Transit) | The City of Lawrence (Lawrence Transit) will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace buses that have exceeded their useful life. | $3,756,000 |
| KY | City of Owensboro | The Owensboro Transit System will receive funds to purchase an electric battery bus and a charging station to maintain a state of good repair. | $927,629 |
| LA | Capital Area Transit System | The Capital Area Transit System will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace vehicles that have reached their useful life and support charging infrastructure. | $3,872,089 |
| MA | Massachusetts Department of Transportation | The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Martha’s Vineyard Transit Authority will receive funds to purchase new electric buses and support charging infrastructure. | $1,100,000 |
| MD | Maryland Department of Transportation (Maryland Transit Administration) | The Maryland Department of Transportation (Maryland Transit Administration) will receive funds to purchase new electric buses and support charging infrastructure as it transitions to a zero emission fleet. | $2,949,750 |
| MI | Michigan Department of Transportation | The Michigan Department of Transportation will receive funds to replace aging diesel buses with zero-emission electric buses and related charging station infrastructure, and provide maintenance and first responder training for the new technology. | $6,393,031 |
| MN | City of Rochester | The City of Rochester will receive funds to purchase new electric buses for service expansion and related charging infrastructure. | $3,156,746 |
| MO | Bi-State Development Agency | The Bi-State Development Agency (Metro Transit) serving the St. Louis region will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace aging diesel buses and related charging infrastructure. | $2,380,000 |
| MS | City of Jackson | The City of Jackson, MS will receive funds to purchase new diesel electric hybrid buses to replace aging diesel buses that have reached their useful life expectancy. | $5,500,000 |
| MT | Missoula Urban Transportation District | The Missoula Urban Transportation District will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace aging diesel buses and related charging infrastructure. | $3,649,000 |
| NC | Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) | The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) will receive funds to purchase electric buses with dedicated charging stations and provide maintenance and first responder training for the new technology. | $3,723,712 |
| NE | The Transit Authority of the City of Omaha (Metro) | The Transit Authority of the City of Omaha (Metro) will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace aging diesel buses that have reached their useful life expectancy along with dedicated charging stations, support maintenance and first responder training for the new technology. | $2,369,500 |
| NH | The City of Nashua | The City of Nashua will receive funds to purchase new hybrid electric vans to replace aging vehicles and related charging infrastructure. | $356,046 |
| NJ | New Jersey Transit Corporation | New Jersey Transit will receive funds to purchase new electric buses for service expansion purposes. | $7,074,310 |
| NM | New Mexico Department of Transportation | The New Mexico Department of Transportation will receive funds to purchase electric buses to replace aging vehicles along with dedicated charging stations and provide maintenance and first responder training for the new technology. | $2,920,000 |
| NV | Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada | The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada will receive funds to purchase new hydrogen fuel cell electric buses, and related support infrastructure. | $3,853,200 |
| NY | Westchester County | The Westchester County Department of Transportation will receive funds to purchase electric buses and support infrastructure to replace aging diesel buses that have reached their useful life expectancy. | $1,501,444 |
| OH | Laketran | Laketran will receive funds to purchase an electric bus with support charging infrastructure. | $1,900,000 |
| OK | Central Oklahoma Transportation Parking Authority | The Central Oklahoma Transportation Parking Authority will receive funds to purchase a new battery electric bus to replace an aging diesel bus that has reached its useful life. | $711,255 |
| OR | Salem Area Mass Transit District | The Salem Area Mass Transit District will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace aging diesel buses that have reached their useful life expectancy. | $3,573,581 |
| PA | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) | The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will receive funds for infrastructure upgrades to support its current battery electric bus fleet at a maintenance facility in Philadelphia, PA. | $4,300,000 |
| RI | Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) | The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace aging diesel buses that have reached their useful life expectancy. | $5,076,000 |
| SC | Greenville Transit Authority (Greenlink) | The Greenville Transit Authority (Greenlink) will receive funds to purchase new electric buses and support charging infrastructure. | $5,277,325 |
| TX | Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority | The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority will receive funds to purchase new electric buses to replace aging diesel buses that have reached their useful life expectancy. | $2,266,000 |
| UT | Utah Department of Transportation | The Utah Department of Transportation on behalf of Park City Municipal Corporation will receive funds to purchase support charging infrastructure to meet the needs of its electric bus service expansion. | $1,080,000 |
| VT | Vermont Agency of Transportation | The Vermont Agency of Transportation will receive funds to purchase electric charging equipment and enhance its maintenance facilities to support electric vehicle charging equipment. | $793,420 |
| WA | Kitsap Transit | Kitsap Transit will receive funds to purchase battery electric buses to replace aging diesel buses that have reached their useful life expectancy. | $3,920,000 |
| WI | City of Racine | The City of Racine will receive funds to purchase battery electric buses, charging stations and infrastructure upgrades. | $3,183,723 |
Electric bus charging at bus stop. Image courtesy Volvo.
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