Clean Fuel News

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $130 Million in Grants for Nationwide Projects to Expand Advanced, Efficient Bus Technologies

Modified from a news release from the FTA | June 2, 2020

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced approximately $130 million in grant selections through the Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) Grant program, which funds the deployment of transit buses and infrastructure for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses and supporting facilities. In this competition, FTA focused on the introduction of new technology not commonly found within U.S. transit systems such as advancements to propulsion systems. Forty-one projects in 40 states and the District of Columbia will each receive funding through the program.

“These grants will help communities nationwide deploy the next generation of bus technology to enhance their transportation system,” said Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

Eligible projects include the purchase or lease of buses powered by modern, efficient technologies. These include hydrogen fuel cells, battery electric engines, and related infrastructure investments such as charging stations.

“Since its establishment, FTA’s Low-No Emission grant program has funded over $409 million in new buses, infrastructure, and training, strengthening America’s economy in a fast-growing industry,” said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams.

Included in the funded projects is a project sponsored by the Capital Area Transit System. CATS, Baton Rouge’s public transit system, will be receiving $3,872,089 in funding to “purchase new electric buses to replace vehicles that have reached their useful life and support charging infrastructure.” CATS also won $2,500,000 of Low-No Grant funding in 2019 for the purchase of “electric buses for Bus Rapid Transit fleet expansion and agency transition to electric vehicles.”

“We are extremely happy to receive this grant funding from the FTA,” said CATS CEO Bill Deville in a CATS press release. “These funds will allow the agency to purchase new, smaller 30' electric buses to add to our bus fleet. This not only enables us to continue working on our commitment to increasing the electric buses in our fleet, it also lets us replace some of the remaining older, larger vehicles that have reached their useful life,” Deville continued.

CATS was one of the 41 projects funded from this competitive program and the only project awarded in Louisiana.