US FTA awards $423M for electric bus projects

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is awarding grants for bus projects in the USA again. A total of 423 million dollars for 94 projects in 42 states – including many projects with electric buses and charging infrastructure.

Officially, the funding is to “improve the safety and reliability of America’s bus systems and enhance mobility for transit riders.” The projects aim at a variety of public transport projects across the United States, with deference to local needs and involvement of local transit authorities. Funds for these projects range from a few thousand to $17 million in some cases, as infrastructure and vehicle acquisition, as well as facility maintenance.

One of the larger fund transfers is going to support two projects in Arizona, for example, which will receive $17.4 million to construct a new connection centre, as well as acquire electric buses. Michigan will see $8.5 million go to modernise their fare collection system for buses, as well as replacing older diesel buses, however, no mention was made about electrification in this instance.

In total, 11 of the 42 projects aim to establish electric infrastructure and transportation routes, while the majority are to update outdated public transportation under the FTA Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. 270 applicants across 43 states and territories entered a total of 318 applications for eligible projects. For the fiscal year of 2019, more than $12 billion in funding have been made available through both formula and competitive grant programs for public transportation.

transit.dot.gov, transit.dot.gov (Project list)