New York invests $80 mn in zero-emission public transport
Eligible applicants include regional transit authorities and municipal providers, though the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and intercity bus operators are not covered. The latter operate in New York City, for example.
The funding is awarded under the state’s Zero-Emission Transit Transition (ZETT) programme. It will support the purchase of battery-electric and hydrogen-electric buses, charging and refuelling infrastructure, and facility upgrades across seven transit authorities.
The largest awards, each totalling $17.5 million, will go to the Capital District Transportation Authority, Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, and Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority. Their projects include new facilities, charging infrastructure, and the procurement of battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell buses.
Suffolk County Transit, Broome County Transit, and Ulster County Area Transit will receive smaller grants for bus purchases, facility design, and site planning.
The ZETT programme, launched in December 2024 with an initial $100 million budget, is a key element of New York’s broader plan to reach its climate targets. The 2026 budget has since increased total programme funding to $120 million.
“New York’s push to transition public transit agencies to zero-emission fleets is a crucial step in achieving our clean energy goals,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said. “Increasing the number of zero-emission transit vehicles in every corner of our state will deliver cleaner air and healthier communities across New York.”
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said the funding represents “targeted, smart investments in zero-emission transit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” She added that the programme “offers local New York transit agencies a unique opportunity to invest in climate-friendly vehicles for their respective fleets, which will help improve the health of local communities while reducing the state’s carbon footprint.”
State Senator Jeremy Cooney said the initiative demonstrates how “ambitious climate goals go hand-in-hand with transportation and infrastructure goals,” while Assembly Transportation Committee Chair William Magnarelli noted that the funding “will help in this effort, especially Central New York.”
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