Skip to main content

US DOT announces 2016 funding for clean buses

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced the 20 transit providers in 13 states which will receive a share of US$55 million under its Low or No-Emission (Low-No) Bus Competitive Grant Program. The program provides funding for buses and related technology that replaces aging diesel fuel buses with battery-electric or fuel cell-powered vehicles and incorporates other innovations. Among the projects selected to receive 2016 Low-No funding are the Santa Clara Va
July 27, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The 324 US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced the 20 transit providers in 13 states which will receive a share of US$55 million under its Low or No-Emission (Low-No) Bus Competitive Grant Program. The program provides funding for buses and related technology that replaces aging diesel fuel buses with battery-electric or fuel cell-powered vehicles and incorporates other innovations.

Among the projects selected to receive 2016 Low-No funding are the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority of California which will purchase battery electric zero-emission buses and fast-charging stations, upgrade a maintenance facility and provide workforce training on maintaining new technology buses.

The Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works will receive funding to purchase 40-foot electric buses, which will replace part of a fleet that now has 70 per cent of its traditional buses operating beyond their expected useful life.

Park City Transit of Utah will receive funding to purchase zero-emission buses that will run on a bus rapid transit route and provide high-frequency service connecting major activity areas and giving residents and visitors a viable commuting option with cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

FTA awarded the FY 2016 funds after a competitive review of more than 100 applications. The grants allow agencies to acquire buses and supporting facilities and infrastructure such as maintenance facilities and recharging equipment – including new ‘en-route’ charging that extends battery life. Many agencies also use the grants to develop knowledge in their workforces about how to operate and maintain a new generation of buses.

Related Content

  • September 26, 2012
    Milton Keynes to trial wirelessly charged electric buses
    In an initiative to enable the quieter, cleaner future of public transport in Milton Keynes, UK, eight organisations led by a subsidiary of Mitsui Europe ("Mitsui") have agreed a five-year collaboration committing to the replacement of diesel buses with their all-electric counterparts on one of the main bus routes in the city by summer 2013. The trial, which could reduce bus running costs by between US$19,500 and US$23,000 per year, is a partnership between Mitsui subsidiary eFleet Integrated Service, Milto
  • February 12, 2016
    New LowCVP report: The Journey of the Green Bus
    A new report by the LowCVP for Greener Journeys describes The Journey of the Green Bus; how innovation and supportive policy over the last decade and more has transformed the bus sector from being a part of the problem to being an important part of the solution to poor urban air quality as well as contributing to tackling climate change.
  • June 30, 2020
    Connecticut public transit buses to go Robotic
    Service will be first in US to run automated buses on a fare-paying route
  • April 19, 2016
    Spreading the word about Bike Share in the US
    Smart bike share technology and funding policies help bridge the transit gap through the final mile as Andrew Bardin Williams explains. The sharing economy is coming to Portland this summer. BikeTown, the city’s new bike share program sponsored by Nike, will be launched in mid-July with 1,000 bicycles distributed across 100 stations throughout the city. Originally funded by a $2 million federal grant, the program has been boosted by a $10 million sponsorship deal with Nike ensures funding for the next five