Pasadena, CA – The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) today announced that it will provide funding for seven different transit properties to purchase 51 zero emission buses. The FTA also announced that an additional solicitation is now on the street that would provide a total of $55 million for the purchase of additional low and no emission buses.

In the FTA press release U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said “This Administration is committed to investing in an economy powered by clean transportation.  The Department of Transportation is proud to build on the successful Low-No program to put more American-made, energy efficient buses into service across America.”

In total the FTA provided $22.5 million in funding to help the seven transit properties purchase the 51 buses as well as electric vehicle charging equipment.  The funding provides for the deployment of zero emission buses that are powered by batteries as well as hydrogen fuel cells.

“The FTA is providing catalytic investment that will help spur the growth of the zero emission bus market.  It’s very possible that as a direct result of this FTA program by 2020 ten percent of all new transit buses sold will be emission free,” said CALSTART President and CEO John Boesel.

CALSTART, a national non-profit clean transportation organization, partnered with the Utah Transit Authority and the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority in Ohio on their successful applications. CALSTART will be assisting in the management of the projects and helping to analyze and evaluate the performance of the zero emission buses.

In addition to announcing the winner of the 2015 competition, the FTA indicated that under the transportation bill, known as the FAST Act, it will provide $55 million a year in funding for Low and No Emission buses.  CALSTART is now working with teams to submit applications for the 2016 funding.  Proposals are due in May.

Below is a copy of the FTA announcement:
https://www.transit.dot.gov/about/news/us-department-transportation-announces-projects-selected-receive-225-million-grants-clean