$1.66 Billion in Federal Infrastructure Funding Awarded to U.S. Bus Systems

Recent weeks have been packed with federal grant announcements, from RAISE competitive grants to Build Back Better Regional Challenge competitive grants, if you blinked you might have missed the Federal Transit Administration’s announcement of $1.66 billion funding for the Bus and Bus Facilities and Low or No Emission Vehicle (Low-No Program) programs. The latter provides funding to help transit agencies buy or lease U.S.-built low- or no-emission vehicles, including related equipment or facilities.

In an August 16 press release published by the Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is quoted saying that the funding “means more good jobs for people across the country, cleaner air in our communities, and more affordable and reliable options to help people get to where they need to go.”

Both programs gained a major influx of funding reach through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).  The IIJA provided $5.5 billion over five years for the Low-No Program, for example—six times more than the previous five years of funding. The IIJA provides nearly $2 billion over five years for the Grants for Bus and Bus Facilities Program. 

The complete lists of projects funded in 2022 for both programs can be found online at the FTA website.

For a local example of Low-No Program funding, the Sustainability Commitment Program at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) received a $19.3 million grant to purchase 25 electric buses and charging infrastructure.