WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration has announced $1.5 billion in funding to support 117 projects that will improve public transportation in 47 states.
This is the third round of federal funding that the Biden administration is releasing to help transit agencies serve more riders, reduce air pollution, and train workers on new technologies.
FTA has awarded nearly $5 billion in the past three years to replace and modernize transit buses on U.S. roadways, building new technology with American workers. U.S. factories will produce more than 4,600 of these new buses.
'The Biden-Harris Administration is helping agencies replace old buses running on dirtier, expensive fuels by delivering modern and zero-emission buses, manufactured by American workers, that will connect more people to where they need to go,' said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
FTA said that for this year's selections, it prioritized awards that will help strengthen U.S. bus manufacturing, stabilize the cost of new buses, and accelerate the delivery of new vehicles.
Of the 117 projects selected, 47 projects totaling $817 million are from applicants that committed to procuring standard model buses or using a joint procurement. Buying standardized bus models without customization can shorten manufacturing timelines and contain costs.
'By prioritizing these awards, FTA is encouraging lower costs and accelerated vehicle delivery that will result in more American-built buses getting on the road faster,' the Department of Transportation said in a press release.
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