HONOLULU — The state Department of Transportation announced that 21 alternative-energy and low-emission buses will be deployed across the state thanks to the Buses and Bus Facilities and Low or No Emission grants under President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
HONOLULU — The state Department of Transportation announced that 21 alternative-energy and low-emission buses will be deployed across the state thanks to the Buses and Bus Facilities and Low or No Emission grants under President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
A total of $35 million includes the following for The Kaua‘i Bus: Acquisition of four electric buses and expansion of the base yard to prepare the infrastructure needed to transition its fleet to electric buses by the year 2035 and provide the space required to expand and improve transit service quality.
Maui, Hawai‘i County and the City &County of Honolulu all were awarded grants for similar improvements.
“Congratulations to the three counties of Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island and Maui. These competitive grants will benefit many thousands of residents and visitors to those islands,” said Jade Butay, DOT director. The DOT manages federal transit grant requests for the three counties. The City &County of Honolulu deals directly with the Federal Transit Administration for these grants.
“This new federal funding will make it easier for people to get to where they need to go while making our roads cleaner and quieter,” said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing. “Improving our public-transit system with electric buses means that we can provide affordable transportation while reducing our carbon footprint.”
The Federal Transit Administration’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program supports transit agencies in buying and rehabilitating buses and vans and building bus-maintenance facilities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides nearly $2 billion over five years for the program. For fiscal year 2022, approximately $550 million for grants was available.
FTA’s Low or No Emission Grant Program makes funding available to help transit agencies buy or lease U.S.-built low- or no-emission vehicles, equipment or facilities.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $5.5 billion over five years for the so-called “Low-No Program – more than six times greater than the previous five years of funding. For fiscal year 2022, approximately $1.1 billion was available for grants under this program.
w Info: transit.dot.gov/bus-program
