Hundreds of Millions for Bus and Bus Infrastructure Grants

There is $226M for governments to upgrade or replace bus infrastructure and buses and implement emissions reduction and connectivity technologies.

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The Federal Transportation Administration’s (FTA) Bus and Bus Infrastructure Program Grants assists local, state and tribal governments in financing buses and bus facilities capital projects, including replacing, rehabilitating, purchasing or leasing buses or related equipment, and rehabilitating, purchasing, constructing or leasing bus-related facilities.

Approximately $226.5 million is available for fixed route bus operators and services. Funding may be used to:

  • Replace, rehabilitate and purchase buses, vans and related equipment
  • Construct bus-related facilities
  • Implement technological changes or innovations that modify low- or no-emission vehicles or facilities

Eligible bus infrastructure projects may also include incidental costs related to the above, such as the costs of related workforce development and training activities and project administration expenses.

The Fine Print

Competitive allocations are based on asset age and condition. A pilot provision for 2017 allows urbanized areas with populations between 200,000 and 999,999 to participate in voluntary state pools that allow transfers of formula funds between designated recipients during the authorized period.

FTA may prioritize bus infrastructure projects that address significant repair and maintenance needs, improve transit system safety and deploy advanced technologies to connect bus systems with other networks.

Applications are due August 25, 2017.

A 20 percent match is required.

Learn more and apply on Grants.gov.

Download the agency’s required supplemental form on Transit.dot.gov.

Additional Resources:

Read about Chicago’s zero-emission electric buses.

Access information about FTA grants used for tribal CNG buses.

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