MARTA has won a $19.3 million federal grant to replace some of its compressed natural gas buses with battery electric buses. (File photo by Jason Getz / [email protected])
By David Wickert
MARTA and two other Georgia transit agencies will receive $31 million in grants for electric buses and equipment, the Federal Transit Administration announced Tuesday.
MARTA will get $19.3 million to buy battery electric buses and charging equipment to replace older compressed natural gas buses. The FTA says the money will improve air quality in the Atlanta area and support a two-year apprenticeship program with local technical colleges.
Augusta-Richmond County will receive $6.3 million for electric buses and equipment to replace aging diesel buses. The Chatham Area Transit Authority will get $5.5 million for electric buses and equipment.
The Georgia grants were among the $1.7 billion in funding the FTA announced Tuesday for bus fleets and facilities. The money comes from programs included in the infrastructure law Congress passed last year.
Among other things, the money will help pay for more than 1,100 vehicles that use zero-emissions technology. The FTA says the funding will nearly double the number of “clean” buses on American roads.
Read the original story on AJC.com.
