The Federal Transit Administration recently awarded Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) a $7.094 million grant to support the purchase of buses as the agency phases out older model vehicles.
“The timing of this grant couldn’t be better as we begin to receive early delivery of new, state of the art vehicles from Gillig and as we move ahead with preparations to provide service to the massive crowds we expect next year with the FIFA World Cup,” Nadine Lee, DART president and CEO, said.
Earlier this year, DART announced its planned purchase of 476 new buses as part of DART’s Transform, a $2.5 billion 10-year plan to modernize and upgrade the agency’s system. The buses are compressed natural gas-powered and have nearly no emission. The first buses will enter service by the end of the year, and full phase-in is expected through 2027.
DART previously was awarded $103 million in federal grants. The grants help reduce the overall cost to DART and its member cities.
A total of 165 transit projects across the United States were awarded more than $2 billion in federal grants.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) provides service to more than 171,000 passengers daily in a 700-square-mile, 13-city region.