The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced it will provide $180 million in grant funding for low- or no-emission vehicles and facilities via a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
The FTA’s Low or No Emission (Low-No) grant program would help eligible project sponsors purchase or lease low- or no-emission vehicles and support facilities that use technology to provide cleaner, more energy efficient transit operations. This year’s NOFO will prioritize projects that include an environmental justice component and those that support workforce development activities for America’s transit workers.
“The Biden Administration is committed to investing in clean transportation, and the Low or No Emission Program will put more American-made, energy-efficient buses into service across the country,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “This is an important step forward in ensuring that communities have access to high-quality, zero-emission transportation options.”
FTA Acting Administrator Nuria I. Fernandez said priority would also be placed on projects that help improve air quality areas where certain pollutants place the air quality in non-attainment and maintenance status as outlined by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
“Through the Low-No grant program, transit operators nationwide have the ability to replace aging buses near the end of their lifecycle with newer, cleaner models that are more efficient to operate and maintain,” Fernandez said.
The funding opportunity is open to public transit agencies, state transportation departments, and Indian tribes. Grants will be awarded based on criteria in the NOFO, including the applicant’s demonstration of need, the project’s benefits, the project’s implementation strategy, and the capacity for implementing the project. Completed proposals must be submitted electronically through Grants.Gov by April 12, 2021.