Phoenix granted $16.3M for public transit buses, infrastructure
Aug 19, 2022, 4:25 AM | Updated: 7:39 pm
(City of Phoenix Public Transportation Photo)
(City of Phoenix Public Transportation Photo)
PHOENIX — The city of Phoenix Public Transit Department was granted $16.3 million for greener buses and supporting infrastructure, officials said Tuesday.
“Phoenix is a leader in fighting climate change, and we are on our way to becoming the world’s most sustainable desert city,” Mayor Kate Gallego said in a press release.
“This grant is adding to that success, increasing our ability to purchase clean vehicles and invest in needed infrastructure.”
Funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the grant will replace aging buses with battery electric and hydrogen fuel-cell buses while also installing new infrastructure needed for bus charging.
It’ll also help in workforce development by training transit personnel to maintain the new vehicles.
As many as 12 hydrogen fuel cell buses and six battery electric buses with charging equipment will be available to purchase with the grant funds, according to the Federal Transit Administration.
The newer buses are expected to launch on Phoenix roadways in 2024.
Phoenix city councilwoman, Yassamin Ansari, said the grant is the “best way to tackle human air pollution.”
There are 500 heavy duty buses running on alternative fuels in the Valley, including natural gas and biodiesel.
In Pinal County, the city of Tucson was granted just over $12.2 million to fund as many as 19 battery electric buses and charging equipment for fixed-route and regional paratransit services.
Both projects are expected to improve air quality.
