East Bay Transit Authorities Awarded $35.6M For Clean Fuel Buses

EAST BAY — The U.S. Department of Transportation announced approximately $35.6 million in extra funding to East Bay transit agencies Tuesday to bolster their fleets of no- and low-emission buses.

The funding comes from Federal Transit Administration programs, which will award about $20.6 million to the Western Contra Costa Transit Authority and $15 million to the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District, along with another $198 million to California transit agencies and approximately $1.5 billion in total funding to 117 transit projects across 47 states, according to the office of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and the office of U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland.

With the funding, the WestCAT and AC Transit will replace their older diesel buses with hydrogen fuel cell buses and expand their hydrogen fueling stations and maintenance facilities. The projects will also boost workforce training to support the agencies' transitions to wholly zero-emission fleets, the legislators' offices said.

WestCAT and AC Transit, along with other transit agencies, secured their funding by proposing their respective projects in applications to the Department of Transportation, said Sean Ryan, a spokesperson for Lee's office.

The transition to low- and no-emission transit fleets will improve air quality in the region, the offices said.

"For too long, communities along busy transit corridors — especially lower income communities — have felt the impact of poor air quality," Padilla said. "This substantial investment in the transition to low- and zero-emission buses will protect public health and promote a cleaner commute for millions of Californians."

Funds for these projects originate from the Federal Transit Administration's Low or No Emission grant program and Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities program, Padilla's office said.

The Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities program provides federal funding for transit agencies to buy and rehabilitate buses and vans and build and modernize bus facilities, the FTA website states.

The Low or No Emission program helps transit agencies buy or lease American-made, low- or no-emission vehicles; upgrade transit facilities and stations to accommodate such vehicles; and purchase such equipment as battery electric charging, the FTA website also states.

Of the $233 million in support to 16 California transit agencies, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Sacramento Regional Transit District will receive the highest payouts, approximately $77.5 and $76.8 million, respectively, according to Padilla's office.

"These funds will help to modernize the buses in the East Bay and cut down on air pollution," said U.S. Representative John Garamendi, who represents parts of Contra Costa County. "I look forward to seeing all the good that will come from this federal investment."

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