EVERETT, Wash., June 26, 2023—Today, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $22,171,265 in grant funding to three Northwest Washington transit agencies to transition to low-no emission buses, build sustainable bus infrastructure and invest in green jobs.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering cleaner and greener bus service to Northwest Washington,” said Larsen, the lead Democrat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Thanks to this historic funding, the state of Washington and local transit agencies in Whatcom, Skagit and Island counties will be able to keep people moving while reducing maintenance costs, lowering energy consumption and pulling carbon pollution out of public transportation.”
The grant funding comes from the FTA’s Low or No Emission Vehicle and Buses & Bus Facilities initiatives, which were established as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL); the Low or No Emission Vehicle initiative is based on Larsen’s GREEN Buses Act. The BIL invests $5.5 billion through Fiscal Year 2026 in the Low-No Program – more than six times greater than the previous five years of funding combined. The funding also includes support for workforce training, registered apprenticeships and project labor agreements to diversify and grow the workforce.
Grants for Local Transit Agencies
Transit agencies in Whatcom, Island and Skagit counties were awarded $22,171,265 in Low-No grant funding:
- New Diesel-Electric Hybrid Buses for Whatcom Transportation Authority – WTA was awarded a $9,644,865 Low- and No-Emission grant to purchase eleven diesel-electric hybrid buses to replace three diesel buses and eight hybrid buses. Larsen recently wrote a letter of support for WTA’s application for Low-No grant funding.
- New South Whidbey Island Transit Center for Island Transit – The Washington State Department of Transportation was awarded a $7,526,400 Bus and Bus Facilities grant on behalf of Island Transit to engineer, design and construct the South Whidbey Island Transit Center, a new multimodal transit hub located in Clinton.
- New Maintenance and Administrative Facility for Skagit Transit – Skagit Transit was awarded a $5,000,000 Bus and Bus Facilities grant for a transit maintenance operations and administration facility replacement project.
Larsen a Long-Time Supporter of Bus Funding
Larsen supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a bold, long-term investment in the nation’s infrastructure that is creating more jobs and building a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible transportation system in the Pacific Northwest. Overall, the BIL invests more than $10 billion for cleaner and greener public transit and school buses. Last year, Larsen applauded the FTA’s announcement of an $8.86 million Low or No Emission Vehicle grant for Whatcom Transportation Authority to replace eight aging diesel buses with eight electric buses and to purchase and install bus chargers. For more information on how the BIL is benefiting Northwest Washington communities, click here.
SOURCE: Office of Rick Larsen
FEATURED IMAGE: Courtesy of Whatcom Transportation Authority – WTA. Representative Rick Larsen, who has been a major supporter in our transition to a zero-emission fleet, meeting with WTA Board Chair City Councilor Michael Lilliquist.
