Metro to use federal grant to buy electric buses, convert Fairfax garage
A $104 million federal grant awarded to Metro on Monday will help the transit agency buy 100 electric buses and convert a Fairfax County bus garage into a facility that can support them, Metro officials said.
The grant from the Federal Transit Administration was one of 130 totaling $1.7 billion that were handed out to transit systems across the country. The money is authorized by the infrastructure law passed in 2021 and will help transit agencies buy 1,700 buses — nearly half of which will have zero emissions, federal officials said in a statement.
Metro has set a goal of converting to a zero-emission fleet by 2042. Transit leaders said the grant will help to propel Metro toward that goal.
The grant “from the FTA is a testament to the importance of the federal government and regional partners joining together to support the transition to zero-emission buses that will help create a healthier, better environment,” Metro General Manager Randy Clarke said in a statement.
Advertisement
Metro is partnering with Fairfax County on the conversion of the Cinder Bed Road bus facility. The county plans to use part of the complex to house and charge its all-electric bus rapid transit vehicles that will run from Fort Belvoir to the Huntington Metro station by 2030, Metro officials said.
“This project aligns with the county’s important goal of carbon neutral government operations by 2040 and is an investment in the region’s transit system and clean energy that will bring significant environmental and community benefit,” Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay (D) said in a statement.
Federal officials said the grant will be used to develop training programs for drivers, mechanics and first responders to familiarize them with electric buses.
Metro this month received its first shipment of fully electric buses to launch the first phase of its bus fleet conversion. The 12 new buses will operate out of Metro’s Shepherd Parkway Bus Division in Southwest Washington.
Advertisement
Metro’s Northern and Bladensburg bus garages are also being converted. Both will house, charge and support electric buses when complete, Metro said. Metro also plans to convert and rebuild its Western Bus Garage in Northwest Washington.
The federal grants Monday are the second package of bus grants funded by the infrastructure law, which officials said has invested more than $3.3 billion in transit buses and supporting infrastructure.
“Today’s announcement means more clean buses, less pollution, more jobs in manufacturing and maintenance, and better commutes for families across the country,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMGzrc2sp6iqpJbBqrvNaGlpamNkfXd7kW9mpp2kp7xuscuemq2qmZh6o8HSnqpmnJNis6K10Z%2BYsWc%3D