The DOT’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded $409.3 million in grants to 70 projects in 39 states to modernize and electrify America’s bus systems.

One of these grants will go to the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, which serves Charged’s home city of St Petersburg, Florida.

The PSTA grant is for $18,399,000, the second-largest amount awarded in this round. PSTA says it plans to buy 12 electric buses, 12 depot chargers and 2 inductive wireless chargers with the new funds. The agency hopes to add 60 electric buses to its fleet over the next five years, contingent on funding.

FTA says it received 303 eligible project proposals, representing over $2.5 billion in funding requests. “Under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, an additional $5.1 billion in formula and competitive grant funding is authorized under the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program over the next five years,” says the agency, “meaning more projects can be funded.”

Another grant, for $11.4 million, went to the Connecticut Department of Transportation to buy battery-electric buses. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada will receive nearly $5 million to buy hydrogen fuel cell buses and to install “renewable energy lighting.”

However, by no means all the grants are earmarked for electrification projects. The city of Gainesville, Florida, which unveiled three e-buses in 2021, received $10.7 million “to replace older buses that have exceeded their useful life and build a new bus transfer station.” Atlanta’s MARTA scored $15 million to build a new bus maintenance facility. Ohio’s Laketran landed $14.7 million for building projects.

Sources: Federal Transit Administration, WMNF, St Pete Catalyst