Sun Tran, Tucson’s transit service, will receive $12 million from the federal government to purchase 19 electric vehicles and 10 charging stations.
The city of Tucson, Tucson Electric Power, the Pima Association of Governments and the Regional Transportation Authority also will contribute money to bring the total amount for this project to $15 million, according to a Sun Tran news release.
The Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emissions Grant will be used to purchase 10 electric buses for Sun Tran, seven electric vehicles for Sun Van and two electric vehicles for a new transit route to the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. In addition to the vehicles, the money will be used to install five dual-sided charging bays at the Sun Tran north yard, four Sun Van charging stations, and one charging station dedicated for the Sabino Canyon service.
The Federal Transit Administration recently announced $1.66 billion in grants to transit agencies, territories and states to invest in 150 bus fleets and facilities.
People are also reading…
Funded by the President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more than 1,100 of those vehicles will use zero-emissions technology, which reduces air pollution and helps meet the President’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. This year’s funding alone will nearly double the number of no-emission transit buses on America’s roadways, according to a news release from the FTA.
“This represents a major step forward in our efforts to reduce emissions and improve air quality in Southern Arizona. We would like to thank our partners who helped make this happen,” said Steve Spade, Sun Tran general manager.
He said the grant will allow Sun Tran to double its electric fleet and will allow Sun Van to begin using its first electric vehicles.
Sun Tran was the first public transportation system in Arizona to launch electric buses in 2021. Its goal is to replace all of its all-diesel buses with either electric or compressed natural gas buses by 2028, the news release said.
The city of Phoenix received a $16 million grant to fund up to 12 hydrogen fuel cell buses, six electric buses, charging stations and employee training.
The Low or No Emission program provides funding to state and local governments for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses as well as acquisition, construction and leasing of required supporting facilities.
