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Two Virginia transit systems receive $11.5 million from infrastructure bill

Rebecca Barnabi
bus transport passenger
(© dusanpetkovic1 – stock.adobe.com)

Awarded through the Department of Transportation’s Fiscal Year 2022 Low or Now Emission Vehicle Program, two Virginia transit systems will receive $11,549,192 in federal funding.

Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine announced the funding Thursday, according to a press release, which enables state and local governments to purchase or lease zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, as well as acquire and construct support facilities.

The funding is made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“Electric and natural gas vehicles offer a clean and affordable alternative to traditional fuel vehicles,” the senators said in the press release. “We are glad to see Virginia receive this funding to support the adoption of more energy efficient vehicles and the needed infrastructure to continue our transition to a transportation system with a significantly lower impact on the environment.”

  • The GRTC Transit System which serves Central Virginia will receive $10,032,000 to replace natural gas buses that have reached the end of their useful life
  • The program will fund $952,192 for the GRTC Transit System to construct a vehicle storage facility
  • The City of Suffolk will receive $565,000 to purchase new electric buses and charging stations

The Inflation Reduction Act, passed by the U.S. Senate last week, also includes significant provisions to support the adoption of a clean energy future, and expects reduction of carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.