City Receives Second Grant for New Buses
by Michael Carson on Nov. 04, 2010, under UncategorizedThe City of Tucson has received a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to replace about 10 bio-diesel buses with vehicles utilizing hybrid technology.
This announcement comes on the heels of a $5 million grant awarded to the City in October from DOT’s State of Good Repair program to replace approximately 15 buses.
The funds are made available through DOT under the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Clean Fuels Bus and Bus Facilities Program. This program helps achieve the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and carbon monoxide, and supports emerging clean fuel and advanced propulsion technologies for transit buses. Sun Tran plans to replace buses in its fleet that are up to 16 years old. According to the FTA, the expected useful lifespan of a transit bus is 12 years.
Grant recipients are required by the FTA to provide local matching funds of up to 20 percent of the project. Local match for this new bus purchase is made possible through funding from the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). The RTA transit element includes funds to expand Sun Tran’s fleet, as well as replace aging buses.
“This funding could not have been secured without the support of United States Representatives Gabrielle Giffords and Raúl Grijalva,” stated Sun Tran General Manager Katrina Heineking. “In addition, the RTA’s continued belief in the importance of regional transit and commitment of the match funds also helped make this grant award a reality.”
Sun Tran will work with the City of Tucson to purchase new buses. Delivery is expected to occur in approximately 18 months.
Sun Tran is Tucson’s award winning regional public transportation system, which is operated by Professional Transit Management, Ltd. (PTM), and under contract with the City. With more than 600 employees, 40 fixed routes and a fleet of 240 buses, Sun Tran’s mission is to provide safe, reliable, well maintained and cost effective public transportation with a team of innovative and diverse employees, dedicated to our customers, the environment and the community.
November 4th, 2010 on 7:39 pm
Buses in Tucson are crowded. Especially busy is the intersection of Grant and Alvernon where the southbound bus on Alvernon frequently is filled to capacity. The buses on 5th are very full when Rincon High students leave the campus. Downtown buses are often packed. I think many car drivers have no idea how people are inside those buses. Many of the riders are blind, in wheelchairs, have broken legs, or have medical conditions. I wish some of the people who oppose buses would think of what their life would be like if they had been born blind.