Solano Sun

WASHINGTON, DC – On June 26, Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA08) announced that SolTrans has received a $12,458,500 grant from the Biden-Harris Administration’s infrastructure law to put new American-built buses on the road and improve transit service in their community. The grants, administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration, were made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Rep. Garamendi helped pass in Congress.

“I’m pleased that this new federal funding will be devoted to producing 100% clean, battery-powered electric buses for the Solano County community. Solano County needs new public transportation options, and this new funding will make that possible while protecting the air we breathe and creating new middle-class jobs for Solano residents. As a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I fought hard to make this funding available, and I will continue to work to ensure our communities are the beneficiaries of federal support like this long into the future,” Garamendi said.

The grants were competitive. There were five times as many requests for funding than was available. In total, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced nearly $1.7 billion for transit projects in 46 states, territories, and D.C. during the round of funding. The funding also includes support for workforce training, registered apprenticeships, and project labor agreements, ensuring good-paying jobs.

“Every day, over 60,000 buses in communities of all sizes take millions of Americans to work, school, and everywhere else they need to go,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today’s announcement means more clean buses, less pollution, more jobs in manufacturing and maintenance, and better commutes for families across the country.”  

The projects announced on June 26 are supported by FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities and Low- and No-Emission (Low-No) Vehicle programs. They make funding available to help transit agencies buy or lease American-built low- or zero-emission vehicles, including buses and vans; make facility and station upgrades to accommodate low- or zero-emission vehicles; and purchase supporting equipment like chargers for battery electric vehicles. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $5.5 billion through Fiscal Year 2026 for the Low-No Program – more than six times greater than the previous five years of funding combined.

Original source can be found here