Federal grants awarded to MDOT, Flint MTA, Detroit DOT, and City of Midland Dial-A-Ride to invest in public transit bus fleets and facilities

LANSING, Mich. - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced grant awards of $12 million to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), $4.3 million to Flint Mass Transportation Authority (MTA), $6.9 million to the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), and $167,000 to the City of Midland Dial-A-Ride to invest in public transit vehicle fleets and facilities.

 “Today’s $23.4 million investment will help Michigan upgrade buses and bus facilities, making them cleaner and more efficient,” said Gov. Whitmer. “I am proud of MDOT, Flint MTA, DDOT, and the City of Midland Dial-A-Ride for winning these investments for their communities. These resources will help us continue growing Michigan’s economy, supporting good-paying jobs, and investing in every region of our great state. Michigan put the world on wheels, and we will build our leadership by competing for mobility grants to move Michigan forward.”

Eligible Michigan urban and rural public agencies can apply to MDOT for these federal funds to replace their older fleets, upgrade their equipment and facilities, and invest in new technology. Some of these funds will be invested in battery electric and hydrogen cell transit vehicles and related infrastructure.

“Michigan continues to be on the leading edge of zero-emission vehicle development and cleaner technology,” State Transportation Director Paul C. Ajegba said. “It is vital that we invest in buses and facilities that are energy efficient and safe for the environment. In the long-run, public transit agencies, riders, and taxpayers save on energy costs and are provided better services for their communities.”

“With today's awards, we’re helping communities across America - in cities, suburbs, and rural areas alike - purchase more than 1,800 new buses, and most of them are zero-emission,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Funded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this announcement means more good jobs for people across the country, cleaner air in our communities, and more affordable and reliable options to help people get to where they need to go.”

Made under FTA’s Buses and Bus Facilities and Low or No Emission (Low-No) Vehicle programs, the bus grant award are FTA’s first competitive grant selections under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The programs support the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to expand our nation’s transportation infrastructure, create and maintain good-paying jobs, and fight climate change.

“Michigan is at the forefront of investing in the transition to energy-efficient and low-polluting vehicles and modernizing public transit. These bus upgrades will create transit systems that deliver all the benefits of low-cost, convenient commuting while improving air quality and eliminating noise pollution, making our neighborhoods more accessible, safer, and healthier,” said Zach Kolodin, Michigan’s chief infrastructure officer and director of the Michigan Infrastructure Office. “The Michigan Infrastructure Office created by Gov. Whitmer will remain laser focused on identifying grant and competitive funding opportunities provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to benefit communities across the state.”

FTA’s Low-No Program makes funding available to help transit agencies buy or lease U.S.-built low- or no-emission vehicles, including related equipment or facilities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $5.5 billion over five years for the Low-No Program, which is more than six times greater than the previous five years of funding. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, approximately $1.1 billion was available for grants under this program.

FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program supports transit agencies in buying and rehabilitating buses and vans and building bus maintenance facilities. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides nearly $2 billion over five years for the program. For FY 2022, approximately $550 million for grants was available under this program.