WASHINGTON — The U.S. Transportation Division mentioned on Tuesday it’s awarding $1.66 billion in grants to cities and states to purchase 1,800 buses in a shift to cleaner, lower-emission journey.

The grants will fund 1,100 zero-emission buses, which is able to practically double the present 1,300 zero-emission transit buses, the White Home mentioned.

The funding for 150 bus fleets from the $1 trillion 2021 infrastructure legislation will assist cities and states retire older polluting buses.

The funding will even purchase 700 buses, which embody hybrid-electric, pure gasoline and diesel fashions.

“These grants are going for use in each nook of this nation,” White Home infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu advised reporters.

Buses account for about half of the ten billion U.S. transit journeys Individuals took in 2019. However there are nonetheless few inexperienced buses — simply 18 p.c of the 72,000 U.S. transit buses have been hybrid electrical in 2020, in line with the American Public Transportation Affiliation.

Public transit suffered via COVID-19 as tens of thousands and thousands of Individuals labored from house and curbed enterprise and tourism journey, however methods are reporting rising use as Individuals return to places of work and journey.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the busiest U.S transit system, will obtain $116 million to purchase about 230 electrical buses to switch older diesel ones, electrifying practically 4 p.c p.c of its 5,800-bus fleet.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will obtain $104.1 million to accumulate about 160 electrical buses to switch older compressed pure gasoline (CNG) buses, whereas the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will get $116 million to purchase as much as 85 EV buses to switch diesel fashions.

The infrastructure legislation offers $5.5 billion over 5 years for bus grants, six instances prior funding ranges and $2 billion for purchasing and rehabilitating buses and constructing bus upkeep amenities.

Memphis will obtain $54 million to construct an operations/upkeep facility, whereas New Jersey Transit will get $44.6 million to renovate its Union Metropolis storage close to New York and create a public bus terminal.