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The Florida Division of Environmental Safety has awarded $68 million in grants for the acquisition of 227 electrical transit buses in 13 counties. The funds got here from Florida’s $166-million share of Volkswagen’s $15-billion federal settlement for the Soiled Diesel Debacle.
The electrical buses will exchange current diesel buses in Alachua, Broward, Duval, Escambia, Hillsborough, Leon, Marion, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Orange, Palm Seashore, Pasco and Pinellas counties.
Pinellas County’s PSTA, which serves Charged’s house metropolis of St Petersburg, will obtain $18 million in funding to buy 60 buses—the second-largest quantity awarded to any transit company via the state’s Electrical Transit Bus Undertaking. (Miami-Dade’s transit company DTPW will obtain $19.8 million to buy 63 buses.) PSTA at the moment operates 6 electrical buses and 88 hybrid buses.
“We’re dedicated to scrub power, and electrical buses additionally value much less to run and are simpler to keep up. Throughout the subsequent decade, we hope to eradicate all diesel buses from our fleet,” mentioned PSTA CEO Brad Miller.
Hillsborough County’s transit company, HART, didn’t submit a proposal to the grant program, however USF Parking & Transportation Companies, which is positioned in Hillsborough, will obtain $600,000 to buy two buses.
Taking part public transit companies should buy two electrical transit buses for every diesel bus changed. A public transit company that doesn’t meet this eligibility requirement should take part, however will obtain a pro-rated portion of the award.
The awards on this spherical of funding:
- Broward County Transportation Division will obtain $7.8 million to safe 26 electrical buses.
- Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX) will obtain $9 million to safe 30 electrical buses.
- The Metropolis of Gainesville Regional Transit System will obtain $300,000 to safe 4 buses.
- Key West will obtain $300,000 to safe one bus.
- Town of Ocala will obtain $300,000 to buy one bus for SunTran.
- Town of Tallahassee will obtain $5.1 million to buy 17 buses for StarMetro.
- The Escambia County Board of County Fee will obtain $2.7 million to buy 9 buses.
- Jacksonville Transportation Authority will obtain $1.8 million to buy six buses.
- Palm Seashore County will obtain $1.8 million to buy six automobiles for PalmTran.
- Pasco County Public Transportation will obtain $600,000 to buy two buses.
- Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) will obtain $18 million to buy 60 buses.
- USF Parking & Transportation Companies will obtain $600,000 to buy two buses.
Individually, Florida has introduced new funding of $57 million in electrical faculty buses in seven Florida counties via the Electrical College Bus Undertaking. This funding might be used to purchase 218 electrical faculty buses, which can exchange legacy diesel buses in Broward, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Seashore, Pinellas and Sarasota counties.
Solely faculty districts inside an air high quality precedence space designated within the state’s mitigation plan had been eligible for this challenge. College districts had to offer a minimum of a 25% value share, and college districts that offered the very best value share had been prioritized.
Sources: Florida DEP, Tampa Bay Occasions, St Pete Catalyst, Mass Transit
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