Peters Announces $2.6 Million Federal Grant for Zero-Emission Electric Buses in Metro Detroit
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will award a grant totaling $2.6 million to the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Suburban Mobility Authority Regional Transportation (SMART) for a new fleet of zero-emission electric buses. The funding will be used to replace the current fleet of energy efficient buses with newer, more sustainable transit vehicles, and provide the necessary infrastructure and technical assistance required for implementation. Peters expressed his support for DDOT and SMART’s grant application in a May 2019 letter to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao.
“As more public and private entities throughout Michigan work to become more eco-friendly, it is important that the public transportation Michiganders rely on also contributes to a more sustainable future,” said Senator Peters, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. “I was proud to support this federal grant, which help build upon previous efforts to forge a more energy-efficient transportation system, and tap the full economic and environmental potential of Metro Detroit.”
According to research conducted by the City of Detroit, 31% of the greenhouse emissions detected throughout the metropolitan region are linked to transportation, including the city’s public transportation. The funding for the new fleet will be allocated through the Federal Transit Administration’s Low or No Emission Bus grant program
Peters has long supported efforts in Congress to advance mobility, reduce greenhouse emissions and protect public health. Earlier this month, bipartisan legislation Peters helped introduce to support research and development of clean vehicle and advanced safety technologies advanced in the Senate. Peters also convened a field summit in April examining the rising costs to taxpayers from extreme weather and climate change.
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