Fairfax County to get $50.6 million to replace buses with diesel-electric hybrids

While we’re on the topic of transportation funding, the new strategic plan now in place for Charlottesville Area Transit calls for the purchases of more buses to allow the city-operated bus system to run more frequently. 

That document also calls for the purchase of both battery-electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. One source of potential funding is the Federal Transit Authority and their low- and no-emission grants. 

CAT did not apply for funding in the current cycle but will in the future, according to Director Garland Williams. 

This week, the FTA announced the award of $1.5 billion to 117 public transportation projects in 47 states. 

“Under the President’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, FTA has awarded nearly $5 billion in the past three years to replace and modernize transit buses on America’s roadways, building new technology with American workers,” reads a press release sent out on Tuesday. “U.S. factories will produce more than 4,600 of these new buses.”

Only one only locality or agency in the Commonwealth of Virginia had a successful application with the award of $50,591,220 to Fairfax County. 

“The County of Fairfax, Virginia, will receive funding to buy new low emission diesel-electric hybrid buses to replace older buses as part of its fleet replacement plan,” reads a list of the awards. 

The service there is called the Fairfax County Connector and that agency’s strategic plan calls for 36 such buses in FY25 and another 36 in FY26. The plan shows they’ll transition to purchasing electric buses beginning in FY27. 

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