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4 Michigan transportation agencies get $23.4M to upgrade bus systems

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Posted at 12:14 PM, Aug 16, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-16 12:14:21-04

(WXYZ) — The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that four agencies in Michigan will be getting more than $20 million in grants to invest in electric buses and public transit.

The funding is part of $1.66 billion in grants from President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill.

“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,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.

The Michigan Department of Transportation will get $12 million to help seven transit agencies and three non-profit organizations to replace buses and vans that exceeded their useful life.

The money will also help buy additional buses to expand services in rural areas, and fund the conversion of diesel buses to propane, and install electric charging infrastructure.

According to the White House, the City of Detroit and Detroit Department of Transportation will get nearly $7 million to buy battery electric buses and install charging equipment.

In Flint, the Mass Transit Authority (MTA) will get $4.3 million to buy hydrogen fuel cell buses and upgrade equipment for an existing hydrogen refueling station.

Finally, the City of Midland will get $167,257 to buy electric transit vans to replace gas-powered buses.