The US Federal Transit Administration will award approximately $1.47 billion in competitive grant funds from two programs to help modernize bus fleets and facilities across the country. The combined announcement is the first FTA competitive grant opportunity under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

FTA’s Low or No Emission (Low-No) Grant Program makes funding available to help transit agencies purchase or lease US-built low or no emission vehicles that use advanced technologies, including related equipment or facilities, for transit revenue operations.

The IIJA provides $5.5 billion over five years for the Low-No Program—more than 10 times greater than the previous five years of funding. For Fiscal Year 2022, approximately $1.1 billion will be available for grants under this program.

FTA’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program makes funding available to help transit agencies purchase and rehabilitate buses, vans, and related equipment, and build bus facilities.

The IIJA provides nearly $2 billion over five years for the Bus and Bus Facilities Program. For Fiscal Year 2022, approximately $372 million for grants will be available under this program.

FTA is encouraging applicants to provide information on how their proposed project will support the Justice40 Initiative by identifying disadvantaged communities that the projects will benefit through jobs, increased safety, resiliency, access to transit, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

As part of FTA’s commitment to helping transit workers prepare for technological advancements, five percent of each grant under the Low-No program must be used for workforce development and training. FTA’s new Transit Workforce Center will also be releasing tools to help agencies do this.

FTA is encouraging workforce development plans that are developed in partnership with labor and the use of registered apprenticeships. Zero-emission projects, in particular, are able to use five percent of their funding for workforce development.