News

RTA will be receiving $2,572,888 from the FTA

San Luis Obispo RTA is receiving $2,572,888 and Santa Barbara MTD is receiving $2,894,131 in Federal Transit Administration funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the 2021 infrastructure package crafted and passed by Rep. Carbajal, his colleagues, and the Biden-Harris Administration.

The San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority will receive funding to buy battery electric buses and chargers to replace older vehicles. This project will help meet ridership demand that had doubled between 2005 to 2019, and work toward the agency’s goal to transition its fleet to all zero-emission vehicles.

“Putting zero-emission buses on the roads of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo will help keep our air clean, reduce our region’s carbon footprint, and improve public transit reliability by installing new buses to serve Central Coast residents,” said Rep. Carbajal. “This is just the latest in what has been almost three years worth of investments from our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I was proud to help pass last term. With nearly $1 billion already delivered for the Central Coast, this law is truly delivering once-in-a-generation investments that are raising the quality of life on the Central Coast.”

“Today, 117 communities, including Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, are receiving the good news that their transit buses are being modernized and their commutes improved through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Biden-Harris Administration is helping agencies across 47 states replace old buses running on dirty, expensive fuels by delivering modern and zero-emission buses, manufactured by American workers, that will connect more people to where they need to go.”

“The RTA Board of Directors is thrilled that our project was awarded almost $2.6 million in Federal Transit Administration funding” said Andy Pease, SLO County Supervisor and RTA Board President.” This discretionary funding will partially fund the purchase of four battery-electric buses to replace diesel powered buses that have reached the end of their economically useful lives, along with recharging dispensers. Our transition to zero-emission buses is already underway, and this new funding will allow us to accelerate this transition sooner than we would have been able to otherwise. It will allow us to continue providing great transportation for our communities while also advancing our climate goals in San Luis Obispo County.”

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For information about SLO RTA please visit http://www.slorta.org

Media Contacts, RTA: Mary Gardner, Marketing Manager 805-788-2706 or mgardner@slorta.org

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