Augusta Transit has been awarded $12.1 million for the purchase of electric battery buses to replace the city’s aging diesel fleet.
“This is about improving our transit services for all riders and converting fleets of diesel-powered buses into clean energy vehicles to green our state for decades to come,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock, who announced the grant award Tuesday with Sen. Jon Ossoff.
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With the six buses will come charging equipment and infrastructure, as well as an electric bus simulator to train transit workers.
The grant is Augusta Transit’s second for electric buses and will eventually bring its fleet to at least 11.
“Augusta Transit is so excited and grateful to be awarded a second round of Low Emission-No Emission grant funds,” Transit Director Sharon Dottery said.
A first set of five buses is arriving next year, while the second group is set to arrive in 2027, Dottery said.
“We continue to propel our clean energy initiative forward while playing a major role in workforce development by purchasing a bus operator 360-degree training simulator,” she said.
The funds, coming from the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by Congress in 2021, require a $2 million local match.
The award is Augusta’s largest-ever single federal transit grant award, the city said in a statement.
The grant application was a joint effort between electric bus manufacturer Gillig, EO Charging Inc., simulation equipment maker FAAC, the Center for Transportation and the Environment and the office of the Augusta administrator, the city said.
The funds follow a 2022 grant award of $6.3 million for five electric buses, and last month’s award of $1.7 million to modernize the Augusta Transit transfer station.
The funding announced Tuesday is in addition to nearly $60 million in federal funding awarded seven Georgia school districts in January for electric and low-emission buses.
The Richmond County School District received funds for 25 electric buses.
In the latest award, the Chatham Area Transit Authority in Savannah also will receive $7.8 million to replace diesel buses and MARTA will get more than $25 million to build a transit hub for bus and rail connections.
To find an Augusta bus route, schedules and other transit options call (706) 821-1719 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
