WASHINGTON, DC – In an effort to reduce pollution and increase efficient public transit options, U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced a new $5,150,000 federal grant to help the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) acquire new electric buses.

The federal funds are made available through the Low and No Emission (Low-No) Vehicle Grant Program, which supports transit agencies in purchasing or leasing low- or no-emission buses and other transit vehicles that use advanced technologies such as battery electric and fuel-cell power to provide cleaner, more energy efficient transit service in communities across the country.

Last year, Senator Reed successfully led a bipartisan effort to add $125 million to the Low-No Emissions Bus Grant Program. 

With this latest grant, RIPTA has now been awarded over $11 million in federal competitive grants since 2018 to make capital investments in upgrading its clean energy fleet of buses and charging infrastructure. 

“This new federal grant will help RIPTA purchase new clean energy buses and it will help improve air quality.  I am committed to delivering federal resources that will help steer us toward a cleaner energy future with less pollution and more convenient and efficient public transportation options.  This is a wise investment in RIPTA’s electric bus fleet and charging infrastructure.  Upgrading the bus fleet to newer low- and no-emission vehicles will help RIPTA save money, improve air quality and service, and combat climate change,” said Senator Reed, who serves on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, which authorizes federal funds for mass-transit.  He is also on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), which appropriates federal funding for mass transit.

“As always, the Senator’s support and advocacy is crucial to our efforts to continue to move RIPTA forward and invest in zero-emission vehicles for our fleet,” said Scott Avedisian, RIPTA’s Chief Executive Officer. “We know how important this is, and we also know that without federal support, the investment in electrical vehicles and related infrastructure would be too costly for most transit authorities to act expeditiously. We applaud Senator Reed for his Clean Transit for America Plan.”

Earlier this year, Senator Reed helped roll out a bold new proposal known as the Clean Transit for America Plan, to dedicate $73 billion in federal funding to electrify the nation’s 70,000 transit buses as part of a push to move the U.S. mass-transit network toward zero-emissions. 

Currently, only about two percent of the nation’s public transit buses are zero-emission vehicles.  According to recent data, the average cost of a battery electric bus is between $850,000 and $900,000, and hydrogen fuel cell buses average $1 million per bus or more.  Zero emissions vehicles will be cheaper to operate and maintain once deployed, helping agencies provide more frequent, high-quality transit services, but the upfront cost of zero-emission vehicles and charging infrastructure are an obstacle to adoption. Significantly increasing the size of orders for zero-emissions buses will lead to major reductions in prices.

The Clean Transit for America Plan would provide federal funds for the procurement and deployment of zero-emission buses and related infrastructure, including charging stations.

RIPTA currently operates a fleet of nearly 250 fixed route vehicles, including 75 hybrid vehicles, and provided approximately 16 million annual passenger trips on its fixed-route service before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reed says the federal grant will help RIPTA meet its sustainability goals and that the new buses will come equipped with improved technology, such as Wi-Fi, GPS, and smart phone charging stations that offer riders a smoother, quieter, and more convenient experience.