The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a grant worth $5,666,950 to the Allegheny County Health Department to cover the cost used by the Port Authority of Allegheny County in purchasing electric buses.
To start, the Port Authority is purchasing seven 60-foot battery-electric buses and an electric charging station, and is expected to begin operation by the end of 2022.
When the buses begin circulation, they will be used to operate on the Downtown-Uptown-Oakland-Wilkinsburg Bus Rapid Transit corridor.
"We are quite fortunate in this community to have so many collaborations that benefit our region – and this announcement is no exception," said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. "The application by the Health Department for this funding from the Targeted Airshed Grant (TAG) Program, and the award by the EPA, will go a long way in helping Port Authority continue to transition to a more environmentally-friendly bus fleet, leading to better air quality and a cleaner environment for our citizens and our region."
The nearly $5.7 million grant is the largest ever awarded to Allegheny County from the EPA under the TAG program.
In 2010, the EPA awarded $2.9 million for pollution reduction efforts in the industrial Mon Valley area.
