The city of Montgomery is modernizing its bus system with a $16,941,377 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The grant will allow the city to purchase new battery-powered electric buses and chargers and launch a training program for its workforce, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell’s office said.
Sewell announced the grant in July, and the city plans to implement the changes in the coming months. The city was one of 117 communities that received grants to support their transportation systems. The grants were made possible by President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill.
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“As the only member of Alabama’s congressional delegation to vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill, I am extremely pleased to see investments of this kind coming to our state,” Sewell said in the press release.
Mayor Steven Reed emphasized the economic opportunities the improved bus system will provide to the people of Montgomery. With the grant, the city will purchase eight to 10 electric buses that will be used primarily in western Montgomery, Reed said.
“The Biden-Harris administration is helping agencies in 47 states replace old buses that run on dirty, expensive fuels by delivering modern, zero-emission buses made by American workers that get more people to their destinations,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the press release.
Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser’s public safety reporter. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @gladlyalex.
