EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Sun Metro held a press conference Wednesday morning, July 31, after its bus system was approved for more than $30 million in federal funding to replace aging buses and fight air pollution in the El Paso region, according to the City of El Paso and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).
The press conference was held at the Sun Metro Transit Operations Center located at 10151 Montana Ave. El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser and US Congresswoman Veronica Escobar along with Sun Metro staff were present.
As we have previously reported, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s FTA announced around $1.5 billion in funding for 117 projects to improve public transportation in 47 states back in July.
The City of El Paso’s Mass Transit Department will be receiving $30,597,000 as a result.
The City says the funding will enable the purchase of 32 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and the construction of four new bus canopies.
Sun Metro is also expecting 45 electric vehicles for its paratransit fleet to arrive in late 2025. Sun Metro’s entire fleet currently runs on compressed natural gas.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation will also be receiving $9.8 million in funding, and the South Central Regional Transit District (SCRTD) says it will be getting a part of that funding. The SCRTD serves Doña Ana County and has routes tying into El Paso.
According to the announcement, the SCRTD will use its portion of the funding to buy a new hybrid-electric bus and will also build a new transit facility in Las Cruces.
“Today, another 117 communities across 47 states 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 in a news release. “The Biden-Harris Administration is helping agencies replace old buses running on dirtier, expensive fuels by delivering modern and zero-emission buses, manufactured by American workers, that will connect more people to where they need to go.”
This funding is in addition to the $750,000 secured by Escobar for Sun Metro in FY24, according to the congresswoman’s office.
To learn more about Sun Metro, call (915) 212-3333 or visit www.SunMetro.net.
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